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r* 2000 Marina Licenses September 21,2000 Page 4 General Marina Issues The marinas provide necessary services to the Lake Minnetonka community, by providing a wide range of lake access opportunities, boat maintenance and repair services, and winter storage. While it can be argued that boat sales (and perhaps even boat storage and many maintenance/repair activities) are functions that don’t strictly require a location on the water, one or more of these activities continue to be a significant part of tlic business at each of our marinas. Each Orono marina has site constraints that limit the level of reasonable site activity. A primary concern is adequate parking. Three of the five marinas have significantly redeveloped in the last decade, resulting in the City’s acceptance of a certain level of improvements which support varying levels of commercial activity for each site. None of the marinas have ever met the hardcover standards of the zoning code, but when redevelopment has been approved by the City, the amount of hardcover tolerated at the marinas has always far surpassed the hardcover limits imposed on residential development. The marinas generate only very few complaints from the public or nearby landowners. Parking management on a day-to-day basis has been one of the City’s primary concerns with marinas through the years, with the dual intent of keeping the level of site use commensurate with the site capacity so there is no burden on adjoining landowners nor on the public roadways; while maintaining site accessibility for general use and emergency purposes. Ancillary activities that have occurred occasionally in the past at some marinas such as fishing contests, charter boat activit>’ and various ‘special events ’ can create periods where the marinas might outstrip their capacity and negatively impact the neighborhood. In general, the marinas tend to be busiest during either end of the season when boats are either being dropped in or hauled out, and on fair- weather weekends throughout the summer. A perhaps secondary issue for the City has been the burden on the lake itself as boats have become larger and faster, and the methods for providing lake access have become more innovative (dry-stacking, boat clubs, etc.). However, in recent years the City has primarily focused on land-use issues and left the larger issue of lake use to the LMCD. Staff Recommendation Staff recommends approval of 2000 commercial marina licenses for Windward Marina, Genmar/King ’s Cove, Sailor's World, and North Shore Marina. COUNCIL ACTION REQUESTED: Proposed Motion: Moved by_______, seconded by , to direct staff to issue 2000 commercial marina licenses to Windw'ard Marina, Genmar/King ’s Cove, Sailor's World, and North Shore Marina. Vote: ________ayes,_____nays.