Boat Storage, docking, parking fees to increase at L.A. beaches and harbors

Boat Storage, docking, parking fees to increase at L.A. beaches and harbors

MARINA DEL REY— The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors agreed, May 13, to increase fees for docking, parking and dry boat storage of boats trailered at Marina del Rey.

In a detailed report, the board approved several changes to the payment structure for boaters in the marina. It is the first raise in fees by the county since 2009 and will bring in about $1.2 million annually. A board letter, dated April 22, said recent surveys and cost analyses indicated a price hike was necessary.

“We haven’t raised fee in five years,” said Carol Baker of the Department of Beaches and Harbors Public Information Office. ”We’re obligated to review fees annually. Due to the economic downturn, this is not something we had pursued in the past.”
The new outline will charge boats smaller than 25 feet $150 per month for dry boat storage of trailered boats; vessels 25 to 28 feet, $175 per month; boats 29 to 32 feet, $250 per month; vessels 33 to 35 feet, $300 per month; boats 36 to 40 feet $400 per month and vessels 40 feet and up, $500 per month. In the board letter, members indicated that existing tenants whose monthly rate increased by more than $100 will be considered for an incremental increase across a three-year period.

Under the previous structure, motorized boaters paid $110 per month for vessels up to 21 feet and $110 per month, plus an additional $5.30 per feet, for boats more than 21 feet. The reconfiguration is nearly a 60 percent increase for a 30-foot boat.

Dock fees have also been augmented. Guest docks around the marina will increase 15 cents per foot per day, from $1 to $1.15. In Burton Chace Park’s Basin H, yachts 100 feet and larger will owe $6 per foot per day. Commercial charters will be required to pay $500 per charter.

In a motion by Supervisor Don Knabe, the board agreed that parking fees at the facilities operated by the Department of Beaches and Harbors should increase by no more than $2.50 per lot entry for the next fiscal year.

“I understand that some surrounding communities charge as much or more as the proposed fees, but they didn’t necessarily get to those levels all at once,” Knabe said. “Even then, we need to remember it is our residents and visitors who pay the price when we increase our fees to ‘keep up with the Joneses.’”

Parking at Marina del Rey’s Fisherman’s Village will remain $1 for every 20 minutes. Some fees are effective immediately; others must still be approved by the California Coastal Commission.

The rate changes are also instituted at county beach parking areas and youth camps, though Knabe recommended an increase cap of $35 for the surf and sailing camps affected. The department is also considering higher parking rates for holidays.

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