MIASF working to expand slip maximums
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Marine Industries Association of South Florida is concerned that a recent Broward County proposal limiting the number of new slips to be added would hamper the area’s ability to meet development needs.
The redraft of the Broward County Boat Facility Siting Plan, developed in December 2004, includes a number of revisions suggested by MIASF, according to Frank Herhold, the association’s executive director. The original plan amounted to a virtual moratorium on expansion of existing marine facilities and development of new ones.
However, it also divides the county’s waterways into three sections and places limitations on the number of new slips allowed in each area.
In response, MIASF and EnviroCare recently called a meeting of 30 plus companies contemplating marina expansion or development to determine if the slip maximums were sufficient to meet development needs.
“During the meeting, it became obvious that the proposed numbers contained in the redraft were too low, and MIASF will work hard to see that they are adjusted accordingly,” said Herhold in an interview today. “Broward County has listened to MIASF arguments that the yachting capital of the world is a unique area and deserves a unique plan, particularly in view of our low manatee mortality record. The goal of the plan is to adequately protect Broward manatees while allowing realistic growth for the county’s major industry.”
- For more of the latest news, click here.
