johnmcboston t1_j9og6th wrote on February 23, 2023 at 1:02 PM

Yacht club almost doesn't matter unless they can get the lagoon decertified as a 'navigable waterway'.

Funktapus t1_j9ok0ih wrote on February 23, 2023 at 1:36 PM

Yup. It’s against federal law to block navigable waters with low bridges. Don’t blame the yachters.

This is far from the most egregious example of this effect. They’ve probably spent billions of dollars keeping the upper Hackensack river in NJ navigable, and almost nobody uses it anymore.

brufleth t1_j9omfjg wrote on February 23, 2023 at 1:55 PM

They're finally working on the Saugus River Bridge. That drawbridge just enables this tiny little lagoon to access the ocean. Shit is fucking stupid.

tacknosaddle t1_j9olxyz wrote on February 23, 2023 at 1:52 PM

I think it does matter "in addition" to the navigable waterway requirements.

I saw something in some of the proposed plans that said something about the original building of the parkway including specific assertions to the yacht club that they would always have access to the harbor from there.

So even if the navigable water restriction was worked out the yacht club would be in a good position to take actions in court that could delay the project for years.

itsonlyastrongbuzz t1_j9omvxy wrote on February 23, 2023 at 1:59 PM

Even if that was the case, the existing bridge is classified as a Draw Bridge, of which the USCG has oversight.

May be a bit of a “what came first, the chicken or the egg?” Scenario as to which has to happen first: it’s decertified as a water way and then declassified as a drawbridge or vice versa.