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When are we going to move back to the Oakland Yacht Club..... the adopted home of the SSS for decades? Hard to believe in such short order we are no longer meeting there. Nothing against the IYC but it isn't quite the same. Parking especially sucks as does clearing in through a guard into a facility that might not be there much longer anyway. Then were will we meet? Starbucks?
Grovel, pay a huge portion of our budget, etc. would all be worth it to get back to OYC.
I don't know what's happening behind the scenes. The last I heard, OYC was renovating and SSS had to move its meetings. Maybe one or more SSS officers will post an update.
That said, once Elaine left and the new OYC manager took over, things changed. The beer got more expensive, we were trying to share the room with wine club meetings, etc. As it was, once OYC's beer can season started we had to wind up our meetings quickly so we weren't competing with the noise from their racers at the bar and with their awards. We've flexed and so have they, but especially with our seminars it has been a problem hearing our speakers.
Meantime, IMO IYC feels right for our group. I like it there and others have told me the same thing. I also feel like we're giving IYC support at a difficult time for them (due to the development pressure, slip rent increases, loss of a hoist, etc.)
I'll go so far as to say if it ever came to a vote, I'd vote to keep meeting at IYC.
I'm with keeping it at IYC. SSS's relationship with OYC was deteriorating since their management change and they didn't seem to want us anymore. Parking is very easy at IYC, but we should probably provide info on navigating the guard gate. It is a little wonky. Also, if anyone comes late in the evening, we'd have to give them a contact number so someone can let them in after the gate is shut for the night.
As an alternative, KKMI in Point Richmond has a very nice meeting room called "The Boathouse." Spacious with plenty of seathing and tables, a full kitchen and bathroom facilities, video projector for PowerPoint etc. The California Professional Divers Association has had many functions there, comfortably hosting as many as 30 people. Unfortunately, there is no bar. But use of the room is free.
Is it free for any group to use the room or do they need a connection?
We've held a couple SHTP seminars at KKMI's Boathouse. It's not big enough for our regular meetings.
I received a warm invitation from a long-time member of Encinal Yacht Club, and it's not the first time. EYC would work great if we could afford it and IYC was not desired for the long-term. So there are options.
I believe it is free for anybody, especially a boating-related organization.Quote:
Originally Posted by Gamayun
Bay West / Pacific Shops / Bill Poland has submitted their draft development proposal to the City of Alameda, outlining their proposal for the Alameda Marina. While there is no boatyard in the proposal, and the dry storage is limited to about 50 spaces, 20 feet wide, the IYC building is there and labelled "Yacht Club". So even if the worst comes to pass, "probably" the IYC will still be there.....
... unless of course, Bill Poland gets all upset about something and decides to triple the rent. And of course there's still practically no parking, whatsoever outlined in their proposal. Whether the City will go along with this is entirely speculation. Also, whether the Army Corps of Engineers and BCDC and the County of Alameda will approve any, or some of the building plans, dredging plans, and the completely kookaburra proposal to fill the graving dock (where the 3-ton hoist is, now) with dredging spoils is also pure speculation. Upshot is, IMHO it's pretty likely that the IYC will be there for at least 18 months.
As an environmental consultant who's been through plenty of local development projects, and has both prepared permit applications and issued permits at the federal level; if it involves dredging, I'd bet good money that IYC has at least 5 years before it needs to be concerned...Quote:
Originally Posted by AlanH