Via Community News Service, a University of Vermont journalism internship, on assignment for the Vermont Community Newspaper Group.
In the two years since plans for new construction at the Safe Harbor Shelburne Shipyard drew opposition from residents, it’s unclear if anything has happened at the marina on Shelburne Point.
No obvious construction was underway at the shipyard on a recent afternoon. A manager of the Shelburne Shipyard directed questions to Safe Harbor Marina’s corporate office. A person answering several calls to the company said a representative would reach back out on the status of construction, but no one did.
The project had been greenlit by town officials in early 2022 and was later cleared to move forward by state leaders last fall.
The demolition of two buildings and repaving of a lot at the shipyard prompted an Act 250 investigation by the Vermont Natural Resources Board in March 2023.
Safe Harbor, a Texas-based company, is the largest marina owner and operator in the US, with 131 marinas across 25 U.S. states and territories, according to the company website. Safe Harbor advertises a “waterfront lifestyle” with a membership that includes boat services and storage. Members can attend national events like horse races and tennis opens hosted by Safe Harbor, with food, drinks and entertainment.
The Natural Resources Board and Agency of Natural Resources visited the shipyard at 4584 Harbor Road last November and found no Act 250 violations, according to Sabina Haskell, chair of the board.
The investigation was closed in June 2023, and officials issued the shipyard an after-the-fact land use permit authorizing the earlier demolition and construction on the property, Haskell said. The permit also allows the shipyard to proceed with construction on a new boat storage building, an outdoor boat storage rack, an underground stormwater treatment system and an outdoor boat washing facility.
The Shelburne Development Review Board previously held two meetings in April and March of 2022 for public comment on the multimillion-dollar development project. Residents expressed concern about a rise in traffic with expanded car and boat parking and environmental protection during construction.
The development project was approved after the meetings on the condition that Safe Harbor would take steps to mitigate traffic and ensure resident safety. That would include a traffic speed study, additional road signage, bike racks and short-term loading spaces in partnership with local organizations.