9.5.2023 Fall River City Council - Committee on Economic Development and Tourism

The Fall River City Council's Committee on Economic Development and Tourism met on September 5, 2023, to discuss the ownership, operation, and development potential of the docks and moorings at the Battleship Cove Yacht Club. City Administrator Seth Thomas Aiken provided an overview of the history, noting that in May 2017 the Fall River Police Department purchased floating docks and attached structures from the Battleship Cove Yacht Club for $2,000 to establish a public town dock. The arrangement with the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) was meant to ensure public access across state property, but concerns had arisen because the gate to the dinghy docks remained locked and public access signs had disappeared.

Representatives and members of the Battleship Cove Yacht Club, including Tracy McElroy, Commodore Dave Reback, Don Freya, James Pedroso, and Mooring Inspector Bill Gouveia, addressed the committee alongside Police Captain Breno Furtado and Assistant Corporation Counsel Gary Howayeck. Yacht club members explained that there are approximately 33 moorings total, with 17 owned by club members paying an annual $150 municipal fee, 11 transient moorings rented by the city at $36.50 per night via Dockwa, and the remainder privately owned. The boaters emphasized that the combination lock on the gate is necessary to prevent vandalism and the theft of dinghies and motors, noting that transient boaters receive the access code when booking through the Harbormaster or Dockwa.

Discussions also focused on future waterfront improvements in coordination with the Route 79 redevelopment project. Boaters suggested installing kayak storage racks, solar lighting and security cameras, dedicated docking space for city pump-out and police patrol boats, overnight boater parking in the state lot, and establishing a responsive 24/7 communications protocol for visiting boaters. At the conclusion of the discussion, the committee voted unanimously to table the matter until Harbormaster Officer Jose Barbosa returns from injury leave.

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