BCDC Meets Tomorrow Regarding Closure of Gashouse Cove Fuel Dock

Increasing restrictions to affordable and convenient public access to the Bay continue as San Francisco seeks to close the Gashouse Cove fuel dock and replace it with the industrial fuel pier at the end of Hyde Street. The boating public has the opportunity to speak up for well-managed access to the Bay at tomorrow’s BCDC meeting at 375 Beale St., San Francisco, in the ground-floor boardroom from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. You can see the full agenda with the fuel dock as item 8 here. If you can’t make the meeting you can submit a public comment here.

The agenda says it will “improve public access by establishing a shallow water basin in the southern section of the East Marina for kayaks and small boats that can be accessed from the shore by a community dock; improving the Bay Trail at East Harbor; and constructing Bay viewing and gathering areas.” We’ve often seen Bay trails and Bay-viewing and gathering areas included as Bay access, though to boaters, access means facilities that help them actually get off the land and onto the Bay. Removing slips and a fuel dock and replacing them with a community kayak dock, trails and park benches replaces facilities that support Bay access with more of a water theme park.

Contrasting recreational boating in San Francisco with the facilities available in San Diego is like comparing the Third World with the First World. We’ve just returned from our trip to San Diego Bay to send off the annual Baja Ha-Ha cruising fleet. This always gives us an opportunity to see the sharp contrast between the two port cities — San Diego has multiple, easily accessible, well-maintained fuel docks that welcome the Baja Ha-Ha fleet to their Bay. In addition, San Diego also provides anchorages, mooring fields and dinghy docks for both visiting and local boaters. While San Diego harbor geography does provide easier-to-manage conditions, it’s easy to see how San Francisco could be far more welcoming and supportive of the boating community.

The people who most want to protect the Bay are those who are able to actually access and use the Bay. San Francisco’s East Marina has been valuable public infrastructure, giving ordinary working-class families and youth access to the Bay. The small-boat harbor has been the launching point for generations of San Francisco Bay boaters and a critical resource for first responders.

The city of San Francisco is well-known for being 7×7 miles, meaning 21 miles of its 28-mile perimeter adjoin water. Supporting facilities to access the Bay should be a prime vision for this waterfront municipality. The Bay and ocean are prime features of the Bay Area, but access is limited by the space and facilities on land that are the “trailheads” to getting onto or into Bay Area waters. The Surfrider Foundation works to preserve valuable access to surf breaks along the coast, along with preserving a healthy, sustainable ocean. The Golden Gate Salmon Association works hard to preserve healthy marine fisheries. Boaters of all kinds also need to join these groups to preserve both the access and health of the Bay and surrounding waters for future generations.

Over the past year or so, we’ve shared a couple of updates to the ongoing discussions about the proposed redevelopment at Gashouse Cove. It appears the time for final decisions is drawing closer, so if you want to support and save accessibility to boating facilities on the Bay, speak up now!

You can review the BCDC agenda here, add your public comment here and see the proposed Hyde Street fuel pier here.