Navy says “no” to request to reopen harbor to public

BY PRU SOWERS

KONK LIFE STAFF WRITER

A game of brinksmanship between the U.S. Navy and Key West over access to Truman Harbor has left the ball in the city’s court.

As one of his last decisions before leaving his post as commander of Naval Air Station Key West, Capt. Steve McAlearney reiterated his earlier ruling not to allow public use of Truman Harbor. The city had been planning on building a “mega-yacht” marina there to help pay the cost of the new Truman Waterfront Park. In addition, two local trolley companies had been planning on using the boat ramp into the harbor to launch their duck boat tours.

Key West City Manager Jim Scholl, at the direction of city commissioners, had written a letter on May 23 asking that the Navy reconsider its 2013 decision to close the harbor to public use because of national security concerns and Navy training exercises. Scholl also proposed a compromise, asking the Navy to consider opening the harbor to a ferry service, possibly to Cuba, where the arrivals and departures of those boats would be easily predicted and, therefore, accommodated by the Navy.

But Capt. McAlearney was apparently unmoved by Scholl’s letter, which set out in detail earlier agreements between the city and the Navy to share use of the harbor. In a June 10 letter to assistant city manager Greg Veliz, the outgoing commander put his foot down.

“I have thoroughly reviewed your request but, for the reasons set forth in the Naval Air Station Key West’s Feb. 7, 2013, letter, I cannot accommodate non-federal activities operating within the harbor on a routine basis,” Capt. McAlearney wrote.

The Feb. 7, 2013, letter, written by McAlearney’s predecessor, Capt. Pat Lefere, stated non-federal boat operations in the harbor would “create significant negative impacts to the required national defense mission capability of the harbor.”

The continued denial of Truman Harbor access could cause the Key West City Commission to make its own political statement. At its last meeting, commissioners voted to postpone accepting a grant that would pay part of the cost to repair 325 feet of the harbor seawall that abuts the boat ramp. Part of the grant package would require the city to contribute $200,000 to the $715,000 total cost of the seawall repair.

Commissioner Richard Payne read an impassioned statement at the meeting urging his colleagues to deny the grant package until harbor access is granted.

“There is absolutely no benefit to the city of Key West for us to do this,” Payne said. “The refurbishment will only benefit the Navy and NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), not us.”

Commissioners agreed at the June 6 meeting to wait to hear Capt. McAlearney’s decision on harbor access until voting on the seawall repair. The issue will be on the June 21 commission agenda.

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