People with dogs, parents with strollers, kids on bikes, and tourists are loving the new park at Waldo Point Harbor. Benches abound for people to sit, and clear signs saying “Public Shore Access” indicate the public parking spaces.
Standing on the new viewing pier off the park, it’s easy to count the remaining boats in the old Co-op area—one under construction, and three remaining floating homes. Co-op and EAH leaders, working with each homeowner, are managing the construction of the up-to-code homes for the last three residents.
One berth on Charles van Damme awaits an as-yet-to-be-constructed home. The new home nearly done is not one of those; it will replace an old houseboat already berthed at the CVD. The harbor wants all vessels with motors in them (“real” houseboats) to be upgraded. Jane Thompson, CVD resident, anticipates completing construction of her new floating home in the next few months and saying good-bye to her old houseboat.
Main Dock will have two slips open to accommodate the remaining two Co-op residents. (One space is already available on the south side; another involves some shifting on the north side.) According to project manager Dan Hughes, Waldo Point Harbor is managing the moves on Main Dock. “We are now in a rough tide season with tides not high enough to continue with the moves,” he says. He expects the moves on Main will occur this summer.
The Appleton Ark has a new parkside entrance and is slated to get a new understory, but that is on hold until the lagoon is cleared.
When will the last Co-op floating homes be built and moved? No one can say for sure but some believe the last move will take place in late summer. Rumors are circulating that there is a hard January 1, 2019 deadline set by BCDC. Meanwhile, tourists and residents are enjoying the view.