Sunday, July 13, 2008

Pondering on a New Boathouse at Cabrillo Beach

Here is a pamphlet from the Cabrillo Beach Boosters titled, A Vision For Cabrillo Boathouse.

Please click over image to enlarge.
Please click over image to enlarge.

Once upon a time there was a boathouse at Cabrillo Beach. During the time Cabrillo Beach was used for the 1932 Olympics, both the bath house and the boathouse became structures used for the games.

Now, the Cabrillo Beach Boosters want to build a brand new boathouse that would be used for a variety of purposes and welcome much more uses of the historical areas.

A new boathouse would allow storage of many different types of boats including canoes, kayaks, Dragon boats, and other watercraft that would allow school teams and the public to enjoy the many things that can be done in association with the inner harbor and the blue Pacific Ocean.

The issues revolving around the current and future uses of Cabrillo Beach and its amenities is something OUR community needs to ponder, I strongly feel.

Cabrillo Beach has been an asset to OUR community throughout the years, but not too many of us now visit the beach and its surroundings, for a number of reasons.

Cabrillo Beach, especially the inner harbor area offers refreshing times for many Angelenos who come from more inland homes to have a cooler place to visit from Spring through Fall.

Adding more non-motorized boat storage in the inner harbor may prompt more folks from everywhere to try their hand at light sailing, rowing, or other ways of moving over the water.

I can see pondering on all sides of this particular issue and combining this issue with other issues going on in the area, may also be important.

Could or should the Cabrillo Beach Boosters work with the Port of Los Angeles authorities to barter a deal where they may not oppose a new cruise ship terminal at Kaiser Point in exchange for some funding for the boathouse?

Could or would a new boathouse allow more members of OUR community the chance to come back to the Cabrillo Beach area, some of them have now come to avoid?

My pondering right now is in support of building a new boathouse at Cabrillo Beach.

I would not like to see it used as a bargaining chip the Port of L.A. uses to get a new cruise ship terminal at Kaiser Point.

More San Pedrans and others might use the benefits of a new boathouse to increase their outdoor activities and recreational enjoyment.

It could also be considered as a facility to improve the general health of folks who utilize activities established at the boathouse.

A new boathouse may allow for a better blending of people participating in everything at Cabrillo Beach, especially on weekends.

I do feel however, that a careful and complete set of pondering should be done before the foundation is laid down.

I would hate to see the Red Car end its line at Cabrillo Beach AFTER going to and from Kaiser Point and a new cruise ship terminal.

This blog will continue to feature, from time to time, more pondering concerning a new boathouse.

Everyone is welcome to comment on their own pondering about this issue and if anyone wishes to create their own post on this blog, I would gladly print it.

To create your own post on my various blogs (except for Caveman Dairy), please Email me at the address on the top of the blogs with your post.

This issue is certainly worthy of more community involvement. Perhaps you will want to get more involved in the issues and the pondering.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

with all due respect to the boosters, this project is ridiculous. it's another useless faciliity that holds little vallue for the problems facing pedro today.

M Richards said...

Thanks anonymous 4:02 PM.

Should we be looking to find ways to get members of the San Pedro and surrounding local communities to use Cabrillo Beach more?

I agree that there are many problems and issues that we need to think about.

Right now I think on a 'ridiculous' meter, the welcome park and the fountains and waterscape at the entrance to Berth 93 are right up there, but a new boathouse might allow for folks from anywhere, the chance to enjoy some fun.

Heck, they won't even allow kids to cool down in the new 'pool' that is that waterscape that will be formally dedicated on July 25.
MW

Anonymous said...

you could put the taj mahal on cabrillo beach but people won't go there as long as the water quality doesn't improve. people just won't use it, period. it'll be a waste of 5,6,7 milllion bucks.

Anonymous said...

and don't get me wrong, the welcome park is indeed ridiculous (especially at the mouth of an exit of a freeway!!).

but spending millions on a once-popular attraction from the 40s and 50s is indeed a waste of time and money, especially with our city's decaying infrastructure.

sorry.

M Richards said...

No apologies necessary anonymous 8:00 PM,

Your observations about Cabrillo Beach is one that I also share, to quite an extent.

When we walk Cookie down at Cabrillo (always on a leash) we see the folks who have traveled some distance to escape the heat where they live.

I don't blame anyone for wanting to cool off, but there are some issues that are more cultural, now being found at Cabrillo.

Apparently when some folks use the Indoor Personal Stress Relieving Units (IPSRU) they are not accustomed to placing used toilet paper into the toilet. Their culture has them placing it beside the toilet, it is just the way they have done it and it is not wrong in their culture.

I don't begrudge folks needing to come down to San Pedro to cool off.

But some of our residents in OUR community do not feel comfortable at Cabrillo Beach any longer.

We have had absolutely no trouble walking Cookie around Cabrillo Beach and onto the pier.

Cookie likes to see folks fishing and she seems interested when she sees a fish flopping on the concrete.

The only thing Cookie does not like is the metal plates on the pier. She jumps over them for some reason.

Cookie also likes to look for feral cats, but we hope folks stop feeding them so they will go away.

I think a new Boathouse might attract more folks to use the boats stored at the new Boathouse, and it may be a way of having people who don't normally try small boating, to give it a go.

I do agree strongly that there are many other problems in OUR community that need more attention by all of us than a new Boathouse could bring.

I think if we all don't pay attention to the Clearwater Program and where they are going to put the shaft and ground level workspace, we could be in a world of hurt, and that is just one issue.

I also strongly agree with you about our infrastructure issues.

Western Avenue had just one lane closed for almost a day and the traffic was unbelievable!

There are still old storm drains under Western that have not failed, YET. In this case it is not a matter of it, it is a matter of when.

Rancho Palos Verdes placed added fees on certain properties to fix their storm drains, but the ones under Western are still shared with the County of L.A. and they haven't been relined yet.

I think we will all get a good taste of how things change when Target opens up. Traffic patterns will certainly do some changing when folks living in the southern part of San Pedro head along Gaffey or Pacific to get to the new store.

A new Boathouse may be a grand idea for the supporters of Cabrillo Beach. I will continue to publish information about that issue.

I really don't know what it would take to get San Pedrans going back to Cabrillo Beach.

But I'm not swimming off the sand in the inner harbor, no way, no how.
MW

Anonymous said...

the breeze just made my point

M Richards said...

Thanks. I read it also.
MW