SERVICING ALL OF OAKLAND COUNTY coasts available for encouraging these sports and related recre- ational activities. The idea was that water sports, like water ski- ing, sailing and yachting, were valid activities and they needed their own space," says Valerie Brachyd, planning director at the Israel Environment Ministry. The Plan 13 committee recog- nized that the marinas needed to > be near urban centers, given the extensive infrastructure neces- sary for water sports as well as the financial investment involved in such ventures. What they didn't take into ac- count, however, was that any de- velopment, for whatever reason, would be an obstacle to the nat- ural development of the coastline. "It doesn't matter whether it's / ports, marinas or docks," says Gideon Almagor, a geologist with the Geological Institute, "they all stop the flow of sand northward." With a marina, he says, one has a deficiency of sand, but a new balance is created. "You've lost a strip of the coastline and also af- fected the adjacent cliffs. It's a domino effect. Yes, it's short-term damage in terms of years, but that's deceptive because all it means is pushing the problem northward." The Environment Ministry's Ms. Brachya says that the engi- neers hired to explore possible marina-related issues main- tained that they knew how to handle the sand flow issue, be- lieving that the marinas' impact would be localized with the on- shore-, offshore-pull of the sea. They assured the Plan 13 com- mittee that there were no fore- seeable problems that they wouldn't be able to solve. Another pressing issue was how to finance the marinas' con- struction. Several board members felt it should be a public investment, Sand erosion and public access are the big problems. but the government bodies nixed that thought. The only other option was pri- vate enterprise, which means cre- ating attractive financial opportunities for possible in- vestors. The first of the marinas, and the guinea pig of the group, was built in Herzliya. Herzliya Mayor Eli Landau was a major proponent of the ma- rina development plan, especial- ly on his home turf He compares Herzliya's marina to the French Riviera and the Italian coast, em- phasizing a marina's advantages for its adjoining community. "What's good for coastal cities in France, Turkey and Italy is also good for Israel," he says. "We have to invest in our country's coasts. The Herzliya marina will create 2,000 jobs. People will en- joy shopping at the marina's stores and boutiques, eating in the restaurants, or just walking around." The funding for the Herzliya marina came from private de- velopers who paid for the S50 mil- lion harbor in exchange for receiving land on which they built luxury apartments and va- cation homes. The anchorage area already houses 300 boats and has room for an additional 500. Along Israel's Mediter- ranean shore, there are 1,110 boats already anchored, with ca- pacity for 2,100, not including commercial ports or the Ashdod port which, planners say, will have room for an additional 600 boats when it is completed some time in the future. That's more than enough room for the enormous increase in Is- raeli yacht owners, Ms. Brachya comments sarcastically, adding that even if there had been enough yachts or sailboats to fill every parking space, the an- chorage fees would still have only covered the marinas' mainte- nance expenses, but certainly not the projects' overall costs. The marina has become a mass of luxury apartments; in- tensive residential development has taken the place of recre- ational activities. But it's a far cry from the water-sports stores, surfboard shacks and board- walks that some had envisioned. "In the last two to three years, two factors have become appar- ent. One is the overconfidence of the engineers who didn't take in the overall picture when they ex- amined the sand situation," says Ms. Brachya. "The second is that the water sports did not pick up. Leisure and excursion boats didn't become as common in Is- rael as the second car." In Herzliya, residents have started complaining about the state of their beaches and the En- vironment Ministry has hired for- eign consultants to analyze the problem. Since then the situation has stabilized, but it is apparent that Herzliya's sand erosion isn't just a localized problem. It is part of a much larger, more general, coastline problem. In the meantime, the Ashdod port and Ashkelon marina plans are already in progress, despite the same coastline-sand issues which plague Herzliya. Ms. Brachya acknowledges - that it would seem prudent to learn from the Herzliya project's experience, but the marina plans as established in Plan 13 have no time limits and cannot be can- COASTAL CONFLICTS page 72 • Residential and Commercial • Personal and Customized Services • 100% Customer Retention and Satisfaction • Non-Profits Call For Your Free Account (810) 334-5492 or (810) 335-1309 http://www.speedlink.net • e-mail: speed@speedlink.net • 53-1/2 West Huron Street, Suite 211 • Pontiac For Personal F Professional Service- ni n all 'WE'RE WITH YOU EVERY STEP OF THE WAY! I Free Pre-Qualification Consultation. Competitive Interest Rates — We shop around! Day, Weekend, Evening Appts. Available at your home, office, or our office. FREE Locks for 45 days Purchase New Home or Refinance your current home. Conventional, Community Home Buyers, Construction, & V.A. Programs. 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