d. Information Program. Local governments may be able to achieve some small-craft 

 facility development goals simply by disseminating information concerning opportune sites 

 for such development and then offering further advice and planning assistance wherever 

 private enterprise is favorably incHned. The prominent display at City Hall or other public 

 buildings of a master plan showing the areas where such development is desired, and 

 occasional feature articles in the local press covering success stories on sirriilar projects 

 elsewhere, may plant tlie seeds of future implementation in the right places. Some of this 

 work may be sponsored by the local chamber of commerce and other civic-minded groups in 

 cooperation with municipal officials. 



The planning department of the local government may assemble certain statistical data 

 that will help a private developer to evaluate the potential of the site. The road department 

 should be prepared to discuss access routes to new facilities and possible public road 

 extensions to accommodate the new development. The local Department of Building and 

 Safety may establish a special section to handle marine affairs and prepare a special set of 

 minimum standards for berthing and marine ancillary faciUties that will assist the developer 

 in estimating his construction costs. This section should also be prepared to answer 

 questions concerning disposal of surplus dredged or excavated materials and the special 

 requirements of the cognizant water quality control and environment-impact agencies for 

 waterfront construction. A cooperative attitude on the part of civic officials may pave the 

 way to securing the desired waterfront development with a small expenditure of pubhc 

 funds. 



Private organizations offering information in smaU-craft faciUties are listed in Appendix J. 



VII. ECONOMICS IMPLEMENTATION AND OPERATION 

 I. Feasibility Studies. 



a. Purpose and Procedure. The decision to investigate the feasibility of constructing a 

 new small-craft harbor is usually reached through consideration of more favorable aspects. 

 Unless the need was fairly obvious or the economic potential attractive, the project would 

 never have reached the first planning stage. The purpose of the preliminary feasibihty study 

 is to determine whether the initial indicators of desirability will remain valid in the hght of 

 all the many factors that must be considered, some of which may prove to be unfavorable. 

 The scope of the study should not normally cover more than is required to establish beyond 

 reasonable doubt that the project is either worthwhile or should not be undertaken. In some 

 instances, the scope must be extended to determine the optimum size of the new facihty or, 

 if the size initially considered proves infeasible, whether a larger or smaller size will show 

 feasibility. 



The first step in the study is to search out any factors that may disqualify the project on 

 grounds other than economics. It could be found, for example, that expansion of a nearby 

 existing harbor will accompHsh the same purpose at less cost. An initial rough evaluation of 

 the environmental impact of the project may show that it cannot quahfy for a permit under 



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