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Riverwalk extension rocks Fort Lauderdale boat captains
Tug boats navigate the 214-foot Lady M, the largest boat taken up the New River, around a curve where officials hope to expand Riverwalk. The proposal has raised marine industry concerns because it would narrow one of the few spots on the New River where larger boats can pass each other safely.
FORT LAUDERDALE — The long-awaited completion of Riverwalk is facing a new obstacle: whether the New River is wide enough to accommodate both the city's marine and tourist interests.
Boat captains and other marine officials are objecting to a planned Riverwalk section that would extend nearly 30 feet out over the river in front of the Stranahan House. That missing link would connect the city's signature promenade with the Las Olas Boulevard restaurant and shopping district 25 years after its creation.
The wide stretch of river above the Federal Highway tunnel is one of the few places on the river where large boats can turn around or safely pass each other. It's also a critical holding area for boats heading upriver when bridges are down or large boats are heading out.
"This may be a wide part of the river, but that doesn't mean it's all navigable," said Marine Advisory Board Chairman Barry Flanigan. It's already a challenge to navigate the river, he said. "Why did they have to encroach into the river 29 feet?"
In this dispute, even major Riverwalk supporters say protecting the city's marine industry has to be the priority.
"We don't spend 100 years building up an industry to do something destructive to it," Mayor Jack Seiler said.
Riverwalk proponents are optimistic the two sides can come up with an acceptable solution.
Chris Wren, executive director of the Downtown Development Authority that is splitting the $600,000 cost of the extension with the city and developers, said he'll meet Friday with Flanigan to try to determine what minimum river width the industry can live with in that section.
"That's the approach I'm going to take to develop a consensus," Wren said.
Wren hopes a slimmed-down version of the planned Riverwalk extension is possible. The current proposal has a 20-foot width, and Wren said he'd at least like to see an 8-foot width that could accommodate couples passing in opposite directions.
Flanigan is more concerned about larger boats being able to pass on the river. Mega yachts deliver big bucks to the local economy but could take their business elsewhere if navigating the New River becomes too much of a headache.
"It costs them like $2,500 round-trip to be towed up and down the river," Flanigan said. "You bang one of these things up, you're looking at $50,000, $60,000 and up [to repair]."
Boat captains are already concerned about future delays that will be coming with All Aboard Florida, the Miami-to-Orlando passenger train that will create 32 additional daily train crossings over the river.
Capt. John Hood of Sun Dream Yacht Charters is one of many who have been writing to federal officials over Riverwalk's permit application, saying the combination will only increase the risk of boating accidents.
"I can only imagine the situation to become more critical to safely maneuver in this area as more vessels are backed up," Hood wrote to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The opposition caught Riverwalk officials by surprise. They had been relieved to finally resolve concerns and receive easements from the adjacent property owners. Those are the Stranahan House, which is the city's oldest building, and The Related Group, which plans to build the 42-story Icon Las Olas condominiums on the former Hyde Park Market property to Stranahan's west.
Most sections of Riverwalk were built on land, but the last link on the north side of the river is being placed over water as a result of the negotiations. Officials said Stranahan House officials didn't even want the Riverwalk touching its sea wall, so the current proposal has water on both sides of Riverwalk in front of it.
Boat captains were also upset the permit application showed boat slips along the Riverwalk extension, further narrowing the river's navigable portion. But Wren and Riverwalk Fort Lauderdale President Genia Ellis said no boat slips are planned.
Patrick Campbell of The Related Group said his development has no current interest in boat slips. Wren said if someone wanted to add boat slips in the future, they would have to go through a separate permitting process — and prepare to face the same objections.
lbarszewski@tribune.com or 954-356-4556
Tug boats navigate the 214-foot Lady M, the largest boat taken up the New River, around a curve where officials hope to expand Riverwalk. The proposal has raised marine industry concerns because it would narrow one of the few spots on the New River where larger boats can pass each other safely.
FORT LAUDERDALE — The long-awaited completion of Riverwalk is facing a new obstacle: whether the New River is wide enough to accommodate both the city's marine and tourist interests.
Boat captains and other marine officials are objecting to a planned Riverwalk section that would extend nearly 30 feet out over the river in front of the Stranahan House. That missing link would connect the city's signature promenade with the Las Olas Boulevard restaurant and shopping district 25 years after its creation.
The wide stretch of river above the Federal Highway tunnel is one of the few places on the river where large boats can turn around or safely pass each other. It's also a critical holding area for boats heading upriver when bridges are down or large boats are heading out.
"This may be a wide part of the river, but that doesn't mean it's all navigable," said Marine Advisory Board Chairman Barry Flanigan. It's already a challenge to navigate the river, he said. "Why did they have to encroach into the river 29 feet?"
In this dispute, even major Riverwalk supporters say protecting the city's marine industry has to be the priority.
"We don't spend 100 years building up an industry to do something destructive to it," Mayor Jack Seiler said.
Riverwalk proponents are optimistic the two sides can come up with an acceptable solution.
Chris Wren, executive director of the Downtown Development Authority that is splitting the $600,000 cost of the extension with the city and developers, said he'll meet Friday with Flanigan to try to determine what minimum river width the industry can live with in that section.
"That's the approach I'm going to take to develop a consensus," Wren said.
Wren hopes a slimmed-down version of the planned Riverwalk extension is possible. The current proposal has a 20-foot width, and Wren said he'd at least like to see an 8-foot width that could accommodate couples passing in opposite directions.
Flanigan is more concerned about larger boats being able to pass on the river. Mega yachts deliver big bucks to the local economy but could take their business elsewhere if navigating the New River becomes too much of a headache.
"It costs them like $2,500 round-trip to be towed up and down the river," Flanigan said. "You bang one of these things up, you're looking at $50,000, $60,000 and up [to repair]."
Boat captains are already concerned about future delays that will be coming with All Aboard Florida, the Miami-to-Orlando passenger train that will create 32 additional daily train crossings over the river.
Capt. John Hood of Sun Dream Yacht Charters is one of many who have been writing to federal officials over Riverwalk's permit application, saying the combination will only increase the risk of boating accidents.
"I can only imagine the situation to become more critical to safely maneuver in this area as more vessels are backed up," Hood wrote to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The opposition caught Riverwalk officials by surprise. They had been relieved to finally resolve concerns and receive easements from the adjacent property owners. Those are the Stranahan House, which is the city's oldest building, and The Related Group, which plans to build the 42-story Icon Las Olas condominiums on the former Hyde Park Market property to Stranahan's west.
Most sections of Riverwalk were built on land, but the last link on the north side of the river is being placed over water as a result of the negotiations. Officials said Stranahan House officials didn't even want the Riverwalk touching its sea wall, so the current proposal has water on both sides of Riverwalk in front of it.
Boat captains were also upset the permit application showed boat slips along the Riverwalk extension, further narrowing the river's navigable portion. But Wren and Riverwalk Fort Lauderdale President Genia Ellis said no boat slips are planned.
Patrick Campbell of The Related Group said his development has no current interest in boat slips. Wren said if someone wanted to add boat slips in the future, they would have to go through a separate permitting process — and prepare to face the same objections.
lbarszewski@tribune.com or 954-356-4556
