Boathouse owners at the renamed Point Defiance Marina face forced removal or thousands of dollars in losses after Parks Tacoma took over daily operations Thursday, Oct. 1.

The agency assumed control of the marina, formerly known as Breakwater Marina, after a 1993 lease between the Tacoma Yacht Club and Parks Tacoma expired Sept. 30. The transition opened public moorage at the facility next to Dune Peninsula, but it also left holdout tenants in legal limbo.

An EPA cleanup project that would have required the marina's complete removal was cancelled in February, forcing Parks Tacoma to change direction and accelerate planning for the Oct. 1 handoff.

Of 120 tenants told in May to sign new leases or leave by Oct. 1, more than 90 submitted moorage applications, Parks Tacoma spokesperson Stacia Glenn told The News Tribune. No one had been immediately evicted as of Saturday, Oct. 3, Glenn said.

But the rules are stricter for the roughly 15 boathouse owners at the marina. Boathouses cannot qualify for transient moorage. Owners who did not sign a moorage agreement and boathouse addendum before Oct. 1 are classified as unauthorized users under Parks Tacoma policy, Glenn said. The agency reserves the right to restrict their access and have their boathouses removed at the owner's expense.

Boat owners without new leases face a different path. They can pay a transient moorage rate through Oct. 14, after which they must sign a full moorage agreement to stay.

Lawsuit dismissed, another planned

Boathouse owner Toni Froehling filed suit Sept. 9 in Pierce County Superior Court against Parks Tacoma and the Tacoma Yacht Club on behalf of himself and other tenants. The complaint alleged staff engaged in "secretive behavior" that deprived owners of the value of their boathouses by limiting their options to sell or relocate the structures.

A judge dismissed the case against Parks Tacoma on Sept. 18. The suit against the Tacoma Yacht Club, which subleased the marina land from Parks Tacoma, remains active. Glenn said Parks Tacoma does not comment on litigation. Tacoma Yacht Club Board of Trustees Chair Joe Kabel also declined to comment on the case, The News Tribune reported.

Froehling told The News Tribune on Friday, Oct. 2 that he plans to file another lawsuit against Parks Tacoma later in October after fielding calls from additional tenants who want to join. He estimates he will lose more than $65,000 if forced to dismantle his 60-foot boathouse, which he said is nearly impossible to move.

Revenue projections and condition concerns

At a Sept. 14 Parks Tacoma Board meeting, Parks and Recreation Director George Schaaf said the marina would generate an estimated $691,000 in annual revenue against about $494,000 in expenditures. The operation will run on earned revenue, not tax dollars, Schaaf said.

Schaaf acknowledged the facility needs work. "The marina is not in great condition; it's old," he said at the Sept. 14 meeting, citing electrical issues and dock repairs.

Monthly moorage rates range from $247.35 for a 20-foot slip to $884.10 for a 50-foot slip, according to Parks Tacoma's website. Liveaboard and boathouse tenants pay an additional $175 per month. All rates include a 12.84% Washington state leasehold tax.

Parks Tacoma plans to staff the marina with a supervisor, an administrative support position, two maintenance workers and seasonal employees.

What comes next

Boathouse owners who do sign agreements face a compliance deadline: flotation material upgrades required by April 1, 2028, at the earliest. The agency's long-term plan calls for a mix of transient and permanent moorage open to the public.

Froehling's next lawsuit could land in Pierce County Superior Court before the end of October.