News and views on Greystones harbour and marina [SEE MODERATOR WARNING POST 1187]

Jimjay · 14-03-2012 10:03pm

Anyone know how the meeting about the marina went tonight? Did they get enough interested party to set up the berths before summer?

F3 · 14-03-2012 10:57pm

1) There would be no boats in the marina this year
2) Most of the people who attended were quite annoyed that this was just another tester to see who was interested, rather than a firm presentation and plan of what was going to be provided.
3) It was clear to that they had little or no preparation done;
4) The chap who was to run the marina had only seen it for the first time today
5) The prices quoted were €350 to €400 per metre [and only one annual rate not two like Dun Laoghaire for Summer & Winter]
6) When questioned about where they had come up with the figures, Hayden had said he had made enquires in Dun Laoghaire, and he had advised Sispar that if they came in 20% below that that they would fill the marina.
7) Someone pointed out that Dun Laoghaire was completed and had all the facilities greystones was essentially still an unfinished site
8) They would have showers in portacabins, running water, electricity but no fuel tanks. [stainless steel tanks too expensive]
9) Sispar advised that they had 50 to 60 confirmed and committed already.
10) Sispar had hoped to put 'chain pontoons' in in lieu of piled??, but this was rejected by the room.
11) There was no official Sispar letter head type application form but rather a photocopy application form of 'put your name down and we'll ring you'
12) Most of the room were existing boat owners with craft moored in Dun Laoghaire or other marinas, looking to save money.
13) The organiser ran out at the end of the meeting and didn't stick around.

Fiachra2 · 15-03-2012 8:39am

So would it be fair to say that the quote below
taken from: http://www.greystonesguide.ie/the-boats-are-going-in/

might not be quite accurate?

"The boats are finally being put back into Greystones Harbour after four years of being in dry dock. The new marina equipped with water, electricity, showers and toilets, will open in the summer with 56 berths available"

F3 · 15-03-2012 9:12am

it would seem not.........

Jimjay · 15-03-2012 12:53pm

So the press release is way ofthe mark?
Huge interest in marina berths, was going to be 50 beths but looks like 100 minimum will be needed!

http://www.greystonesguide.ie/huge-interst-in-meeting-about-marina-berths-in-greystones-harbour/

mirekb · 15-03-2012 1:05pm

Someone said to me that the berths were in a bad place and easily accessible to vandals (in particular things being chucked down from the road). It was suggested this may be a reason not to take a berth there - is this a valid point?

legrand · 15-03-2012 2:51pm

mirekb wrote: »

Someone said to me that the berths were in a bad place and easily accessible to vandals (in particular things being chucked down from the road). It was suggested this may be a reason not to take a berth there - is this a valid point?

Oh would not be worried about that. Council will further 'enhance' fencing to prevent any such occurance:rolleyes:.

Sarcasm aside, would boat be moored in the middle of the water (sorry I'm no sailer so not sure term) or tied to side of breakwater/pontoon? Are they talking about using the inner harbour? If so how would folks access their boats?

http://www.greystonesguide.ie/the-boats-are-going-in/
I need to vent something here, Councillor Hayden reportedly stated "the ‘picture postcard’ requirement is a distant second for me". Well that speaks volumes does it not? What the people of Greystones want is an amenity that works for them and visitors alike. Hayden in effect is raising 2 fingers to those concerns.

Jimjay · 15-03-2012 4:24pm

mirekb wrote: »

Someone said to me that the berths were in a bad place and easily accessible to vandals (in particular things being chucked down from the road). It was suggested this may be a reason not to take a berth there - is this a valid point?

Blimey, must have a strong arm to chuck things at the boats from the road. I dont see how security would be any different from any other marina!

mirekb · 15-03-2012 6:54pm

Jimjay wrote: »

Blimey, must have a strong arm to chuck things at the boats from the road. I dont see how security would be any different from any other marina!

Perhaps it was a bit of exaggerating, so!

The Durutti Column · 15-03-2012 7:04pm

Fiachra2 wrote: »

So would it be fair to say that the quote below
taken from: http://www.greystonesguide.ie/the-boats-are-going-in/

might not be quite accurate?

"The boats are finally being put back into Greystones Harbour after four years of being in dry dock. The new marina equipped with water, electricity, showers and toilets, will open in the summer with 56 berths available"

Certainly not quite accurate. In fact, about as inaccurate as you could get. Here's what <<snip>> Mitchell says in the Greystones Guide:

The decision whether to invest will be taken in a month but it was announced that the marina works would not be completed before late Autumn.

Could this get like the NAMA saga? "The decision to invest will be taken in a month." So, contrary to the impression given by Cllr Hayden in HIS press release, no decision to invest has been taken yet. And if they do decide yes, Sispar want to put cheap chained pontoons (known to cause damage to vessels) instead of pile-mounted pontoons (more expensive).

Here we go again....

Fiachra2 · 15-03-2012 9:21pm

Statement from Guboh on the recent Harbour Liaison Committee meeting.

http://www.greystonesguide.ie/no-news-from-nama-but-mayors-plan-b-request-ignored-by-sispar-and-wcc/

The Give Us Back Our Harbour group is extremely disappointed by the lack of any new information at the Harbour Liaison Committee meeting on 6 March, or any interim plan for the ‘ghost harbour’.

“Yet again there was no progress on any of the significant issues concerning the community,” said spokesman Fiachra Etchingham. “This meeting had already been postponed for two weeks in order to allow for an announcement on NAMA funding for the Primary Care Centre. No such announcement was made. So we are none the wiser — 15 months after the prospect of NAMA funding for this part of the project was first announced.”

Etchingham also expressed disappointment at the failure to prepare alternative plans. “At the December meeting of the Liaison Committee Mayor Tom Fortune called on Sispar to prepare a ‘Plan B’ for what they would do if there was no news from NAMA and they could not start further construction in the short term. The Mayor’s very reasonable request was completely ignored.”

Etchingham added that a harbour residents representative raised the issue of the serious acceleration in erosion which was causing the collapse of the protective rock armour barrier in front of the old dump, something which GUBOH members had also noticed in the last month or so.

“Because of the risk that this process will expose the dump, we thought that it might be a cause of concern. Instead, the meeting was told this level of erosion was what was planned for by the developers.”

“Our greatest concern, however, is in relation to a matter that arose at the end of the meeting when our representative asked the question that everyone in Greystones wants an answer to, which is, simply: How long will the community and businesses of Greystones have to endure an unfinished development?

“Not only was the question not answered but it drew an extremely hostile reaction from a County Council official. He even suggested that the GUBOH representative might be asked to leave the meeting for asking such a question. This is truly extraordinary. We attempted to address the one issue that is of greatest concern to the businesses and residents of Greystones, but it seems Wicklow County Council will vigorously resist any attempt to obtain answers on this matter.”

F3 · 16-03-2012 2:30pm

legrand wrote: »

Oh would not be worried about that. Council will further 'enhance' fencing to prevent any such occurance:rolleyes:.

Sarcasm aside, would boat be moored in the middle of the water (sorry I'm no sailer so not sure term) or tied to side of breakwater/pontoon? Are they talking about using the inner harbour? If so how would folks access their boats?

http://www.greystonesguide.ie/the-boats-are-going-in/
I need to vent something here, Councillor Hayden reportedly stated "the ‘picture postcard’ requirement is a distant second for me". Well that speaks volumes does it not? What the people of Greystones want is an amenity that works for them and visitors alike. Hayden in effect is raising 2 fingers to those concerns.

On the money Legrand !! the GUBOH boys and girls have never been for stopping Sispar or WCC's development. When it is finished it will be a national asset marketed all over the world I'm sure of it and the town will boom with visitors. But the question simply is when?? The GUBOH representative I understand raised that question at the LAST HCL according to their press release and were asked to leave the meeting for asking such an outrageous question !!! WTF?????? I want the answer to that question myself! What GUBOH want is to make it pretty now so that we as a town can enjoy a beautiful asset in the interim, not have a 'wart' on the tip of our harbour town nose. I was chuckling at a post in Greystown forum this morning that the community of greystones are behaving like those little aliens locked in the locker in a train station in the Men in Black movie, that almost exactly what we are like. Totally oblivious to the real world outside the locker and being played like gob****es by Sispar and WCC. To me its very very simple. WE OWE SISPAR NOTHING, WE OWE WCC NOTHING! if either want to wait until the irish property market recovers before completing their dream, they must pay a price for that privilege. That price is to landscape the entire site and continue a meandering cliff walk path through a grassed parkland, that has public benches, litter bins, soft lighting, perhaps a circus site and carparking, to allow us all access to the north pier, the south pier, keep fencing pretty and to a minimum, if you want to put a hand rail onto the piers to prevent people falling from a height, put in bollards and looped chains no green cheap looking fencing! cut the pipes back in the inner harbour, allow fishing boats to pull in and dock for shelter!! and this must all be paid for by Sispar if they want the people of greystones to remain quiet and content during the countless years waiting for the market to recover. And when they want to get back in and start building again, let them back in on 12 month notice to us all! If they don't want to do that, then BRING THE COMMERCIAL REALITY HATCHET DOWN!! AND THROW THEM OFF THE PROJECT FOR FAILING TO COMPLETE WITHIN THE TIME ALLOWED!! What annoys the hell out of me, is that we have a couple of noisy ignorant public representatives, that seem to do all of Sispars and WCC Public Relations like I suppose the little locker aliens in the Men In Black movie and up to now, we follow like sheep......well I say lets stop this right now, they don't speak for me, I'm out of that locker. [I reckon k=Sispar] and the little alien people's town is Greystones: see the movie clip :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxSgdVHWJoE

Blanchflower · 17-03-2012 12:06am

F3 wrote: »

On the money Legrand !! the GUBOH boys and girls have never been for stopping Sispar or WCC's development. When it is finished it will be a national asset marketed all over the world I'm sure of it and the town will boom with visitors. But the question simply is when?? The GUBOH representative I understand raised that question at the LAST HCL according to their press release and were asked to leave the meeting for asking such an outrageous question !!! WTF?????? I want the answer to that question myself! What GUBOH want is to make it pretty now so that we as a town can enjoy a beautiful asset in the interim, not have a 'wart' on the tip of our harbour town nose. I was chuckling at a post in Greystown forum this morning that the community of greystones are behaving like those little aliens locked in the locker in a train station in the Men in Black movie, that almost exactly what we are like. Totally oblivious to the real world outside the locker and being played like gob****es by Sispar and WCC. To me its very very simple. WE OWE SISPAR NOTHING, WE OWE WCC NOTHING! if either want to wait until the irish property market recovers before completing their dream, they must pay a price for that privilege. That price is to landscape the entire site and continue a meandering cliff walk path through a grassed parkland, that has public benches, litter bins, soft lighting, perhaps a circus site and carparking, to allow us all access to the north pier, the south pier, keep fencing pretty and to a minimum, if you want to put a hand rail onto the piers to prevent people falling from a height, put in bollards and looped chains no green cheap looking fencing! cut the pipes back in the inner harbour, allow fishing boats to pull in and dock for shelter!! and this must all be paid for by Sispar if they want the people of greystones to remain quiet and content during the countless years waiting for the market to recover. And when they want to get back in and start building again, let them back in on 12 month notice to us all! If they don't want to do that, then BRING THE COMMERCIAL REALITY HATCHET DOWN!! AND THROW THEM OFF THE PROJECT FOR FAILING TO COMPLETE WITHIN THE TIME ALLOWED!! What annoys the hell out of me, is that we have a couple of noisy ignorant public representatives, that seem to do all of Sispars and WCC Public Relations like I suppose the little locker aliens in the Men In Black movie and up to now, we follow like sheep......well I say lets stop this right now, they don't speak for me, I'm out of that locker. [I reckon k=Sispar] and the little alien people's town is Greystones: see the movie clip :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxSgdVHWJoE

I also heard from a reliable eye witness at the last HCL meeting that a Wicklow County Council official got mighty vexatious when he was asked the “when will it be finished” question during the meeting. It seems that asleep at the wheel cocooned in his council ivory tower he is prepared to allow Sispar to keep the harbour as an abandoned building site ad infinitum. We need our elected representatives to get some fire in their belly and awaken this slumbering official to take the necessary action against a developer who is clearly in breach of contract.

F3 · 18-03-2012 8:40pm

On the money Blanch, the problem is with Wicklow County Council not Sispar!
If I was was Sispar I would not sink another penny appeasing the people in Greystones, and why should they!?? The gobs*** in the town council are fighting Sispars battles for them, when was the last time Sispar made a press release??? All they have to do is pretend to liaise with the community & groups allowing them to spend F**k all and grab their most precious commodity which is time!!, and they are succeeding very nicely at securing it.

I say if you want to keep the locals quiet, get your cheque out and make the entire site beautiful, then we will back off until the market recovers allowing you to recover your €200,000 per unit to pay for what you've spent in 10 or 15 years time. If you don't do this now, then GET OUT and give us your bond and we'll sort it.

Take it to central government, WCC are either entirely incompetent or corrupt, so which one is it?

It's wicklow CC that are compromising greystones not Sispar, (I'd be doing exactly what they are doing if I could get away with it)

Cheeky Chops · 20-03-2012 10:56pm

I am weary of asking the same question ... are GUBOH organising a public meeting yet? And before it is suggested I do it, why? There is a group already in place representing us. The Cheeky Chops group would not have many members

Are you afraid of a public meeting for some reason? You have a huge amount of support but is currently acting out like Animal Farm.

"All men are enemies. All animals are comrades."

Please GUBOH do not become insulated like the untouchable councillors.

F3 · 20-03-2012 11:50pm

Cheeky Chops wrote: »

I am weary of asking the same question ... are GUBOH organising a public meeting yet? And before it is suggested I do it, why? There is a group already in place representing us. The Cheeky Chops group would not have many members

Are you afraid of a public meeting for some reason? You have a huge amount of support but is currently acting out like Animal Farm.

"All men are enemies. All animals are comrades."

Please GUBOH do not become insulated like the untouchable councillors.

GUBOH are officially meeting the town council next Tuesday all are welcome to attend. Thereafter, a full public meeting will be convened which GUBOH will be looking for huge support from everyone to try and answer as many questions as possible, or to learn of new questions that have not been raised already. This will not be a platform for any politicians just good people from Greystones.

The Bishop Basher · 21-03-2012 9:20am

I haven't been actively engaged in this debate but just wanted to pass on a comment made to me this week.

I returned from work on Tuesday and was chatting to my boss. He said that he and his family had walked the cliff walk on Monday and he commented on what a beautiful walk it was....."apart from the crappy bit at the end". He couldn't understand how it could be left "looking like a building site" and why it couldn't just be "levelled and have a bit of grass planted".

I walk the seafront every evening, and sometimes head up past Joe's and come out by the dip and I have to agree with him. It really looks unfinished.

Anyway, I know this is anecdotal to everyone else but when it was said to me as a direct comment, I have to say it saddened me to hear a visitors opinion of this part of our town

LifeBeginsAt40 · 21-03-2012 12:30pm

Swanner wrote: »

I haven't been actively engaged in this debate but just wanted to pass on a comment made to me this week.

I returned from work on Tuesday and was chatting to my boss. He said that he and his family had walked the cliff walk on Monday and he commented on what a beautiful walk it was....."apart from the crappy bit at the end". He couldn't understand how it could be left "looking like a building site" and why it couldn't just be "levelled and have a bit of grass planted".

I walk the seafront every evening, and sometimes head up past Joe's and come out by the dip and I have to agree with him. It really looks unfinished.

Anyway, I know this is anecdotal to everyone else but when it was said to me as a direct comment, I have to say it saddened me to hear a visitors opinion of this part of our town

Good perspective! Would it really be impossible to just plant a meadow for the time being! Allow someone to keep sheep/goats in it?

Fiachra2 · 21-03-2012 2:46pm

The meadow is very possible. Goats and sheep might be a push!

Id suggest just letting kids play football on it.

pansyflower · 21-03-2012 3:44pm

....and lambs.

LifeBeginsAt40 · 21-03-2012 6:44pm

...donkey rides?

OK, getting slightly off topic, but in all seriousness there must be a case for a truck load of grass seed, some wildflowers and letting nature take over until the debacle is resolved finally.

F3 · 21-03-2012 10:47pm

LifeBeginsAt40 wrote: »

...donkey rides?

OK, getting slightly off topic, but in all seriousness there must be a case for a truck load of grass seed, some wildflowers and letting nature take over until the debacle is resolved finally.

That my friend, is precisely what GUBOH are trying so hard to achieve, with support from people like you they will achieve it.:)

Cheeky Chops · 21-03-2012 10:57pm

F3 wrote: »

That my friend, is precisely what GUBOH are trying so hard to achieve, with support from people like you they will achieve it.:)

I agree.

Fiachra2 · 22-03-2012 8:26pm

GUBOH will make a presentation to Greystones Town Council at the monthly Council meeting next tuesday (27 March) at 7.30 PM.

We will ask the Council to get behind our campaign to have the area around the harbour properly landscaped and opened to the public. We would ask those who support our cause to attend the meeting-which is open to the public- to show your support.

Fiachra2 · 26-03-2012 8:15pm

Just a reminder to everyone

GUBOH will make a presentation to Greystones Town Council at the monthly Council meeting tomorrow(27 March) at 7.30 PM.

We will ask the Council to get behind our campaign to have the area around the harbour properly landscaped and opened to the public. We would ask those who support our cause to attend the meeting-which is open to the public- to show your support.

Cheeky Chops · 26-03-2012 8:52pm

Fiachra would you be able to post an update for those of us that are unable to attend?

Good luck!

Mr Diamond · 26-03-2012 11:44pm

My Family and I only moved to Greystones late in 2010. We love it here, have become fiercely proud of the town and would be glad to help in any way. To help landscape, donate a tree, grass seed or provide any shrubs that are required? I'd also be glad to volunteer some labour time on a Saturday to help clear some of the barren area of the Harbour.

Perhaps, if asked in the right way, the whole town could do a little to help in this way? It's a whimsical suggestion I know, (or is it?) but...I'd do it. Maybe others would.

(Physical donations like seed/work are a more visible and personal contribution than the housing tax, after all.)

Fiachra2 · 27-03-2012 7:17am

Cheeky Chops wrote: »

Fiachra would you be able to post an update for those of us that are unable to attend?

Good luck!

Will do.

Thanks!

Fiachra2 · 27-03-2012 7:23am

Mr Diamond wrote: »

My Family and I only moved to Greystones late in 2010. We love it here, have become fiercely proud of the town and would be glad to help in any way. To help landscape, donate a tree, grass seed or provide any shrubs that are required? I'd also be glad to volunteer some labour time on a Saturday to help clear some of the barren area of the Harbour.

Perhaps, if asked in the right way, the whole town could do a little to help in this way? It's a whimsical suggestion I know, (or is it?) but...I'd do it. Maybe others would.

.)

Your sentiment is highly commendable Mr. Daimond However:

As it stands Wicklow county Council wont let anyone onto the site
Even if they did there would be a large volumn of topsoil and machinery needed and so it would be beyond the capability of ordinary folk to do it
Those same folk would be very peeved when, after all their hard work, Sispar came back in a few years and built apartments all over their plants. (which is the intention)

So we take the view that it is Sispar's and WCC's responsibility and they need to sort it out

Mr Diamond · 27-03-2012 9:47am

Fiachra2 wrote: »

Your sentiment is highly commendable Mr. Daimond However:
As it stands Wicklow county Council wont let anyone onto the site

Even if they did there would be a large volumn of topsoil and machinery needed and so it would be beyond the capability of ordinary folk to do it

Those same folk would be very peeved when, after all their hard work, Sispar came back in a few years and built apartments all over their plants. (which is the intention)

So we take the view that it is Sispar's and WCC's responsibility and they need to sort it out

Well, my suggestion was sparked by the comment upthread that landscaping is the intention. And by no means am I talking about tackling the ENTIRE (monstrous) area of land. There are areas which are almost level and would benefit from some TLC , particularly around the Harbour area directly.

re. 3 Yes, it will be built on eventually. But 'Eventually' is, unfortunately, a distant hope. Every little bit that can be done, temporary or not, will make the place look a little better in the meantime and folk can take some pride in it again. Get those tourists smiling, too.

Anyway...the suggestion is there. At least its a positive one, which we could all do with a bit more of these days.

News and views on Greystones harbour and marina [SEE MODERATOR WARNING POST 1187]

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