True will vote her values, continued

“Elections are about the American people coming together to make fundamental decisions about what kind of people we are, what kind of country we are going to leave our children and our grandchildren, and how we are going to relate to the rest of the world.”
- Bill Clinton, November 2006

Safe Harbor Marina Project
I don’t believe a large marina is desirable, sustainable, or appropriate in scale for the Grand Marais harbor. In the coming city elections, Mayor Sandbo and Councilor Spry have made it clear they favor a big-box marina funded by and owned by the DNR. Even though it looks to be years off into the future right now, still the city can waste a lot of its own money pursuing this extravagant option that would destroy the harbor and surrounding land as we know it, provide a giveaway to a very small population (2050 boat owners) who would be staying virtually for free on their boats and bringing their groceries and supplies with them.
On the other hand, a well-designed, modestly expanded marina owned by the city would provide both income and a welcome extra source of tourism without altering the town and harbor character or damaging the environment. This is the choice offered by Harbor Friends and supported by mayoral candidate Evelyn Larsen and council candidates Bill Lenz and Kay Costello.
Consider some of the findings from the recent Marina and Boating Activity Study for the Western End of Lake Superior: Marina and Boating Activity Study
· Two-thirds of the 2,050 boaters using slips and docks on Lake Superior in 2005 lived in the Twin Cities. The rest were locals living within 60 miles of a marina. Dock renters are likely middle to retirement age. Regional growth in sales and dock leases has slowed since the mid-1990’s, with newer boats being larger, more expensive. Powerboats are preferred increasingly over sailboats.
· From four marinas in the region between Grand Marais and Ashland, Wis., in 1959, there are now 24 marinas with about 2,400 docks. There are still vacant docks even in the most-populous region around Ashland. More than half of all dock renters now choose the Apostle Islands and the South Shore, and another third dock in Duluth/Superior. Fewer than 10 percent choose the North Shore marinas: mostly at the Knife River, and with 70 all told in Silver Bay and Grand Marais. Boaters in Duluth are 90 percent local. The Knife River is about half local and half Twin Cities; Silver Bay is about 40 percent local and 60 percent non-local; Grand Marais is about one-third local and two-thirds non-local.
· Most marina operators said they are not seeing young couples getting into boating and that many older boaters are switching to powerboats. The cost of owning and operating a boat takes it out of reach for most people with fees, fuel and expenses ranging from $5,000 (low use) to $30,000 or more. New boats start at $150,000 and even a used boat starts at about $60,000. These are significant costs for a relatively short boating season. Bayfield seems to be the preferred site for boaters who change dock locations.
· Grand Marais has historically been a stopping-point for boaters headed to Isle Royale and Canada. The study recommends that Grand Marais look into many questions before going ahead: size and type of likely boats, number of local boaters, who would relocate to Grand Marais, who would dock as opposed to mooring, how many transient visitors would come, why would boaters winter here, what would be the operating costs, how will it affect other nearby marinas, and what features are boaters looking for?
· The 24 marinas in the study have total revenue of about $5 million per year or $2,083 per dock.
· If Grand Marais were expanded to accommodate 250 slips, it would become the second-largest marina in the study area. In 2005, there were 345 vacant docks, nearly 15 percent of all available spaces.
These statistics and questions cast a lot of doubt on the wisdom of the DNR proposal, simply from an economic viewpoint. There are many other serious concerns about the environmental impact of a large marina that have not been addressed at all. Vote your values, friends.
True