OYSTER COVE MARINA LIVEABOARDS HAVE BEEN TOLD TO EVICT ON SHORT NOTICE
Oyster Cove Marina, owned by Kilroy Realty, has given all the tenants until October 15 to vacate the marina. We received notice in July, and were given a very short time to respond. In return, we were offered three months’ free rent for non-liveaboards, and an additional $10,000 (less than $8,000 after they take out 25% for taxes) for the 12 liveaboards. Besides the 12 legal liveaboards, there are about 30 more “extended stays” or people who were placed, by the marina, on this status to satisfy the BCDC cap of 10% liveaboards) – and people who have lived on their boats for decades without the liveaboard status. There are about 100 boats affected by this eviction notice.
As many of you already know, there are no liveaboard vacancies at any marina here in the Bay, nor in the Delta. We have contacted every marina from Half Moon Bay to Seattle, Washington, looking for a liveaboard slip. There are none.
What should we do? Anchor out? Put our boats in non-liveaboard slips and find housing on land? Many of us are seniors, vets and disabled people who have been here for decades. My husband and I have been here for more than 20 years. We cannot afford to pay the grossly inflated rents on land on our fixed incomes. One person I know is living on $1,200 disability. Where is she supposed to go? She, a single, older female, was offered a homeless shelter in the Tenderloin by her disability case worker.
We are a close-knit community here at Oyster Cove. We know each other, and we help each other. We always look out for each other. As an RN (retired now), I have been asked for help on more than one occasion. If this were a landed community, all hell would be breaking out over it. Because we live on boats we have no recourse under landlord/tenant laws; boats are not considered as permanent residents. However, we are required to pay property taxes. That tells me that there is an issue under the law.
We have gone to every government agency looking for help. We have gone to the City Council and the San Mateo Harbor District. We have tried going to the BCDC to expand the 10% cap to 15%. Rather than listen to or deal with this, they have canceled their last two meetings where we were on the agenda. I do not think this is a coincidence.
Kilroy claims they are trying to help us. All they have done is post marinas who will take boats, not liveaboards. They still require recent surveys, which are quite costly to people on limited incomes. These boats are in good enough condition to pass inspections by the previous harbormaster, for having engines that run, electrical safety, and a dump service, or that are known to use the dump station.
I proposed that the San Mateo Harbor District at least allow the 12 liveaboards to move to either Oyster Point or Pillar Point harbors. There are empty slips in both marinas. At the very least, we are asking that we be given more time.Gale Schulke, RN
S/V Zelda Fitzgerald
Oyster Cove Marina, South San Francisco
