By Roger Gitlin – EYE ON DEL NORTE – February 4, 2022
The Crescent City Harbor is poorly maintained…and Commissioners are responsible for these abominable conditions.
The problems associated with both Redwood Harbor Village (formally privately-owned RV Anchorage) and RV Bayside Parks are elephant-esk.
How does one address these Elephant problems? One bite at a time.
First, the Harbor had absolutely no business acquiring both privately owned parks: one by expropriation (stealing) the other with a $600,000 allocation of Harbor funds. In short order, conditions have deteriorated.
To save the day for Harbor misdeeds, the Harbor has entered into an Agreement to turn over the RV Parks transition to a company called Renewable Energy Capital Partners and its CEO Alex Lemus who promises to…”do the right thing.”
Are you kidding me?
REC is a FOR PROFIT entity.
Talk about putting the wolf in the chicken coop.
Since the Harbor took over maintenance of both Parks, standards have dropped dramatically. Potholes abound and grass is overgrown. To be fair, the 86 tenants bear responsibility, too.
Tenants need to clean up debris and maintain their coaches in respectable condition. The Harbor needs to establish minimum community standards.
Those will not comply must face the appropriate consequences. Drug dealers and sex predators must be evicted. Instead of turning over the Harbor-created problems led by two long-term Commissioners: Wes White and Brian Stone, who appear to have a vision of removing tenants who fall below these two Commissioners’ misguided vision; this is done though intended Harbor neglect and a demonstrated “depraved indifference.”
This issue with the RV Parks has been going on for years. The location of the parks is in an absolute prime spot. Imagine the revenue that could be generated if the sub-standard, run-down rigs were removed, the parks cleaned up and modernized, and decent management?
It would be a can’t miss and can someone explain why this hasn’t happened?
If there is any revenue generated, it would go to Lemus and his corporation. The experience that we have had thus far is “all flash and no cash”. Granted the parks could use a thorough face lift, which the harbor has not done. Do you really think that a “for profit luxury RV Park” that has a limited season for that profit will change any thing? How long do you think it will take for REC to realize that the weather is a significant factor and maintenence is a rather large part of keeping this park looking like a ” luxury Park”? Particularly when it sits virtually empty for a large part of the year. Just how many people do you think there are who can afford to shell out a lot for a rental cabin or airstream trailer year round that are going to come to Crescent City year in and year out? When they don’t fill the rentals, where is the money coming from to keep it looking like a “luxury Park”? Is $2 million to $2.5 million really enough to fund such an endeavour? Do the math first before it starts and then not end up with another “fancy high speed rail to no where” that you now have to pay for when the concept come up against reality. That kind of forward thinking can save a lot of grief down the road. Do your homework before you charge ahead. Can the concept really be a sustainable project or will it become a derelict half completed Lemus “folly”? I’ve personally seen a few of those in “prime” locations around the world. “Can’t miss” projects in fabulously great locations that couldn’t generate the revenue to be sustainable and in some cases even generate the capital to complete the project.