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Board presses staff to unify dock measurement rules and speed removal of derelict vessels
Summary
Members asked staff to standardize measurement from property line to property line, flagged a Cordova Road exception, and heard code-compliance updates on cited docks and derelict vessels set for removal.
Board members and staff discussed unifying how the city measures dock projection and vessel mooring — broadly endorsing property-line-to-property-line measurement — and reviewed recent code-compliance work on derelict or sinking vessels.
The issue matters because how the city measures dock projection affects coastal property owners, boaters and navigation safety, and because derelict vessels present environmental, navigational and maintenance burdens.
Staff described an effort to unify measurement “from the property line to property line” to reduce variance caused by seawall construction types; staff said an exception will be drafted for corridor-road situations (for example, Cordova Road) where the outward, waterward boundary of the road will be the measurement reference instead of the upland property line.
Ed Eason, Code Compliance, presented two active enforcement cases. He said a dock at 915 Middle River Rock was cited on March 30 for disrepair and has compliance time until May 28; city records checked that day showed no permit had been pulled as of the meeting. He also described a sinking vessel behind 5561 Northeast 28th Avenue that was inspected and cited on April 16 with 10 days to comply; staff said the vessel was no longer on the water as of April 30 but remained in derelict condition and staff were obtaining quotes to remove it.
Board members repeatedly emphasized the need for clearer standards so applicants and staff know when waivers are appropriate. Staff described ongoing work including a whiteboard of policy options, bathymetry reviews and a proposal to cap the width used for the 25%/30% measurement in very wide channels (for example, treating waterways wider than a set threshold as the threshold width for calculation purposes). Staff asked board members for input on factors that should support or weigh against granting waivers.
No ordinance changes were adopted at the meeting; staff said a draft code amendment would return to the board for further review and that several waiver applications are scheduled for upcoming City Commission consideration.
