Berkeley Ferry kills windsurf launch and ruins conditions for both windsurfing and kitesurfing

On April 2, the Board of the Water Emergency Transportation Authority is expected to meet and consider adopting a preferred alternative for the East Bay ferry that would be located between the Berkeley pier and Hs. Lordships. The schematic design shown in their EIR would disrupt parking and rigging for windsurfing, as well as take virtually every space in the HS. Lordships parking lot. The EIR does not mention either windsurfing or fishing, the two recreational uses now at the site. I provided comments on behalf of windsurfers, and attended a meeting of the Berkeley Waterfront Commission and the Berkeley Transportation Commission's to discuss Berkeley's concerns. The planning staff for WETA came to that meeting not prepared to discuss mitigation, but to argue that their weren't any significant recreational impacts, and they would show us some mitigation later. Now they propose to adopt this as the environmentally preferred alternative, without discussing the impacts on recreation. This can be stopped, at many different stages. However, it is important to have other windsurfers show up at the WETA Board meeting, and again at the City of Berkeley's Council meeting on May 5. Please let me know ASAP if you can attend, and I will try to keep you informed of the upcoming dates. A copy of my letter to WETA is attached.

Jim McGrath