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Commission adopts no-wake ordinance around Yacht Club Island to address boat-wake hazards
Summary
The City Commission unanimously adopted Ordinance O725 to create a 500-foot idle-speed/no-wake zone around a private pump-out station near Yacht Club Island after yacht-club members and boaters documented safety and environmental risks; the commission discussed grant options for signage funding.
The New Smyrna Beach City Commission on Feb. 25 adopted Ordinance O725, establishing an idle-speed/no-wake boating restricted area within 500 feet of a pump-out station near Yacht Club Island.
Assistant City Manager Nybert told the commission the change follows special legislation approved by the Florida Legislature that authorizes the city to include private pump-out stations in no-wake zones. If the ordinance is adopted, the Smyrna Yacht Club will begin engineering and permitting work with state agencies and an engineering firm, Nybert said.
Boat owners and yacht-club officials urged the commission to approve the rule on safety and environmental grounds. Tim Paine, Vice Commodore of the Smyrna Yacht Club, said narrow channels near the island make pump-outs hazardous when other vessels pass at speed and risk contaminating the water during a pump-out. "When boats come flying by at high speed and somebody's trying to get on and off their boat, trying to do a pump out ... it's a safety hazard and it's also an environmental hazard," Paine said.
Fleet captain Jane O'Connor described a severe injury suffered by her partner after a wake caused him to fall while boarding; she listed ribs fractured, a hemothorax and a new episode of atrial fibrillation as consequences of that fall and urged action to reduce similar risks.
A representative of the Florida Inland Navigation District outlined a funding option: the district could potentially cover half of the signage cost through a grant (the speaker estimated total program costs could be in the tens of thousands and mentioned an end-of-March application deadline). Commissioners and staff said adopting the ordinance tonight would allow permitting and engineering work to proceed while financing logistics are worked out separately.
Commissioner McGurk and other members praised the yacht-club volunteers and emphasized public-safety reasons for the change. The motion to adopt Ordinance O725 passed by roll call vote; the commission recorded the motion as carried.
Next steps outlined by staff include the yacht club beginning engineering work, seeking required permits from the Department of Environmental Protection and the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and pursuing grant funding for signage.
