Betsy Peabody Sent - City of Bainbridge Island

From: Scott Sprague
Sent: Mon 9/27/2010 10:35 PM
To: Kim Brackett; Hilary Franz; Kirsten Hytopoulos; Bill Knobloch; Debbi Lester; Barry Peters; Bob Scales
Subject: Boatyard Comment
Scott B Sprague
Bainbridge Island, WA 98110
Bainbridge Island City Council**
280 Madison Ave. N.
Bainbridge Island, WA 98110
Regarding: Boatyard at Winslow Ferry Property
Dear Council Members,
To those healthy individuals not infected with the boat disease, all this fuss over a boat yard must seem strange.
Yet we are in the first era since the late 1800’s where there has not been a vessel haul-out on Bainbridge
Island. And paradoxically there are more boats than ever.hundreds.that have this diabolical need to haul out
routinely for the latest perceived improvement or maintenance issue.
So now we must take our business and our checkbook elsewhere. That last line on the yard bill, the dreaded
sales tax, goes in part to the local fiefdom of Port Townsend, Seattle, Port Orchard, Edmonds.the places we go
to spend our hard earned money at the boat yards an communities that welcome us. Being in denial about how
much I really spend on this boat pox, it pains me to reveal that each year I spend $400-700 for the privilege of
working on this inside-out swimming pool (and that’s before I buy the paint and the latest gizmo.). Multiply
that by hundreds of boats.it boggles the mind. It’s a bigger revenue stream than iced lattes.
Environmental concerns? One of the advantages of the site at the ferry yard is the paved over surface. It seems
to me that collection and filtering of the runoff is a good idea to keep things clean. Also, modern vacuum
systems with sanders plugged in keep dust out of the air. Best management to keep things clean is now
available and achievable.
For the quantity of boats on our fair island, two boatyards, one in Winslow, and one in Eagledale, seem viable.
So let’s get on with it. We’ve been waiting for years.
Thank you very much,
Scott B Sprague