Brewer boatyard site development faces opposition

Posted on 05 January 2012
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Residents of Stamford, Conn., are working together to stop a boatyard, formerly known as the Brewer Yacht Haven West site, from being turned into a hotel and convention center.

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The site, formerly one of the Northeast’s largest full-service marinas, shut down last fall after losing its lease from a developer that plans to remediate and develop the land. The marina housed about 360 slips.

Building Land Technologies owns the site, and according to the Save our Boatyard Committee is in violation of city zoning laws for failing to maintain a working boatyard. The Stamford Zoning Commission is meeting Monday to discuss the situation.

“It is imperative, and we can't stress enough that we need to have as much support as possible for everyone to attend this meeting. Please make signs showing you support having a ‘working boatyard’ so we know who our supporters are. This could be our only opportunity to have our voices heard. Please tell your family, friends, and colleagues to attend,” committee member Maureen Boylan said in an e-mail.

Boylan said the committee is attending the New York boat show this weekend to gain support and ask people to sign petitions.

“This fight is being watched very carefully from Annapolis, Md., to Newport, R.I., and many marinas in [New York City] are watching this as well, so the boat show is a great opportunity for us to get the word out,” she said. “As a committee we have 1,700 signed petitions and 16 organizations supporting us, but we always need more.”

Comments
6 Wednesday, 08 February 2012 17:49
By Marty
Mr. Smyth must be a sail boater!
5 Friday, 06 January 2012 16:04
By David Pugsley
Not having a yard in Stamford will not only drive up the cost of slips and work in surrounding marinas and boat yards purely based on supply and demand it will also damage the sport of boating because access will be further limited. There needs to be much more balance between the boating public, the town and the developer. At this point it’s a lopsided arrangement with the developer holding all the cards for a community that doesn’t want to lose its only full service boat yard and marina. If you look at the occupancy rate of the existing waterfront buildings in Stamford you will see lots of vacancies. The east yard of Brewers Yacht Haven which is still in operation, is surrounded by vacant 5 story office buildings. How is this good for the community? As to Mr. Smyth’s comments about Bring Condos, he obviously doesn’t understand the costs associated with running a full service boat yard and Marina. Skilled service personal, equipment, maintenance, insurance, environmental regulations, federal regulations and taxes are just a few of the costs. It’s not magic, these things are expensive. It’s easy to build a
condo and dock and charge for the slip. It’s costly to provide service to fix the boats in those slips. There should be a common ground found between the developer of this site and public access to a marina and boat yard. Not to mention it’s just the right thing to do for everyone. Howard McMichael is correct, do you think the West Marine store in Stamford will benefit from losing a 350 slip and 700 space winter storage facility in town?
4 Thursday, 05 January 2012 21:33
By VISSIONQUEST
At some time in the course of human existance, we need to decide if evrything we do should be based on money. Ways for people to get to the water are more important than a condo that blocks it.
3 Thursday, 05 January 2012 21:13
By Howard McMichael
Hopefully the "Save our Boatyard Committee" will be successful. The loss of Yacht Haven West is a severe blow to boating on Western LIS. For people to own and enjoy boats they need a quality yard to have them serviced and stored both summer and winter. Most service yards in the area are filled to capacity forcing people to move their boating dollars east. Many will relocate to Rhode Island because the state encourages boating and boat building. Many non-boating Stamford businesses will feel the pain of lost business, as the boat owners and their guests shop and eat elsewhere.
2 Thursday, 05 January 2012 17:37
By Dave Smyth
Bring Condos ! We don't need another overpriced Brewers yard.
1 Thursday, 05 January 2012 16:49
By D WRight
Good luck on that one. Our only DIY yard was torn down for just the same reason. CONDOS on the waterfront. Port District BS as always!

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