Dana Point West Marina Management May Change

Byline: Taylor Hill DANA POINT — The Orange County Board of Supervisors is scheduled to pick a management team for Dana Point Harbor’s 980-slip West Marina at its April 17 meeting — and the decision could end the 36-year run of current management team, TBW Co. According to a report submitted by OC Dana Point Harbor, Dana Point Marina Co., which manages the 1,500-slips in Dana Point’s east marina, is being recommended to take over management operations at the west marina, beating out four other companies — including TBW — for the job. “I don’t know why we weren’t at the top of the list,” said Eric Leslie, director of Marina Operations for TBW Co. “I thought we put together a really competitive proposal.” The situation has frustrated Leslie, who questions why the board would have the desire to push out one of the original leaseholders at the harbor. In 1975, TBW Co. wrapped up construction and development of the harbor’s west basin, completing the area’s docks, parking lots and infrastructure. As one of a handful of companies involved in the original development of the harbor, TBW Co. was awarded a 30-year lease by the county. The lease expired in 2005. Some of the main leaseholders...