COUNTYWIDE : New Park, Marina Fees Go Into Effect

More than 30 fees at county parks and marinas will go up today, generating an estimated $47,000 more a year to cover rising maintenance costs.

The increases, which were approved earlier this week by the County Board of Supervisors, are the first in 17 months, said Blake Boyle, manager of county recreation services.

Fee increases at the parks are necessary to keep pace with inflation and rising maintenance costs, Boyle said. Increases at the two marinas in Channel Islands Harbor will make it possible for users to pay all costs associated with running the operation, he said.

The following rates are among those being raised: a picnic spot for 50 people will go up from $25 to $35, a 150-capacity picnic site will rise from $40 to $50, a 250-capacity site will go up from $75 to $90, and a 650-capacity site will go up from $225 to $250.

Overnight recreational vehicle parking at the boat launch ramp at Channel Islands Harbor will double to $10 per day, the fee charged for RV’s at county campgrounds.

Monthly fees at the small-boat marina will go up 8%, to $124 from $115. The monthly fee to dock a boat at the commercial fishing marina will rise 46 cents a linear foot for recreational and commercial boaters. Commercial boaters will pay $5.46 a linear foot, or $191.10 per month for a 35-foot commercial fishing boat, while recreational boaters will pay $5.71 a linear foot, or $171.30 a month for a 30-foot boat.

County-owned parks operating under leases may charge less for their sites under the new rate structure. Prices at the three leased campgrounds will range from $35 for a 50-person capacity site to $70 for a 200-capacity site.

With the exception of Kenney Grove and Steckel Park campgrounds, where fees will rise $1, overnight camping and park entry fees remain unchanged.