Borough, township continue work to save North East Marina, reopen private slips

NORTH EAST — Borough Council took the first step Monday toward establishing an authority to take over the North East Marina from the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission.

Council voted 5-1 to form the authority, proceeding without the North East Township Board of Supervisors.

"The sooner you can get rolling with this the sooner the boaters can get in the water," Borough Council President Amber Belson said following the vote.

The Fish & Boat Commission announced last summer that due to high maintenance costs to dredge and move sand that it would close more than 200 private boat slips for the 2024 season. Boaters and others worry that the Fish & Boat Commission could eventually close the marina, 11950 E. Lake Road.

While the North East Township Board of Supervisors have repeatedly expressed a desire to partner with the borough, they're worried about taxpayer liability. They've opted to study the potential economic benefits and challenges of the marina before proceeding with an authority. The borough believes it's the job of the authority to do that research.

Both public bodies want to save the marina, which they say is a regional asset that draws anglers and boaters from throughout the state and beyond from April through October.

What happened Monday and what's next

Here's what transpired Monday, what's happened behind the scenes in recent weeks, and what's next:

• Before voting, Borough Council held another public hearing to gather public input on the marina's future. The hearing was attended by about 45 people, including 30 members from the public. Six people spoke in favor of the plan. No one came out against it, as was the case in late January when the borough and township held a joint public hearing. Council voted to form the authority at its regular monthly meeting immediately following the hearing.

• Councilwoman Nancy Anderson cast the lone 'no' vote, saying she preferred if the authority was formed in partnership with the township since that's where the marina is located.

• At it next meeting on April 15, Borough Council is expected to approve articles of incorporation for the marina authority. Among several other things, the articles of incorporation will specify the number of authority board seats, which will either be five or seven, according to Borough Council President Amber Belson.

• At its May 3 meeting, Borough Council could vote to appoint members to the authority board. Interested candidates should email Belson at abelson@northeastborough.com or drop off or mail a letter to Borough Hall, 31 West Main Street, North East, Pa. 16428. Applicants should include why they're interested in a board seat and relevant qualifications.

• As for North East Township Supervisors, the three-member panel is attempting to arrange a meeting with the U.S. Coast Guard. In March, it held two meetings to learn more about the permit requirements and costs associated with dredging and sand movement.

• At a March 13 meeting at state Sen. Dan Laughlin's office, representatives from both the borough and township, the Fish & Boat Commission, Department of Environmental Protection, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and others discussed how the Fish & Boat Commission spends $600,000 annually to move sand from the west side of the marina to the east side, once in the spring and again in the fall. The marina blocks the natural flow of sand, preventing it from going to properties east of the marina, according to a memo from Township Solicitor Tim Wachter. The lack of sand can cause erosion of the shoreline.

• They discussed buying sand, instead of moving sand, and placing it along the properties east of the marina. That would cost $270,000 for the sand alone and could create issues on the west side of the marina as sand accumulates. The Fish & Boat Commission moves about 18,000 cubic yards of sand each year.

• Also discussed was the $1 million it would take to dredge the entire marina. A DEP regulation now requires the material be placed on dry land and tested for contaminants, rather than be located to another area of Lake Erie, according to Wachter. Tests have shown that the sediment "is not eligible for clean fill options," Wachter wrote.

• On March 21, Wachter and Township Supervisor Russ LaFuria had a phone conference with the Buffalo office of Army Corps of Engineers' Operations Divisions to learn more about designating the marina as a "shallow draft recreational marina" through the federal Water Resources Development Act.

• Doing so would make the marina eligible for some federal funding, but there has not been a new designation in three decades. The designation is based on "waterborne commerce" and would enable the Army Corps of Engineers to dredge the channel and lanes within the marina, but not private slips. Congress would have to make the designation.

• There is another means to achieve the designation outside of the Water Resources Development Act, which will be explored, Wachter said in his memo.

• Next up, the township plans to discuss a potential "Harbor of Refuge" designation with the Coast Guard.

State Rep. Jake Banta proposed forming the marina authority last fall. The initial idea was for the borough, township and Fuller Hose Co., which operates a water rescue operation out of the small port, to create the authority under the state's Municipal Authorities Act.

The offices of Banta, Laughlin and U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, R-16th Dist., are now involved in the efforts to preserve the marina. Wachter said in his memo to supervisors that he would also contact U.S. Sen. Bob Casey's office.

Belson said the borough opted to move ahead without the township in hopes of having the marina transferred to the authority so that something can be done this spring or summer to reopen the private boat slips, which are a major revenue source for the marina.

The Fish & Boat Commission has contracted Lakeshore Towing to dredge in the area of the boat ramps and in the channel leaving the marina. They'll also remove sediment and perform other erosion control activities. Work began Monday.

The two public boat-launch ramps, the fish cleaning station, portable toilets, and courtesy docks for launching and retrieving boats will open for the season on April 27.

Matthew Rink can be reached at mrink@timesnews.com or on X at @ETNRink.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Borough forms authority in hopes of taking over North East Marina