Voters block Rybovich marina deal

[LuckyLady]

Voters block Rybovich marina deal

Voters this week Riviera Beach, Fla., approved the citizen-initiated referendum on the future of Riviera Beach city marina, giving the Citizens Task Force a victory in its fight to block a city plan to lease part of the marina to Rybovich.

The ballot question calls for a change to the city's charter and was approved with 52 percent of the vote, The Palm Beach Post reported.

The charter change prohibits "industrial commercial boat repair operations" at the city marina, a reference to the city's plan to lease the southern part of the marina to Rybovich for 25 years for a megayacht service yard.

In a lease the city council approved Sept. 15, the boat company agreed to pay $581,040 annually, or $14.5 million over 25 years, plus property taxes estimated at $150,000 annually, for use of the marina property.

"It's over," mayor Thomas Masters told the newspaper, referring to the plans for a megayacht service yard at the marina. "The people do not want their marina industrialized. Rybovich should respect the will of the people."

The charter change could face legal challenges. Part of the measure calls for the marina properties, including the Spanish Courts Motel property, to be owned, managed and operated solely by the city. The city's Community Redevelopment Agency, not the city, owns Spanish Courts. The city also must determine what the wording means for current uses at the marina.

Fane Lozman, a former marina resident who has been in several legal battles with the city, financed part of the Citizens Task Force campaign. Rybovich paid for advertising encouraging people to vote "no" on the ballot question, the newspaper reported.

[marlin magnet]

I havent been down to see how full the marina is at this point, but if it's not full,its likely not going to be full until after this recession. They could have likely structured a contract which would generate revenue to pay back some of the cost. Dont forget, a lot of Bernie Madoff money in that area is gone for ever.

[Questsportfishing]

so you take 8 liveaboards that pay nothing in revenue when it comes to dock costs, you take away lots of great jobs from an area that will soon be all a bunch of thieves and troubled people ..
(take a good look at the area Publix supermarket even pulled out of that area it has some high crime rate when it comes to stealing peoples stuff!) take in that this would generate biz. ... 'oh that's right .. who needs to build or service stuff most people just buy something new when it breaks.. such a neat area for this to have been passed through.. Thanks Lucky for posting.. just wish it had gone through..