Baby Beach At Risk From Dana Point Harbor Plans
- Written by Morgan Becker
- Published in News
- Comments::DISQUS_COMMENTS
Buried in the Dana Point Harbor Marina Improvement Project is the addition of new boat docks in the West Basin. These docks will affect Baby Beach and those who use it for recreational purposes.
Baby Beach has become a great spot for stand up paddlers to enjoy calm, flat water.
To join in the conversation go to www.savebabybeach.com.
DANA POINT, California – Baby Beach has become a popular destination for those looking to stand up paddle, kayak or sail in calm waters. Located in Dana Point Harbor between the Ocean Institute and the OC Sailing and Events Center, this idyllic spot is now in danger of being changed radically by a project as part of the overarching Dana Point Harbor Revitalization Plan.
The project is called the Dana Point Harbor Marina Improvement Project and includes the replacement of waterside facilities in the West and East Basins of Dana Point Harbor. On September 20th, the County of Orange announced the availability of the project’s Draft Subsequent Environmental Impact Report (SEIR) for a 45-day public review. Written comments responding to the adequacy and appropriateness of the Draft SEIR should be sent not later than 5:00 PM on November 4th, 2011 to OC Dana Point Harbor, 24650 Dana Point Harbor Drive, Dana Point, CA 92629.
The Draft SEIR can be found here but unless you have about 4 spare hours and a six-pack of patience, you’re going to need some of the basics as they pertain to Baby Beach boiled down. So here we go.
The Draft SEIR states: “The primary goals of the project are to revitalize Dana Point Harbor as a popular destination for boaters, local residents and tourists while maintaining the unique character of the Harbor.” Specific project objectives include: “Maintain the Harbor’s current character and family atmosphere” and “Enhance the level of service for boaters”. Note that when the following project specifics are taken into account, these objectives are in direct conflict with each other.
Of the thirteen proposed project components (Table 3.B), the changes planned for the OC Sailing and Events Center docks, located in the West Basin, are what will directly impact Baby Beach. The proposed increase from 890 linear feet to 893 linear feet of dock space does not seem like much of an increase at first read. But, as the Draft SEIR states on page 12 of the Project Description, “The new OC Sailing and Events Center docks are an expansion into an area not currently occupied by docks and will create additional slip space in the West Marina.”
This means that the West Marina gets more slip space, the OC Sailing and Events Center gets new docks in an area previously open to recreational use, and Baby Beach gets screwed. How screwed? The pictures and numbers posted on www.savebabybeach.com, a website and organization formed to fight the project’s encroachment on this popular recreational area, estimates 20% screwed. The organization has calculated a linear direct beach to basin loss of 110 feet of an existing Baby Beach width of 567 feet. The images below show the Draft SEIR’s proposed construction of docks on the west side of the OC Sailing and Events Center Docks.
In the Draft SEIR, Baby Beach is woefully left out of the conversation on project impacts, even as it is listed in Section 4.9.1 as part of the Harbor’s existing setting: “Baby Beach is a popular beach location for picnics, beach activities, beginner sailing, kayaking, and private parties, with a launching area for nonmotorized craft.” But it is this blind eye that may turn out to be ammunition for those opposed to the project’s impact.
The California Coastal Act was passed in 1976 and provides protection for suitable oceanfront lands to be used for water-oriented and recreational purposes. In the policies laid out in Chapter 3 of the CCA, Section 30211 states “Development shall not interfere with the public’s right of access to the sea where acquired through use or legislative authorization, including, but not limited to, the use of dry sand and rocky coastal beaches to the first line of terrestrial vegetation.”
In direct response to this policy, the Draft SEIR states on Table 4.1A “The project will not interfere with the public’s right of access to the sea and does not have any effect on the use of dry sand or rocky coastal beaches. The project will not interfere with or modify the public’s right of access to the Dana Point Harbor facilities.”
Does a linear direct beach to basin loss of 110 feet constitute a modification to the public’s right of access to the Dana Point Harbor facilities?
If I build an ice-skating rink on 20% of your baseball diamond can you still play baseball without first base?
The answers are of course up to the reader but the conclusion is the same, the Dana Point Harbor Marina Improvement Project will have an impact on Baby Beach. To have your voice heard about this impact, write to the OC County Harbor office at 24650 Dana Point Harbor Drive, Dana Point, CA 92629 before November 4th.
To join in the conversation go to www.savebabybeach.com.
** UPDATE **
Important Links
Dana Point Harbor Revitalization Plan
Dana Point Harbor Marina Improvement Project
Draft Subsequent Environmental Impact Report (SEIR)
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Morgan Becker
After spending the first part of her life in Minnesota, Morgan traded in her snow boots for sandals and moved to sunny California. After graduating with a degree in Communication from The University of Southern California, she eventually made her way down south to San Diego and is taking advantage of the living by the best beaches and burritos California has to offer. If it’s sunny, you can find her at the beach relaxing, or exploring the calm water in the bay via paddleboards and kayaks.
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