‘CRISIS POINT': City may declare emergency to address choked up harbor

As an avid boater, Tom McAuliffe says the current state of Norriego Point and the entrance of the harbor are an accident waiting to happen.

“They need to prepare themselves for a lawsuit from someone who is going to get hurt out there,” said McAuliffe, a Realtor at Keller Williams.

Overlooking the harbor Friday, McAuliffe, the owner of a 28-foot Bayliner, said the traffic in the navigational channel has been reduced to single traffic for the second time in the past few months and he almost hit another boat while entering the harbor recently due to its narrowness.

“It’s a safety concern and we don’t want to wait until Easter or Spring Break,” he said.  “Let’s just get it done.”

And the city would like nothing better than to do just that.

As he continues to work through the regulatory process and constant evaluations, Public Services Director Steve Schmidt knows the circumstances surrounding Norriego Point’s erosion all too well.

“It’s gotten really bad,” Schmidt told The Log. “The tip has hooked back into the entrance and it’s almost completely closed.”

Much like in October, the city will once again have to clean out the harbor entrance as the spring and summer boating seasons near. As of Friday, the talks at city hall have centered on potentially dredging in the next month or so, but that has yet to officially be determined.

While he didn’t give too many specifics, Schmidt told The Log there are also several options being discussed to help ease the continual erosion. One option would be to put a 12-foot temporary sheet pile wall on the point.

“None of the options are good,” he said, noting that the full stabilization of Norriego Point is the final solution.

City Manager Maryann Ustick said another option was for the city to issue a special resolution that would allow them to operate under emergency protocols and free their hand to take action.

“We are at a crisis point,” she said. “We have to dredge and take action.”

City leaders will hold a council workshop Feb. 13 at 5 p.m. at the City Hall Annex to discuss the stabilization of Norriego Point. A special meeting will follow the workshop so the council can take action.

As boats are preparing for Spring Break and summer, the city will place signs along the point “encouraging” boaters not to park on the narrow portions on the point inside the harbor.

For now, Schmidt and the city are monitoring the point and the navigational channel constantly.

“We’ll continue to review what’s happening out there,” he said. “Right now, we are walking a very delicate line.”

As he looks at Norriego Point, McAuliffe understands the financial plight and red tape involved, but urges city leaders to take action as soon as possible.

“We understand budgets are tough, but hopefully we can get them to pay attention and respond to this now.”