San Juan Creek on path to provide vessel storage for Dana Point boaters

DANA POINT — As Orange County starts to get the ball rolling on the Dana Point Harbor revitalization another regional agency infused a little extra cash into a project aiming to bring a boat and recreational vehicle storage to San Juan Creek. The creek is just beyond the eastern edge of Dana Point Harbor.

The South Coast Water District (SCWD) agreed to allocate an additional $22,500 to the San Juan Creek boat and recreational vehicle storage venue on July 14. The funding would be used for additional engineering and permitting services surrounding habitat mitigation.

Last month’s expenditure approval specifically enhances a consulting services contract approved by the SCWD in 2014 for about $324,000.

This is the fourth time the consulting agreement has been amended; the updated contract is now worth $483,357, according to SCWD staff.

The boat and RV storage would be located along San Juan Creek and adjacent to Dana Point Harbor.

SCWD General Manager Andrew Brunhart said the county’s Chief Operating Officer expressed interest in moving forward with several elements of the storage project.

“Our commitment … is to let the boat community know we’re open for business,” Brunhart told the SCWD board.

Brunhart said at least one local boat association is keeping track of when the planned boat storage venue would be operational.

At least two SCWD directors pondered how Orange County’s prolonged handling of the Dana Point Harbor revitalization would affect the boat and RV storage venue.

“Where is the county and when will we be needing to have alternatives,” asked Director Bill Green. “This is supposed to have been temporary storage for the boats at the harbor.”

Green, who supported the most recent contract amendment, added the county’s timeline on the harbor revitalization “has slipped.”

Director Dennis Erdman told his colleagues the boat storage project was outside the scope and realm of the SCWD’s jurisdiction.

“This project falls outside the mission of the South Coast Water District,” Erdman said, adding Orange County is still fleshing out details about the harbor’s revitalization project so why should the district rush to move the boat storage venue along.

Erdman voted against the contract amendment.

Robert Pickering of Dana Point Marina Storage questioned whether the boat storage plan would at all coincide with the selection of the harbor revitalization partnership. He also asked how the district would handle boat storage pricing and manage work on the project with the harbor revitalization.

The board told Pickering the district would base any pricing for boat storage on market rates.

SCWD has been deliberating the boat and RV storage venue on it San Juan Creek property since 2013.

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