Oceanside hopes to encourage increased boating activity with updated harbor work plan

OCEANSIDE ― Waterfront developments up and down the Southern California coast have left some boaters feeling as if they are being pushed out of their respective harbor or marina. Officials and policymakers in coastal communities, in response, have been trying to balance a desire for visitor-serving uses with attempts to appease the local community and boaters. One such attempt to maintain boating activities in a waterfront venue is Oceanside’s Harbor and Beaches Advisory Committee Work Plan, which was recently endorsed by the local City Council. The plan aims to encourage and promote boating at Oceanside Harbor. Oceanside already had the work plan in place – with the City Council’s action last month approving the plan for another two years. The work plan for the next two years has not changed from the previous two years, according to Oceanside’s Harbor Manager Paul Lawrence. “It was our view that it remains relevant in its current form,” Lawrence told The Log. An updated amendment in the plan, Lawrence did point out, has been put in place to ensure safety. “One change from the recent past was that human-powered craft must keep clear of all sail and power vessels in Oceanside Harbor,” Lawrence stated. What does this means exactly and how...