A Slow-Motion Harbor Plan in O.C.

When word first spread among Dana Point Harbor merchants that the county-owned marina was headed for a $100-million face-lift, businessman Don Hansen heard his cash register ring.

With refurbished wharves, more parking and nicer digs, Hansen’s Dana Wharf Sportfishing could expand and attract more customers. Built in 1971, the small harbor is in need of an upgrade -- one that will preserve the charm that sailor and author Richard Henry Dana first saw in the area in the 1800s.

Eight years have passed since the renovation was first considered, making Hansen and other merchants lose hope and patience as they witnessed the wharves getting old, walkways becoming uneven and storefronts becoming dated.

“We know there are plans to revitalize the harbor, but it seems like it never gets going,” Hansen said.

Last month, however, the county hired George A. Caravalho as harbor director to oversee the revitalization, and last week the Orange County Board of Supervisors made Dana Point Harbor, a 2,500-slip marina, its own department, with Caravalho in charge.

In addition, the harbor has received a $200,000 installment on a $2.5-million grant from the state Department of Boating and Waterways for a new boat ramp. County officials also plan to seek $45 million in loans from the department to pay for renovating wharves, ramps and parking lots.

The bulk of the funding to revitalize the harbor and pay back the loan is expected to come from slip fees, leases, grants and sales of bonds, said county Supervisor Tom Wilson, whose district includes the harbor.

The promising developments have buoyed the spirits of Hansen and other merchants, who for almost a decade have complained to the county that the plan lacked focus. Their main gripe was that the plan changed drastically several times.

“We don’t know what they’re going to do from one month to the next,” said Jim Grainger, an assistant manager for West Marine, a boating supply store. “The wait is frustrating the merchants here.”

Wilson continues to ask merchants and boaters to be patient, explaining that the wheels of government turn slowly. In an interview, he said the harbor project needed an environmental impact report before being submitted to the state Coastal Commission for review -- a process that may take two more years.

The project will probably be completed in another “10 to 12 years,” he said.

At a merchants meeting on Thursday, Wilson introduced Caravalho and restated the county plan to retain the harbor’s character.

Most recently, Caravalho was city manager of Riverside. His hiring and creation of department status for the harbor will put the project on a faster track, Wilson said.

“So we can handle it like a business,” he said.

The envisioned improvements include wide pedestrian promenades, a festival plaza and an additional 25,000 square feet of commercial space.

Though there may have been a temptation to generate more revenue by increasing the size of the harbor’s commercial area and add hotel rooms, the limited scope of the renovation was decided after meetings with boaters, merchants and residents.

The harbor -- small compared with Newport Harbor or Marina del Rey in Los Angeles County -- was once one of California’s prime surfing spots, known as Killer Dana, before the Army Corps of Engineers built the breakwater.

The marina is bordered by the Dana Point Headlands, immortalized by Dana in the seafaring chronicle “Two Years Before the Mast” as a bluff where cattle hides were tossed below for loading onto early sailing ships such as Dana’s, the Pilgrim.

In many ways, Dana Point is the exception among marinas. Marina del Rey has had a steady buildup of high-rise hotels and condos as well as restaurants around its 800 acres.

Dana Point Harbor is a 212-acre marina with aging boat slips nestled among shops and restaurants. On the western edge is the Ocean Institute, an educational facility for children and adults. Along the length of the harbor are walkways and narrow strips of park with picnic benches and barbecue grills.

Slip rentals average $17 per linear foot, about a third lower than at Newport Harbor, and office space for marine-oriented businesses runs $1.80 to $2 per square foot a month.

The ambience is different from that of Newport Harbor, where the coastline is covered mostly by homes and the marina is filled with expensive yachts. In Newport Beach, 15 of the 16 marinas are private. At Dana Point, both the western and eastern halves of the marina are public.

Keeping Dana Point Harbor cozy was a priority with the project, said Dana Point Mayor Wayne Rayfield.

“The bulk of our residents would come unglued if they heard the county was thinking about making this like Marina del Rey,” he said.

At earlier planning meetings, there was a consensus among boaters that the slips were showing signs of age. But they wanted more slips, especially for smaller boats.

As the plan now stands, the number of slips will be slightly reduced, and bigger slips, which are in demand, will be built, Caravalho said.

One of the boaters said, “If you have a 24-foot boat, you could get a slip in no time,” but if it’s a 38-footer, “be ready to wait four years.”

Actually, the wait for a slip for a 38-foot boat is nearly a year, a harbor spokesman said, adding that 1,000 boats are on the waiting list.

To help accommodate shorter boats, one of the proposals calls for building more dry-dock storage and, if necessary, two boat barns.

The scope of the renovation has been one of the most contentious issues, said Jim Miller, owner of Coffee Importers at the harbor.

Many of the harbor’s restaurant and shop owners have rallied around Miller as a merchant spokesman. He’s been enthusiastic about the plan but wishes construction could begin soon.

He has installed an electronic kiosk at his shop that allows people to go online and check the county’s latest plan. He is also helping organize a marketing campaign to minimize loss of business revenue before, during and after construction.

The county plans to first build a seaside pavilion housing shops and three large restaurants: Harpoon Harry’s, Harbor Grill and El Torito. The next phase calls for moving the businesses, then razing the old structures.

“We’ve been talking about starting in five years for five years,” Miller said, adding that with all the meetings held through the years, “no one can say they didn’t have the opportunity to put in their 2 cents.”