Marinas
TOLEDO MARINA NO LONGER A FREEBIE Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority
The city wants to make the marina self-sustaining, noting that the docking fees should be able to pay for the dockmaster and other expenses. Any profits garnered by the marina would be put back into the facility for repairs or improvements, according to the terms of a grant agreement used to build the marina. The city expected to hire a dockmaster by the end of February, and he/she will set fees for mooring and other amenities before the start of the prime boating season. It is expected that the dockmaster would sign a threeyear contract. The marina, formerly known as the Glass City Municipal
Toledo’s Mayor Mike Bell is looking to hire a dockmaster to
Marina, shares its quarters with a marine passenger terminal
manage the slips at the Toledo Skyway Marina, meaning that
developed by the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority. Plans
boaters will no longer be able to dock their boats there for
call for the terminal to be refurbished and become the site
free. For the last three boating seasons, boaters have freely
of the Great Lakes Maritime Museum. The terminal includes
docked their vessels at the marina on a first-come, first served
showers, restrooms, and a store for use by boaters.
basis, complete with running water and electricity.
The city has long sought to bring tourists to Toledo via the
The $6.3 million marina, which was built on a brownfield site
water, and sees the Maritime Museum and the marina as the
and opened for business in June 2008, has 77 slips available
way to accomplish this by setting aside several spaces at the
and is part of the city’s Marina District Development along the
marina for transient boaters, who could dock their boats and
Maumee River. The city has long sought to capitalize on its
visit the Maritime Museum.
waterfront by attracting boaters.
TOWER MARINA DOES ITS OWN DREDGING At a time when small harbors in Michigan along the
dredging. A $541,000 contract was signed this year indicating
Lake Michigan coastline are complaining about the lack
that the federal government will pay for the removal of silt
of dredging funds, Tower Marina in Douglas, Mich., is
from Grand Haven’s inner and outer harbors.
undertaking its own dredging of silt and sedimentation, thanks to the foresight of R.J. Peterson, who owns the marina.
There are two major reasons why USACE is paying for this maintenance dredging. The first is that Grand Haven is home
Peterson said maintenance dredging of the marina’s harbor
to a coal-fi red
is an annual event, and this year is no different. He owns his
power plant, and
own dredging equipment and has the upland site available for
the shipment of
disposing of the waste.
coal and other
As a member of the Michigan Waterways Commission, Peterson said that dredging of marinas’ harbors is critical to keeping them open as viable businesses. He added that neither the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) nor the state Department of Environmental Quality seem to want to discuss the dredging problem.
commerce coming into the harbor qualifies it as a commercial harbor. The second reason is that Grand Haven is home for
Another Michigan marina that will be having its harbor
a U.S. Coast Guard station. This federal unit cannot afford
dredged in preparation for the upcoming boating season is
to be stalled in performing its job by an unfit harbor.
Grand Haven Municipal Marina, but USACE is paying for the
42 GLB | Mar/Apr 13