Newport Harbor boaters have been fighting against proposed rent spikes for months in an effort to keep their aquatic way of life affordable on Orange County’s coastline.
And that push paid off Tuesday night when Newport Beach City Council members decided to freeze rents on current mooring permit holders for the rest of their lives.
“I’m very, very concerned with maintaining the accessibility and affordability, and I think that this plan does that,” Councilmember Robyn Grant said during Tuesday’s meeting.
“Everybody who’s sitting in here that relies on something can continue, and we don’t need to take that away from a schoolteacher or a retired couple or anything else,” Grant added.
It comes after the Newport Beach Harbor Commission recommended a rent hike for offshore moorings in Newport Harbor that would have increased boaters’ monthly bills by three or four times over the next several years.
[Read: Newport Harbor Boat Owners Confront Rent Spike on Offshore Moorings]
Many current mooring holders — dozens of which have lived on their boat for years — say they would be forced to sell or relocate their boat if the rent spike was approved.
Going against the harbor commission’s recommendations, city council members voted 6-1 Tuesday to approve an alternative approach that keeps all current mooring permit holders paying their same rate for life.
Councilmember Erik Weigand was the sole dissenting vote, saying he wanted to take more time to meet with residents and review the item further before voting.
[Read: Newport Beach Harbor Commission Recommends Spiking Boat Mooring Rents]
Moorings are permanent structures for owners to store their boats. Offshore moorings are placed away from land-connecting docks and surrounded by water.
As long as current permit holders keep their mooring under their name, they won’t see any rent increases.
“This is an opportunity for all of you,” Councilmember Joe Stapleton said. “No one wants to punish you. No one wants to take you off your moorings. We are sitting here saying you can enjoy your mooring for as long as you’re around here.”
The city’s goal is to eventually transition all mooring permits into the city’s mooring license program, which reflects a rent spike when compared to the current rates.
Mooring Permits vs. Mooring Licenses
Current mooring permit holders are paying $3.34 per linear foot per month.
For a 40-foot mooring — the most popular length in Newport Harbor — boaters are currently paying about $133 each month.
Under the harbor commission’s recommendation, these rates would have increased to $12.02 per linear foot. That’s about $480 each month for a 40-foot mooring.
However, city council members rejected the commission’s recommendations.
Instead, all current mooring permit holders will still pay $3.34 per linear foot per month for as long as their name remains on the permit for their lifetime.
The city will also begin transitioning to a mooring license program with increased rates.
All new mooring users will be issued licenses with increased rates — $15 per linear foot per month for $600 per month for a 40-foot mooring.
All the mooring permits will turn into mooring licenses subject to the new fees after the permit is transferred to a new owner.
Angelina Hicks is a Voice of OC Tracy Wood Reporting Fellow. Contact her at ahicks@voiceofoc.org or on Twitter @angelinahicks13.
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