From the 12/08/2005 Arizona Republic:
Maricopa County supervisors give nod to 2nd Lake Pleasant marina
Matthew Benson
The Arizona Republic
Dec. 8, 2005 12:00 AM
Plans are taking shape for a new marina to serve crowds of new boaters expected to hit Lake Pleasant in the coming years.
The marina will sit on public land but will be privately funded and managed, boosting boating amenities at the state's second-largest lake. A 210-acre complex with wet and dry boat storage, watercraft rentals, fueling and boat repair - even floating restrooms - is slated to open on the lake's west side by January 2007.
"This will be a world-class facility," said Michael Pretasky Sr., a principal with Skipper Marine Holdings Inc. The Winthrop Harbor, Ill.-based company that will develop the marina already owns or operates 24 marine-related facilities across six states.
For boaters, the deal means convenience and additional services that will join the lake's existing Pleasant Harbor Marina.
When visiting the lake, Mike Shore said he tows his 24-foot pontoon back and forth from his north Phoenix home. Inexpensive boat storage could tempt him to leave his pontoon at the lake.
While Shore has been happy with the existing marina, he called the addition of a second facility "probably a good idea."
The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors on Wednesday approved a 35-year lease deal for the new complex. The agreement guarantees the county at least $4 million in marina revenue over the life of the deal, and money received will be reinvested in the park.
But objections were raised by marinas at Pleasant Harbor and Bartlett Lake, northeast of Scottsdale.
Attorney Andrew Federhar, representing the marinas, argued that the county's request for proposals to build and operate the marina materially changed from when it was submitted in February.
Federhar said legal action is possible. But the county dismissed the dust-up as grousing over the increased competition a new marina would bring.
"I think competition serves the public," Supervisor Max Wilson said.
County officials pitched the project as a boon for both boaters and the economy.
"In a way, it's not just a recreation opportunity. It's economic development for the whole West Valley," Parks and Recreation Director Bill Scalzo said. "This is a critical element to the growth of Lake Pleasant and the regional growth of the northwest Valley."
Of course, more boaters aren't good news to everyone.
"As a fisherman, we don't want more people," said Mac MacLeod, as he loaded his bass boat onto a trailer.
MacLeod isn't opposed to a new marina but worries that it could mean more people and, more importantly, more competition for fish. And that might make days like Tuesday, with a catch of more than a half-dozen largemouth and striped bass, less common.