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Meeting Convened. An Adjourned Meeting of the York County Board of
Supervisors was called to order at 5:40 p.m., Tuesday, July, 2002, in
the East Room, York Hall, by Chairman Donald E. Wiggins.
Attendance. The following members of the Board of Supervisors were
present: Walter C. Zaremba, Sheila S. Noll, Donald E. Wiggins, James S.
Burgett, and Thomas G. Shepperd.
Also in attendance were James O. McReynolds, County Administrator;
and James E. Barnett, County Attorney.
YORKTOWN REVITALIZATION - PIER DESIGN
Mr. McReynolds stated the purpose of the meeting was to provide the
Board with information on the construction of pier projects at the
waterfront and to receive guidance from the Board. The projects to be
discussed include the transient boating pier, the Yorktown pier, and an
observation pier.
Mr. Robert S. Kraus, Executive Director for Yorktown Revitalization,
explained that a grant for $600,000 had been received for the transient
boating pier and would be applied to the estimated cost of $720,000. He
explained that after the grant was awarded, a closer look at the design
of the pier resulted in new design options such as the use of floating
piers. The original concept included a fixed pier which would require a
wave attenuator underneath the structure. Another concept was the use of
floating piers as suggested by the Virginia Institute of Marine of
Science. The fixed pier would cost between $2.3 and $2.8 million. The
advantages of a floating pier include betters views of the York River
from the shore, better view of boats docked on the channel side of the
structure, easier access for smaller boats, and they are less expensive.
An artist's renderings of fixed and floating piers were introduced, and
Mr. Kraus discussed specifications for the proposed pier. The
observation pier is a concept that was proposed a number of years ago,
and he also presented the Board with an artist's rendering of one. He
stated that at this time staff recommends postponing the observation
deck feature, as it is felt the architectural anchor can be achieved
through a larger brick plaza. He noted that postponing it now would not
preclude the County from building it in the future if needed.
Discussion followed regarding the need for an observation pier and
whether or not a floating pier would be strong enough to provide access
for emergency and service vehicles, and it was noted that even the
original design would not accommodate large vehicles. The current design
will accommodate pick-up trucks. No sewage pump-out facility was
proposed at this time for sewage disposal since the cruise ships that
visit Yorktown at present do not require any waste disposal facility,
but conduit could be installed should that be considered at a later
date.
Chairman Wiggins stated he felt that some type of fire protection was
necessary on the dock.
At this time a video on the construction of floating piers from a
manufacturer in Sweden was shown, and discussion ensued on the
construction process of the floating pier and its sustainability in
severe weather.
Mr. Zaremba asked about the timeframe to have a pier in place.
Mr. Kraus explained if staff received direction from the Board this
evening they would be able to bid this project in early to mid fall.
Mrs. Noll asked what the capacity was for the smaller cruise ships
that come in and how many people were on the ships.
Mr. Kraus stated the ships that come in today are a little over 200
feet long and they could dock on the 200-foot structure. The ships carry
100 passengers or less.
Chairman Wiggins made comparisons between the manufacturer in Florida
and the manufacturer in Sweden, stating he was impressed by the company
in Sweden. He asked how the pier would get here.
Mr. Kraus reported that the Swedish company had opened a
manufacturing plant in Gloucester, Virginia, the only one in the United
States. The transient pier could be made in the United States, while the
larger structures would have to be shipped from abroad.
Further discussion followed concerning the safety aspects of a
floating pier.
Mr. Zaremba asked what the pier is expected to be used for and what
the County's marketing plan was to make it happen. He asked who would
police the area should a boat stay overnight.
Mrs. Noll stated a marketing plan needed to be developed, and she
suggested getting a marketing expert involved.
Mr. McReynolds stated that staff has economic data that indicates the
amount of income and revenue that should be generated from the retail
development proposed for Yorktown. Staff is working with the Watermen's
Museum and having discussions about it becoming the dock master for the
upriver pier. He stated he felt there may be a need for a permanent
presence in Yorktown, at least during the peak months if not year round.
Mr. Shepperd asked where the money would coming from.
Mr. McReynolds stated it would come from the tourism tax, the three
cents that the General Assembly authorized the Board to add to the
occupancy tax that must be dedicated to tourism.
After further discussion the Board, by consensus, agreed that the
Yorktown pier would be a floating pier with brick finish and granite
trim, and that a gazebo would be a transition point from the fixed to
the floating pier. Further, the Board agreed there would be no
observation deck behind the freight shed. The Board also agreed to
proceed with the upriver pier, or transient boat pier, as proposed by
staff, recognizing that staff is still in negotiations with the
Watermen's Museum, and the design will not be finalized until those
negotiations are concluded.
Mr. Zaremba stated he wanted to have a competitive bid process for
the piers, rather than have the bid written for one company.
Mr. McReynolds assured Mr. Zaremba that the bid would be crafted to
encourage as much competition as possible. He stated he would send an
outline of the specifications to the Board before finalization.
Mr. Zaremba stated he felt that the pier could be constructed by a
company in the United States rather than in Sweden.
Meeting Adjourned. At 6:38 p.m. Chairman Wiggins declared the meeting
adjourned sine die.
______________________________
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James O. McReynolds,
Clerk
Donald E. Wiggins, Chairman
York County Board of
Supervisors
York County Board of Supervisors
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