Redwood City Docktown Residents to Begin Relocation in 2017

After failing to pass legislation to temporarily preserve Redwood City's Docktown Marina, it's lifespan may have just been shortened from 15 years to about 15 months.  A lawsuit settled in January of this year calls for residents to begin relocating in 2017, and an urgency bill that would have kept the Docktown in operation for the next 15 years was recently dropped because not all residents got behind it.

The floating community (located off Maple St, along the Redwood Creek) has existed since 1964 without any issue, mostly because no one had complained about it.  But late last year someone did, by filing a suit against the city alleging the Docktown was in violation of health and safety code, and that the city has been illegally collecting money for the private use of land that is actually held in trust by the state for the benefit of the people of California.  The city collects somewhere around $750,000/year for renting out slips to Docktown residents.

The suit was filed by Attorney Ted Hannig, who lives right across the creek from the Docktown in One Marina Homes.

State Sen. Jerry Hill (D-San Mateo), and Assemblyman Kevin Mullin (D-South San Francisco) were able to get the bill to preserve the community approved by the State Lands Commission under the conditions that:

1) The city would prohibit new tenants, new liveaboard watercraft and transfer of existing watercraft at Docktown
2) The city would mandate that all liveaboard watercraft be owner-occupied or city owned. No subleases would be allowed.

Some residents possess multiple slips from the city, and rent out or Airbnb their houseboats.  These residents opposed the bill's conditions and consequently it failed to pass - to the dismay of those who would just like the extra 14 years in their homes.  So now, with no legislative action, the future of the Docktown defaults to the agreed upon terms in the Hannig settlement - which is to begin locating residents next year.

There are about 70 liveaboards and 100 residents in Docktown.  The $4.5 million Hannig settlement sets aside $3 million towards cleaning up the creek and assisting residents with relocation.  The remaining $1.5 million goes to Hannig.