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Health & Fitness

Hannig Dumps on Docktown

Exclusive Photos from Ted Hannig. You heard it here first. The houseboats at Docktown sit on the mud twice a day, right next to feeding birds.

Doesn't like the view that came with his new Condo

Letters from Hannig Law Firm
Addressed to Bill Ekern, and the City Council 

Re: Joint Study Session of the Redwood Citv Council and Planning Commission, Inner Harbor Specific Plan

Dear Mr. Ekern:

I am receipt of notice of the joint study session regarding the Inner Harbor Specific Plan. I will be attending meetings in the Middle East and will not be able to attend.

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For the record, I wish to remind the City of the State of California’s position on the area of Public Trust. Attached is my prior letter to the City on this subject. The State has already advised the City that live-aboards cannot be in the Public Trust zone and invited the City to use the Inner Harbor Plan as a way to resolve the existing problem. The State certainly does not want the problem extended.

I also object to the placement of any boats that have contact with the oyster shell fragment-laden bay mud. The mud can scrape paint and toxins into our sensitive bay marine environment habitat. Boat drains (except most toilets or “heads”) are now draining directly into the very same mud birds are eating from. Recent studies show plastic mini and nano beads in many consumer products are indirectly reaching and harming our man'ne environment. Here, the path is direct. I also object to blocking the Bay’s air - mud interface.

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Enclosure

Signature of Ted Hannig

 

Members of the City Council of Redwood City City Hall Redwood City, CA 94063

Re: Docktown

Dear City Council Members:

I wanted to bring to your attention a matter of serious environmental concern as a constructive comment before the City and responsible parties face civil and potentially criminal liability should it fail to take corrective measures.

It may well be that work is currently underway to stop pollution and contamination facilitated by the City’s management of Docktown, however I am unaware of such efforts and my near daily observation for the past month has shown no change.

By way of my background, I have undertaken a maj or marine environmental protection effort by personally purchasing and placing into preserve 100 acres of coral reefed property. I did so because the delicate coral reef` there faced damage in the event of potential development in that area. My actions speak of our family’s long-time commitment to the marine environment. This is not a matter of passing interest to me, but rather goes to a matter of great personal commitment.

The situation at Docktown is a serious one, and for reasons in addition to its prior

common reputation as “Poop Lagoon” due to frequent contamination odors that were previously a common experience.

As the City is Well aware, the State has informed the City that it is in violation of state law and the City’s obligation as Trustee in allowing live-aboard housing at Docktown. The issues came to attention from Ms. Madden’s presentation to the State Lands Commission, asserting the novel concept that affordable live-aboard boat housing was an appropriate use, if not requirement, of the Public Trust Doctrine.

Specifically, the State rejected this view and has advised “. . . Docktown violates the terms of the City’s granting statutes and is inconsistent with the Common Law Public Trust Doctrine.” A copy of the State’s letter is attached.

Members of the City Council of Redwood City April 21, 2014 Page Two

Below, I am again submitting to you photographs of the Docktown Marina (another photograph is contained in my March 23, 2014 letter to you). As you will note, houseboats and vessels rest completely within and on the mud, typically for two cycles a day (4 times rising or coming to rest on the Bay mud).

Members of the City Council of Redwood City April 21, 2014 Page Three

The San Francisco Bay mud has been studied by the USGS since 1894, as it is an important environmental resource in our community.

Our Bay mud often contains very abrasive constituents, including oyster shell fractions, sand, gravel and debris. When boats come to rest on Bay mud the Bay mud acts as an aggressive sandpaper or worse. The abrasion process against the boats at Docktown (which are ñequently painted with toxic, anti-fowling “bottom paint” to prevent marine life from attaching to their vessel) releases those toxins along with other materials abraded from boat hulls rapidly into the marine environment, including directly to the Bay mud and water. In the picture provided, you can see the bird life eating creatures from the mud. The food cycle is clearly impacted.

When boats rest on the mud, they suffocate it and block the air-mud estuary environmental cycle.

There is an even greater threat to the water and environment. It has recently been documented and discovered that “microbeads”, which are contained in a plethora of consumer products (from shampoo to toothpaste) threaten our marine environment. The boats, as they rest in the mud, are typically releasing all their drains other than the head (toilet) directly into the mud environment. Kindly see the attached article (Attachment 2).

Apparently, the beads act as toxic “magnets”, attracting toxins before being consumed by small fish, which in turn are consumed by larger flsh. As you are aware, locally We have construction limits due to the breeding cycle in this area and I frequently see stingrays consuming crustaceans in this area.

This harm needs to stop. While there are a number of laws that come into play, including the Clean Water Act, I believe common sense and concern for our waterfront environment serves as an additional call to act. I encourage the City to do so immediately. I Will be out of the Country through May 2nd, but hope action will have been taken before my return.

Very truly yours,

HANNIG LAW FIRM LLP

DICTATED BUT NOT READ SENT TO AVOID DELAY

Ted J. Hannig

cc: City Attorney
City Manager California State Lands Commission
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