RIVIERA BEACH — With the future of the city's marina in the hands of voters, the boat company Rybovich is campaigning to build support for its plan to lease part of the marina for a megayacht service yard.
At the same time, residents who oppose the proposed 25-year lease are working to convince voters that they should kill the Rybovich deal.
Even if the city council approves the lease, Riviera Beach voters will have their say Nov. 2, when the ballot will include a proposed charter change that would stop the deal.
The company recently hired residents to distribute fliers listing benefits of the lease and has established a marina-lease hot line. Rybovich Vice President Carlos Vidueira presented the lease's latest terms to city officials Aug. 25 and answered residents' questions Tuesday night at John F. Kennedy Middle School.
Vidueira sought to ease concerns about environmental hazards at the proposed boat yard, which would service big yachts, generally 250 feet and longer. He showed photos of the company's stylish super-yacht service center in West Palm Beach, a state-designated "clean boat yard" where yachts are surrounded with scaffolding and shrink-wrapped before work begins.
He noted that weddings are held at the West Palm Beach facility and showed photos from an Earth, Wind & Fire concert there.
And in tough economic times, the city would benefit from the proposed $581,040 in lease payments and $150,000 in property taxes that Rybovich would pay each year, Vidueira said. The total proposed lease payments over 25 years: $14.5 million.
The new lease terms would offer more of a landlord-tenant relationship compared with the initial terms announced in April, in which Rybovich had offered the city a riskier, though potentially more lucrative deal - a smaller base rent or a percentage of the company's revenue, whichever was greater.
"We hope we can revive our city together," Vidueira said, noting that the company owns property in Riviera Beach. "It could really make Riviera Beach an internationally recognized location."
Meanwhile, opponents launched their campaign to persuade voters that leasing about 35 percent of the marina's upland property and submerged lands on the south end of the marina to Rybovich is a bad move.
About 20 people attended an Aug. 26 rally at the marina to promote the charter change that would block the lease. Those attending included Palm Beach County Commissioner Priscilla Taylor, Mayor Thomas Masters, three former city council members and members of the Palm Beach County Environmental Coalition.
"This is a community marina," said Lynne Hubbard, a former councilwoman and one of the organizers of the signature drive that put the charter change on the ballot. "We want to keep it that way."
Citizens Task Force Chairwoman Emma Bates said the group collected about 5,600 signatures opposing the lease, more than 2.5 times the number required. The county supervisor of elections stopped verifying signatures when there were enough to put the charter amendment on the ballot.
Attorneys for the city and its community redevelopment agency have questioned the wording of the ballot question, noting that part of it calls for the city to own and operate the Spanish Courts motel property south of the marina. The CRA, not the city, owns Spanish Courts.
Bates said she will not be deterred by questions about the ballot language.
"If they want to challenge it, let's go to court," Bates said. "We're ready."
New terms for marina lease
The boat company Rybovich last month unveiled a revised version of a proposal in which it would lease the southern part of the Riviera Beach marina for 25 years for a megayacht service yard:
[ED. It is instructive to read the Posted Comments left on-line.]
Supporters, critics of Riviera marina deal launch
efforts to sway voters
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Updated: 11:02 p.m. Monday, Sept. 6, 2010
Posted: 10:53 p.m. Monday, Sept. 6, 2010
RIVIERA BEACH — With the future of the city's marina in the hands of voters, the boat
company Rybovich is campaigning to build support for its plan to lease part of the marina for a
megayacht service yard.
At the same time, residents who oppose the proposed 25-year lease are working to convince
voters that they should kill the Rybovich deal.
Even if the city council approves the lease, Riviera Beach voters will have their say Nov. 2, when
the ballot will include a proposed charter change that would stop the deal.
The company recently hired residents to distribute fliers listing benefits of the lease and has
established a marina-lease hot line. Rybovich Vice President Carlos Vidueira presented the
lease's latest terms to city officials Aug. 25 and answered residents' questions Tuesday night at
John F. Kennedy Middle School.
Vidueira sought to ease concerns about environmental hazards at the proposed boat yard,
which would service big yachts, generally 250 feet and longer. He showed photos of the
company's stylish super-yacht service center in West Palm Beach, a state-designated "clean boat
yard" where yachts are surrounded with scaffolding and shrink-wrapped before work begins.
He noted that weddings are held at the West Palm Beach facility and showed photos from an Earth, Wind & Fire concert there.
And in tough economic times, the city would benefit from the proposed $581,040 in lease
payments and $150,000 in property taxes that Rybovich would pay each year, Vidueira said.
The total proposed lease payments over 25 years: $14.5 million.
The new lease terms would offer more of a landlord-tenant relationship compared with the
initial terms announced in April, in which Rybovich had offered the city a riskier, though
potentially more lucrative deal - a smaller base rent or a percentage of the company's revenue,
whichever was greater.
"We hope we can revive our city together," Vidueira said, noting that the company owns
property in Riviera Beach. "It could really make Riviera Beach an internationally recognized
location."
Meanwhile, opponents launched their campaign to persuade voters that leasing about 35
percent of the marina's upland property and submerged lands on the south end of the marina to
Rybovich is a bad move.
About 20 people attended an Aug. 26 rally at the marina to promote the charter change that
would block the lease. Those attending included Palm Beach County Commissioner Priscilla
Taylor, Mayor Thomas Masters, three former city council members and members of the Palm
Beach County Environmental Coalition.
"This is a community marina," said Lynne Hubbard, a former councilwoman and one of the
organizers of the signature drive that put the charter change on the ballot. "We want to keep it
that way."
Citizens Task Force Chairwoman Emma Bates said the group collected about 5,600 signatures
opposing the lease, more than 2.5 times the number required. The county supervisor of elections
stopped verifying signatures when there were enough to put the charter amendment on the
ballot.
Attorneys for the city and its community redevelopment agency have questioned the wording of
the ballot question, noting that part of it calls for the city to own and operate the Spanish
Courts motel property south of the marina. The CRA, not the city, owns Spanish Courts.
Bates said she will not be deterred by questions about the ballot language.
"If they want to challenge it, let's go to court," Bates said. "We're ready."
New terms for marina lease
The boat company Rybovich last month unveiled a revised version of a proposal in which it
would lease the southern part of the Riviera Beach marina for 25 years for a megayacht service
yard:
term of the lease.
years, but could never go below $581,040.
grants to the company in the future, Rybovich would pay 6 percent of the grant amount
annually to the city.
motel, to expand the yacht-service operation.
prohibit use of the marina for a boat yard. The lease also would be subject to state
approval for the use of submerged lands and the granting of permits. Rybovich has agreed
to pay all fees to the state.
[ED. It is instructive to read the Posted Comments left on-line.]