Moore will get tidelands lease for marina

"Administrators and staff working for the city of Langley proved this week that they want Langley businesswoman Linda Moore to rebuild and reopen the Langley Marina.Staff members spent most of their work hours during the past week drawing up a lease that will allow Moore to rent about a half-acre of city-owned tidelands for the next 50 years.Moore, who told the council at its May 16 meeting that she needed a lease in hand before she could secure the loans she needs to redevelop the Langley Marina, learned Wednesday night that she will have a completed lease document in her hands by early next week.I think we're prepared to move ahead on this, she said during Wednesday's regular city council meeting.Moore plans to rebuild the Langley Marina building and bring back the services the business used to offer, such as marine gas pumps, bait sales, and food sales, while adding kayak rentals. The marina building and its dock sit on a small piece of privately-owned beachfront and over a much larger piece of city-owned tidelands.The marina building itself was condemned two years ago when rot and other structural problems made it unsafe to occupy.Eric Lucas, Langley's city administrator, said his staff was focused on getting the lease written. Moore must sign a lease by June 16, the day she hopes to purchase the marina from its current owner, Barney Hein.Our week was pretty much dominated by getting the lease ready, Lucas said.Council member Neil Colburn said the city's prior tidelands leases with Hein and interim owner Carol Reamer were terminated prior to drawing up the lease document. He said he wants to make the marina's redevelopment as smooth as possible for Moore. The project she is planning fits perfectly into the city shoreline master plan, Colburn said. We've done a good thing here tonight, Colburn said.Coincidentally, the shoreline plan, which has been in the works for more than three years, is expected to be approved at the June 20 council meeting. "

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