[WYC Announce] Important Update: WYC Facing Critical Challenges due to Dock Renovations

[Vice Commodore via wyc_info]

Greetings current and former WYC members,

WYC is currently going through a very consequential set of challenges and
decisions which we could use help navigating from current and former
members. Currently WYC is facing 3 primary events that affect whether, and
to what degree, its existence can continue at the Waterfront Activity
Center (WAC).

*ASUW Canoe House Renovations*
The ASUW Canoe House is being renovated into an events venue as part of a
well-publicized fundraising related to the Boys in Boats book/movie. WYC is
removing all gear currently stored there including Snooze n’ Cruise gear,
KB supplies, sailboards, etc. After completion of renovations, this space
will not be available to use as before.

*Dock Renovations & Layout Changes*
UW is applying for permits to begin dock renovations around December of
this year, lasting for several months into 2025. While WYC agrees the docks
need replacement due to their deteriorated condition, the plans for the
replacement docks are very antagonistic to WYC’s operations. They call for:

   - Replacement of the floating dinghy dock with a beach, on which we
   couldn’t store any dinghies.
   - No replacement of the dilapidated launch ramp currently at the end of
   the floating dock used for launching trailer dinghies.
   - Removal without replacement of half of the North docks where we
   currently moor keelboats, daysailers, large catamarans, whalers, etc.
   - Expansion of the outer dock and waiting piers in such ways as greatly
   restrict access to the North docks by sailboats.

WYC has repeatedly over the past 2 years requested to provide input and be
included in any discussions related to the dock replacements. WYC was
repeatedly told by the IMA and UW Recreation that those plans weren’t being
made yet. It was in late 2023 that WYC learned on its own that the plans
had been finalized and were being submitted to the city for approval,
including declarations that all affected parties had been consulted. To
that end WYC began a campaign of public outreach to at least try and
request a public hearing before this land use and construction permit was
granted. The city is still considering a hearing and says comments may
still be submitted while the permits are undergoing initial review. WYC has
tried repeatedly to get meetings with individuals in power above UW
Recreation, and we finally had one preliminary meeting with UW President
Cauce, who has instructed the VP for Student Life to meet with us. We are
working to ensure this meeting is prompt and fruitful while remaining
cautiously optimistic.


*Conversion to a Rec Club*UW Recreation, who manages the docks and the IMA,
has given WYC an ultimatum that it must become a Rec club under UW
Recreations purview (rather than just a RSO as currently) or else it will *lose
all access to waterfront storage space as of July 1*. Over the last 10
years, UW Rec has enforced a series of restrictions and decisions on the
WYC which make operations more difficult and less safe. These include: loss
of access to repair facilities, the sail loft, and workshop (UWild gear
rental storage now); restricting anyone from accessing club boats from the
docks without an expensive IMA membership (including guests); an
elimination of access to the properly ventilated and permitted fuel storage
shed; the closing of WAC locker rooms and showers which are crucial for
sailing safety in winter; and the loss of dedicated rescue boat slips
making them more difficult to quickly access. While some even more onerous
rules have been relieved in the last year, changing to a club where UW Rec
has even more power to control WYC operations does not seem desirable. For
instance, it’s already been stated that after dock renovations finish,
likely around April 2025, there would only be space to store 1 sailing
dinghy at the WAC.

UW Rec has apparently been circulating a narrative for about 7 years in UW
bureaucratic circles that WYC is an exclusive group which provides very
little value to students and rather is more of a backdoor private marina
for non-UW personnel. At the same time, the UW Canoe/Kayak rentals rented
to the public are painted as wholly student-enriching.

*What Next?*
These are very challenging times, and the officers and executive council
are working hard to explore all avenues possible for our continued
existence sharing the waterfront at UW. Some of these efforts have included
the public comments [1
<https://cosaccela.seattle.gov/portal/urlrouting.ashx?type=1000&Module=COSPubComments&capID1=24CAP&capID2=00000&capID3=00F2K&agencyCode=SEATTLE&fromACA=Y>]
for the SEPA application, media outreach [2
<https://komonews.com/news/local/uw-dock-renovations-pose-threat-to-75-year-sailing-tradition-yacht-club-students-say-university-of-washington-dock-sailgate-community-union-bay-rowing>
][3
<https://www.dailyuw.com/news/waterfront-restoration-project-puts-future-of-uw-s-75-year-old-sailing-club-in-jeopardy/article_9110518a-f0ab-11ee-ae4a-3be39b58a93a.html>]
to draw attention to the club’s plight, and working with ASUW [4
<https://www.dailyuw.com/news/asuw-passes-resolution-opposing-uw-rec-s-campus-dock-improvements-in-solidarity-with-wyc/article_d3bceda8-f372-11ee-84c0-1fe6c360c889.html>][5]
to increase oversight of UW Rec’s decisions in this project, which have all
happened without oversight. WYC is seeing some fruits from these activities
but the club’s future over the next 3-9 months and beyond is very much in
jeopardy.

WYC increasingly conducts day-to-day business on the Discord
<https://discord.com/invite/5uGyJvtXM6> platform which has led to neglect
of email updates such as this. In these trying times, WYC will strive to
reutilize this channel to keep current and past members aware of the
situation.

WYC asks for two types of help, broadly:
    1) anyone who is interested in helping us maintain regular sailing
operations, and
    2) anyone who is interested in helping us navigate these challenges.

In other news, we are looking for new officers, assistant instructors, and
volunteers to help the club with our website [7
<https://washingtonyachtclub.org/sailing-club-pushed-from-campus/>], new
merch, and our social media presence. If you would like to be more
involved, please reach out to one of the officers via email or discord.

- WYC Exec & Officers

References:

   1. Seattle Public Comments
   <https://cosaccela.seattle.gov/portal/cap/CapDetail.aspx?type=1000&Module=COSPubComments&capID1=24CAP&capID2=00000&capID3=00F2K&agencyCode=SEATTLE&fromACA=Y>
   2.  Komo News: UW dock renovations pose threat to 75-year sailing
   tradition, yacht club students say
   <https://komonews.com/news/local/uw-dock-renovations-pose-threat-to-75-year-sailing-tradition-yacht-club-students-say-university-of-washington-dock-sailgate-community-union-bay-rowing>
   3. The Daily: Waterfront Restoration Project puts future of UW’s
   75-year-old sailing club in jeopardy
   <https://www.dailyuw.com/news/waterfront-restoration-project-puts-future-of-uw-s-75-year-old-sailing-club-in-jeopardy/article_9110518a-f0ab-11ee-ae4a-3be39b58a93a.html>
   4. ASUW passes resolution opposing UW Rec’s campus dock improvements in
   solidarity with WYC
   <https://www.dailyuw.com/news/asuw-passes-resolution-opposing-uw-rec-s-campus-dock-improvements-in-solidarity-with-wyc/article_d3bceda8-f372-11ee-84c0-1fe6c360c889.html>
   5. Board Bill attached.
   6. Discord Invite Link <https://discord.com/invite/5uGyJvtXM6>
   7. Know more:
   https://washingtonyachtclub.org/sailing-club-pushed-from-campus/

Bhanu
Vice Commodore
Washington Yacht Club
http://www.washingtonyachtclub.org/
Sign up for updates on WYC: http://www.washingtonyachtclub.org/email-lists
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And join us on Discord <https://discord.gg/5MAwrzpc>
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