The 2014 Blueways Master Plan identifies the waters adjacent to Maurice Gibb Park as a potential location for a managed Mooring Field. At the March 13, 2019 City Commission Meeting, Commissioner Ricky Arriola sponsored agenda item C4M, which referred a discussion item to the Finance and Citywide Projects Committee (FCWPC), regarding the Marine and Waterfront Protection Authority’s recommendation to explore the City’s establishment of a mooring field in Sunset Harbour. 

On April 19, 2019, FCWPC meeting referred a discussion to the City Commission meeting regarding establishing a mooring field in Sunset Harbour. At the June 5, 2019 Commission meeting, a motion was passed to adopt the resolution directing the administration to explore the creation of a mooring field in the proximity of the Sunset Harbour neighborhood and authorizing the administration to retain a consultant in order to determine the financial implications and viability of establishing the mooring field.

At the May 22, 2020 Finance and Resilience Committee (FERC) the Mooring Field Study was presented to the committee (Attachment A). The Committee requested that staff review potential grant opportunities for design.

At the October 23, 2020 FERC meeting, the Committee recommended extending the boundaries of the proposed mooring field to 5^th Street along West Avenue and to return to the committee to discuss the upland facilities.

In September 2019, the City retained the consulting team of E-Sciences, Incorporated to evaluate the steps necessary to establish a managed mooring field and to guide the City as to the regulatory permitting requirements. Their analysis included exploring the physical extent of a viable area west of Maurice Gibb Memorial Park, provide example layout concepts based on common vessel sizes and physical extents, present possible options for phased expansions, investigate requirements for upland support facilities and explore management options.

A mooring field is required to include a support facility on land that incorporates a dinghy dock and sewage pump-out facility. Other amenities that are often included, but are not a regulatory requirement include bathrooms, showers, and laundry. The consultant team prepared preliminary opinions of probable costs for design, permitting and construction of a 50-slip mooring field such as those presented as Phase I alternatives in this study. A preliminary opinion of probable costs for design, permitting and construction was established to be on the order of $630,000 for one phase of a mooring field and $970,000 for a harbormaster building.

Suntex Marinas owns, operates, develops marinas throughout the United States. Suntex Marinas owns the lease for the Miami Beach Marina which already has many of the upland amenities that a mooring field would require. Suntex also has experience managing mooring fields, including the Sarasota Bay Mooring Field directly adjacent to Marina Jack’s and Sarasota’s downtown. The administration is seeking direction to continue discussion with Suntex Marinas for them to provide the upland support and management of the proposed mooring field.

It should be noted that the location of the upland facilities will be needed prior to applying for Florida Inland Navigation District grant funds in March 2021.