Harbor Commission backs ‘Option E’ for King Harbor boat launch, recommends grant application

The Redondo Beach Harbor Commission voted to recommend “Option E” as the preferred site for a new public boat launch on Mole D and authorized staff to apply to the California Division of Boating and Waterways for construction funding, during its meeting on Oct. 13, 2025.

Project manager Dave Schrove of the City of Redondo Beach told commissioners that the DBW grant would pay for construction and permitting “100%” and that the city must supply a council resolution plus a preferred location as part of the February 2026 grant application.

Why it matters: the grant covers up-front construction and permitting but the launch must meet local Measure C constraints and state permitting requirements. Commissioners and the public focused on boater safety in King Harbor’s narrow channels, pedestrian conflicts at the promenade and the environmental and permitting risks that would make some locations costlier or harder to permit.

Staff and consultant findings and recommendation

Dave Schrove and Jerry Holcomb of Moffatt & Nichol presented background, technical studies and three initial location options shown at a public workshop on Sept. 23. Consultants reported a demand study supporting two launch lanes, which would require 60 trailer parking spaces and would meet DBW minimum criteria. A parking and circulation study concluded the harbor’s existing 719 stalls would still accommodate waterfront uses after construction, leaving an estimated 525 stalls remaining.

The presentation summarized earlier feasibility work that eliminated Mole A, B and C from primary consideration because of storm surge exposure, traffic conflicts, narrow turnaround areas or conflict with existing uses. The workshop showed three candidate footprints on Mole D: Option A (furthest south, most sheltered and lowest cost but the narrowest fairway), Option B (more navigable fairway but greater exposure and cost) and Option C (farther west, highest navigational space but would require a sheet‑pile wall and face the largest environmental and permitting hurdles).

Moffatt & Nichol and city staff described Option E as a compromise developed after the workshop and subcommittee review. Option E rotates the ramp about 45 degrees (relative to Option A), adding roughly 30 feet of navigable fairway compared with Option A while avoiding the sheet‑pile wall that Option C would require. Staff described Option E as providing improved queuing and maneuvering space for trailered vessels while retaining better pedestrian circulation than Option C.

Constraints and design requirements

Schrove reviewed Measure C constraints and DBW grant requirements the design must meet: two launch lanes (if provided) require a minimum of 30 trailer spaces per lane (60 total), zero net loss of marina slips, ability to operate in normal surge conditions and accommodations for street‑legal trailerable boats. Consultants also presented coastal condition analyses (wave attenuation heat maps) and buoy data identifying the least wave‑exposed sections of Mole D.

Public workshop feedback and safety concerns

Staff said the community workshop was well attended and that attendees prioritized boater traffic safety, wave protection and minimizing conflicts between pedestrians and vehicles. Commissioners and public speakers noted that narrow fairways increase risk for sailing and small‑craft users who lack auxiliary power.

Mark Hansen, a King Harbor boater and member of the Harbor Amenities Working Group, praised the commission’s progress and told commissioners, “This milestone feels absolutely great,” while urging design attention to queuing dock capacity and sailboat maneuvering.

Business owners and operators who spoke—among them Jake of Redondo Boat Rentals and Mike Jimenez, who represents commercial fishing and bait interests—supported Option E as a pragmatic compromise but stressed pedestrian and vehicle circulation near the International Boardwalk and existing commercial operations.

Permitting, cost and timeline

Staff said Option C would likely have the highest cost and the most permitting risk because of required sheet‑pile protection and greater ocean‑floor disturbance; Options A, B and E fall in a lower cost/permit‑risk band with A likely the lowest cost. Schrove outlined a tentative schedule: staff intends to submit the DBW grant application in February 2026; DBW recommended awards in early 2027; state budget adoption in mid‑2027; execution of a grant agreement and entitlement work would follow, with construction not expected before about 2030 under the presented timeline.

Commission discussion and next steps

Commissioners repeatedly returned to safety for small craft and pedestrians, queuing‑dock length and whether a floating separation dock could improve operations. Commissioners said the conceptual placement of restrooms, washdown and other amenities would be refined in later design and entitlement phases with additional public outreach.

Votes at a glance

- Harbor Commission received and filed the boat‑launch report (motion carried; verbal roll call: unanimous). - Harbor Commission recommended that City Council adopt Option E for inclusion in the grant application (motion carried; verbal roll call: unanimous). - Harbor Commission recommended that staff apply to the California Division of Boating and Waterways for a boat‑launch facility grant (motion carried; verbal roll call: unanimous). - Commission directed staff to convey continuing concerns to City Council—that the site is tight, that pedestrian and boat traffic be mitigated in the design phase, that queuing docks be maximized and that harbor patrol and other mitigations be considered (motion carried; verbal roll call: unanimous).

What the commission decided and what remains

The Commission formally recommended Option E and authorized the grant application. That recommendation and the Commission’s concerns will be incorporated into the staff report to City Council, which staff said is scheduled to consider the matter on Nov. 4. If the city secures a DBW award, staff said entitlement and detailed design, additional community outreach and Coastal Commission review will follow before final construction drawings and a procurement are issued.

The commission also voted to cancel its November meeting because no additional items of business were scheduled.

Ending

Staff will present the Commission’s recommendation and recorded concerns to City Council on Nov. 4 and will return to the Harbor Commission with entitlement‑level design proposals and additional public outreach if the grant moves forward.