Frustrations rise among residents over proposed Safe Harbor Marina expansion

Two new buildings, including one more than double its current size, could be coming to the Safe Harbor Onset Bay marina and residents who live near the marina have voiced opposition to both the project and the property owners.

Rebecca Hemsley, one of the abutters opposing the project, said the lack of collaboration between the marina owners and the abutters during previous projects has caused a lot of frustration.

“There’s a lot of infractions they have already caused despite our best efforts to work with them,” Hemsley said. “They haven’t been considerate of our concerns.”

Hemsley is one of 22 abutters who have joined together to voice their opposition to this project in hopes of their opinions being heard as the proposal moves through various town boards.

“I think because of our experience in the past we've been more united in this effort,” she said.

Property owner Safe Harbor Marinas is a Dallas, Texas based organization that owns and runs marinas globally and was purchased by the private equity firm Blackstone. 

Safe Harbor Marinas is proposing to tear down and replace the two buildings currently servicing the 3 Green St. location.

The larger building is used for boat repairs and the other, smaller building currently serves as office space. 

The repair shop would be “expanding pretty drastically”, according to Director of Planning and Community Development Josh Faherty, while the smaller would remain similar in size.

He added the repair shop would be moved away from the water and closer to Gray Street. Under the proposal that building would increase in size from 18,995 square feet to 41,800 square feet.

The second, smaller building would remain a similar size but would be used as a members-only recreational space.

Abutters to the marina have voiced opposition to the project, citing frustrations over past projects at the marina and a lack of communication from both the marina owners and the town as reasoning behind their opposition.

Other concerns Hemsley and other abutters have raised have to do with project specifics, such as the size and scale of the proposal and the ownership of the marina.

Hemsley and others have gone to municipal meetings to voice their opposition as well. During the Tuesday, Dec. 6 Select Board meeting, a group of project abutters voiced their opinions to the board.

“We are very concerned that the expansion is way beyond what is appropriate for this town — it’s going to negatively impact the character of the town,” Tim Bigelow said. 

Faherty said the proposal is still in its very early stages and will next be in front of a town board Wednesday, Feb. 18 at the Conservation Commission’s 6 p.m. meeting.