Council Seeks More Harbor Project Data

The plan to renovate Dana Point Harbor has major flaws, the City Council plans to tell the county in a letter.

The council decided Tuesday to urge the county Board of Supervisors to do more research on the county-owned project.

“The county is sincere and the harbor has been neglected, but there just isn’t a clear understanding of the traffic problem,” Mayor Bill Ossenmacher said.

He expressed concern that the harbor may just be too small to accommodate all of the expansions.

Highlights of the plan include:

* Adding two eastbound lanes to Pacific Coast Highway to relieve traffic congestion into the harbor.

* Several options to reduce parking problems including three-story deck parking, an expanded parking structure, or paid parking.

* Expanding the existing retail area by 25%.

* Permitting the Orange County Marine Institute to expand.

* Increasing services and facilities for boaters, including “stacked storage” for boats.

Jim Miller, vice president of the Merchants Assn., said the 32 retailers believe “the additional retail is excessive.”

The plan for the county-owned property is the result of five meetings of the Dana Point Harbor Task Force, which was composed of county, city and citizen representatives.

Supervisor Tom Wilson and his staff will review all comments, which are due by Sept. 1, and then summarize them for the board.

To request a copy of the plan or comment on it, write to: Orange County Public Facilities & Resources Department, Real Property Division, P.O. Box 4048, Santa Ana, CA 92702-4048.