Four new harbor gates will be constructed at the Marina Bay Yacht Harbor, replacing aging gatehouse structures located on the floating docks with new gatehouse structures that will be located on land adjacent to the Bay Trail.
Approved by the City of Richmond Design Review Board on Jan. 8, the project will need a permit from the Bay Conservation Development Commission before it can move forward, according to a city planner.
The current wood-frame structures are poorly designed, provide poor security and add “undesirable static load to the floating dock and prevent adequate maintenance to the dock structure itself,” according to city documents. “It also blocks sight lines by being a solid wall.”
The current structures are located below the access ramps to the dock. The new structures will be above the access ramps, approximately 40 feet away, city documents state. They will embrace a modern style consisting of glass and aluminum and will provide better security to the docks and allow future maintenance to the floating dock structures, the city states.
“The use of glass and aluminum frames provide a high level of transparency, particularly facing the Bay,” city officials said. “This will enhance security and the aesthetic value of the
surroundings while preserving the use of the adjacent Bay Trail.”
The Richmond Marina Neighborhood Council polled its members and a majority welcomed the improvement to the Marina Bay.
