Is Sailing Missing in Marina del Rey Harbor’s Future?

A Marina del Rey reader brought to our attention that this year is the 60th anniversary of the opening of the Marina del Rey Harbor. In 1954 President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed Public Law 780, making the Marina del Rey Harbor an authorized federal project. From there, the federal government committed to the “main navigational features” and then was involved in a 50-50 sharing of the costs with the City of Los Angeles.

Marina del Rey is the largest man-made harbor in the US, and over the last 60 years, has provided access to millions of boat rides. The harbor is home to numerous marine businesses, yacht clubs, community boating programs and active sailors.

With 22 Marina del Rey leases ending in the next seven years, the Los Angeles Department of Beaches and Harbors sees a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reimagine the future of Marina del Rey. And although a sailboat is in the department’s logo, it’s harder to find sailing on the website. Now would be an important time for those involved in the Marina del Rey boating community to connect to the unfolding public process of “reimagining” the Marina del Rey waterfront. 

The harbor is a highlight of Marina del Rey, and the commission wants to do its best to make it accessible to the whole community. They want to hear from all “stakeholders” about what the future of Marina del Rey might look like. This is where it’s important for sailors to get involved and speak up so sailing remains an affordable, accessible opportunity for people from all walks of life.

Without the boating community’s involvement, the plans often start to focus on bike trails, waterfront restaurants, housing and other non-boating facilities. Bike trails, housing and all the rest are valuable parts of any good plan, but if they come at the expense of access to boating, they can defeat the purpose of a harbor. Harbors give the community access to nature, the ocean and the beauty of sailing. Reducing access to the water increases the price, so preserving access becomes a high priority if you want to keep it accessible to the largest number of people possible.

President Eisenhower signed Public Law 780 to provide federal support to help build a recreational yacht harbor and create an active boating community available to the entire population of the region. It’s been a tremendous success. Growing populations and development pressures make maintaining an active, working waterfront a challenge along every coastline. It’s no surprise that there are many people who want to take full advantage of the Marina del Rey Harbor. It’s hard for many to appreciate the value sailing brings to so many lives, and it’s important to help non-sailors understand it.

If you’re involved, let us know more about what you see in store for sailing in Marina del Rey. If you’re not involved, visit the MDR for All website to learn more. There are many good, well-intentioned people who work on these projects. It helps them if they hear from every interested party.