Beaufort residents get first look at ‘smaller’ plan in Waterfront Park event
By Mike McCombs
The Island News
After previous proposals for improvements to the Beaufort Downtown Marina were met with general disapproval from a vocal segment of city residents, Safe Harbor and the City of Beaufort hosted a review and question-and-answer session regarding a revised layout of marina improvements Thursday, Sept. 5 at the Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park Pavilion.
The revised layout of improvements from Safe Harbor was tailored to address comments and concerns from members of City Council and the public expressed during a City Council Work Session held on March 26. Among the citizens’ concerns has been the size of the improved marina in comparison to the footprint of the marina as it currently exists.
Several dozen residents, along with city officials and officials from Safe Harbor, were present at the pavilion Thursday. Residents had a chance to look at renderings and photos of the revised improvements and ask questions.
Developer and longtime Beaufort resident Paul Trask said he wasn’t quite ready to go on the record with his thoughts on Safe Harbor’s newest proposal, though it is moving in the right direction. Trask did tell City Manager Scott Marshall he would have some “constructive criticism” for him.
Trask has been a vocal critic of the City’s 2019 contract with Safe Harbor, which has been discovered to have been entered into improperly, leaving the relationship between the municipality and the company in limbo. At Beaufort’s most recent City Council meeting, Marshall publicly thanked Trask for exposing the City’s mistake.
Several other residents declined to give discuss opinions on the revised improvements to The Island News, while both Marshall and Safe Harbor officials were generally optimistic.
After the event, Safe Harbor released a statement about its revised improvements:
“The Beaufort marina is a key part of the community’s infrastructure, welcoming boaters and generating commerce. After a rich history, this vital asset is in need of important repair to both modernize the marina, as well as ensure the facility is resilient and prepared for future weather-related events, including possible storm surges.
“Our plan keeps the same general footprint of the existing marina, but provides for more robust docking, updated electrical and other critical needs making the marina more structurally sound. The proposed enhancement plan will cost approximately $8 million. It is the intention that Safe Harbor Marinas will make that investment, at no cost to the city.”
The City of Beaufort is inviting the public to participate in a survey on the proposed redesign of the Downtown Marina. To take the survey, go to https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/YB6NKPP.
To see the schematics of the redesign, go to www.cityofbeaufort.org/574/Marina-Day-Dock.
Mike McCombs is the editor of The Island News and can be reached at TheIslandNews@gmail.com.
