Sausalito advances effort to upgrade public boat launch

The Sausalito City Council has authorized a $274,252 planning and design contract for upgrades to the Turney Street dock and Humboldt Street bulkhead.

“The Turney Street dock and boat launch area is one of the only free, public launch facilities in Sausalito’s harbor and in southern Marin County,” city official Catie Thow Garcia wrote in a staff report. “In addition to this, emergency services use this boat launch to gain quick access to Richardson Bay. In its current state, however, the boat ramp receives little use from the boating community largely because of its inconvenient slope between tides.”

The city selected Anchor QEA, an engineering firm based in Pennsylvania, for the planning contract. A $170,439 grant from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife will cover part of the contract.

The city also plans to pursue a public-private partnership for improvements to the floating dock adjacent to the bulkhead and wharf.

“All costs for design, permitting, construction, and business operations will be borne by the selected party,” Brandon Phipps, the assistant city manager, wrote in a staff report. “Lease terms, including rental rates and any capital investment credits, will be negotiated with the selected party and brought back to City Council for approval prior to execution of any lease agreement.”

The City Council is scheduled to review a draft request for proposals at its meeting on Jan. 6. The city aims to advertise the request for proposals on Jan. 20 and reach an agreement in the spring.