Response
Here is my response to the Mayor and the Harbor Commissioner...
Good Morning Steven and Mayor Brand
My name is Jim Salazar. I got your contact info through my friend Bill Varney. We are both on the State Board of Directors of the Coastal Conservation Association of California. I am also a kayak fisherman that utilizes the Redondo King Harbor hand launch dock for launching my kayaks. I have been launching my small boats and kayaks here for over 20 years and in the past we had a "hand launch" flat rate that we paid for 8 hours of parking. When the City of Redondo took over the parking lot from it's previous private contractor that ran the parking lot (Decron), the city removed the "hand launch" flat rate and replaced it with the regular $2 per hour rate.This $2 per hour rate make it rather excessive for an all day adventure on the water...many of our fishing trips can last as much as 8 hours, which would be a $16 fee for parking. This is rather excessive when you consider the King Harbor hand launch is a safe and easy launch for kids, beginners and older folks for their SUPs or kayaks. Please reconsider removing this formerly affordable coastal access for our local and out of the area kayakers and SUP users.
You said..."we are looking to phase out discounts and validations – to be consistent with other operations in the City. Since we do not offer discounted public parking anywhere else in the City that I am aware of – offering it in the marina could be a challenge."
At this time you offer discounted parking for the boat hoist, and the sport-fishing operations...is the city planning on removing these discounts to be consistent with the other city lots? This marina parking lot that we are discussing is not the same as all the other city lots as it has some special facilities not offered anywhere else, such as the sport-fishing, boat hoist and hand launch facilities. For this reason I think it is imperative to make some special rates for these activities not found anywhere else in the area. Please reinstate a flat rate for hand launching. It can be as simple as having the parking lot attendant visually confirm that the vehicle exiting the lot has a SUP or kayak in or on the vehicle.
Coastal Access and especially Affordable Coastal Access is an intregal part of our beautiful California coastline and it should be available to all your local constituents...especially the young, the old and the disabled.
Thank you for your valuable time...
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Jim / Saba Slayer
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