Marin County Municipal Code Ch. 11.21 Floating Home Marinas

This chapter is enacted to provide for the health, safety and welfare of marina residents and the general community, by establishing the minimum standards required to insure the personal safety and well-being of occupants and visitors to floating homes.

(Ord. 1693 § 1 (part), 1969)

(a) A "floating home marina" (herein called marina) means a facility that contains one or more berthing spaces for floating homes.

(b) "Vessel" means a watercraft of any type or size, including but not limited to barges, ferryboats, arks, yachts, houseboats, floating homes and rafts. "Vessel" when used herein shall include floating homes.

(c) "Moor" means the fixing of a vessel in one location, temporarily or permanently, by mooring, anchoring, grounding or any other means.

(d) A "floating home" is any boat, craft, or living accommodation or structure supported by a means of flotation, designed to be used without a permanent foundation, which is used or intended for human habitation.

(e) "Harbormaster" is the person designated by the marina owner to control the operation of the marina.

(f) A "transient vessel" means any vessel moored in the county which is occupied for less than four consecutive days or ten days in any month. A "transient vessel" also includes any vessel for which a permit is secured from the harbormaster by the occupant stating that no sewerage will be discharged from that vessel during its occupancy.

(Ord. 1693 § 1 (part), 1969)

The provisions of this chapter shall apply to all marinas wholly or partially located within the unincorporated area of Marin County. Each marina owner shall designate a harbormaster. Marinas shall be established only where allowed by applicable zoning. Marinas which accommodate only transient vessels are exempt from the provisions of this chapter.

(Ord. 1693 § 1 (part), 1969)

(1) Sewer connection. Every vessel moored at a marina shall be lawfully connected to an approved and accepted local sewer.

(2) Sewerage lateral system. Every marina shall provide a sewerage lateral for the collection of sewage from every vessel accommodated at the marina. The sewerage laterals shall be connected to a shoreside facility, shall have an inlet connection at each vessel's side, and shall be constructed, installed, and maintained in an approved manner. Connections at floating home berths shall be equipped with approved backflow prevention devices, and provide for the entrance of effluent from floating homes without reflux or back pressure.

(3) Connection to sewerage lateral system. It is unlawful for any person to use, occupy or let any vessel for human habitation unless it is lawfully connected to a sewerage system as provided above. The harbor master shall not allow occupancy of any floating home without sewerage handling facilities, as required in Chapter 19.18, within a marina under his control.

(Ord. 1693 § 1 (part), 1969)

The harbor master shall assure the adequacy of facilities for mooring vessels at a marina. The provisions for moorage shall comply with Section 11.20.032. Vessels shall be moored to provide a clear waterway projection between adjacent boats or floating homes of six feet on all sides. Clearance of ten feet shall be maintained when either floating home is in excess of one story. The above clearances do not apply between the vessel and the walkway or slip. Berthing areas shall be dredged to +1.5 feet mean lower low water datum and to such a depth that all floating homes are floating at a tidal stage of +5.0 mean lower low water datum.

(Ord. 1693 § 1 (part), 1969)

Vessels shall be moored so as to allow landward vessels unlimited access.

(Ord. 2791 § l, 1983)

All slips or walkways providing access for more than two berthing spaces shall have a clear width of four feet. Main walkways from slips to the shore shall be five and one-half feet clear width. Any walkway or slip that extends over one hundred feet may be considered a main walkway. All public gangways (serving more than one residence) shall be designed to eliminate slopes greater than two and one-half horizontal to one vertical at any tidal stage. All public gangways shall be provided with guardrails on each side and have a clear width of four feet. All nonfloating walkways or piers shall be equipped with guardrafts. All gangways and walkways shall comply with the following requirements:

(1) Gangway design live load shall not be less than thirty pounds per square foot.

(2) Guardrails must withstand a twenty-pound lateral load per linear foot of rail.

(3) Floating walkways shall serve no more than four floating homes and shall have sufficient buoyancy to support a twenty-pound-per-square-foot uniform live load, plus the dead load of the structure, without allowance for structural members in the floatation calculation.

(4) Framing shall be at least two inches nominal thickness if constructed of wood. If the entire structure is of plywood, it shall be at least three-fourths-inch thickness, marine grade, except for the portions above water which may be exterior grades.

(5) All floats or walkways shall have an identification number at berthing spaces. Identification numbers shall have standard four inch high numbers and be kept legible at all times.

(6) Piling for floating equipment shall be adequate to resist lateral forces produced by any combination of wind, current, wave, and impact.

(7) All walkways shall be lighted to provide an average illumination of 0.1 footcandles at the deck level, but in no case less than 0.05 footcandles.

(8) Walkways serving ten or more floating homes shall be of either Type I or Type II construction or constructed in accordance with Chapter 2006 of the Uniform Building Code.

(Ord. 2177 § 1, 1975: Ord. 1693 § 1 (part), 1969)

Parking shall be provided at all marinas as follows:

(1) Parking spaces shall be provided in conformance with Chapter 22.74.020(a);

(2) The parking area shall be paved with two inches of asphalt concrete over approved base, or approved equal;

(3) Parking areas shall be illuminated. Lighting shall provide average illumination of 0.05 footcandles on the pavement, but in no case shall be less than 0.01 footcandles;

(4) Stalls shall be clearly marked.

(Ord. 1693 § 1 (part), 1969)

The plumbing of water, sewage, and gas for docks serving floating homes shall comply with the provisions of Chapter 10.04, except as follows:

(a) Water distribution. Each space for a floating home shall be supplied with a water outlet which, by means of approved connecting hoses, provides sufficient pressure and contains an approved backflow prevention device.

(b) Fuel gas piping. If floating home berths are provided with gas outlets, they shall be equipped with valve and approved disconnect couplings.

All gas piping installed on dock, piers, or other areas exposed to corrosion shall be protected by approved wrapping, or be galvanized and painted.

(Ord. 1693 § 1 (part), 1969)

The provisions of this section cover the electrical conductors and equipment installed within, on, or above walkways or slips serving floating homes. The conductors that connect dockside power sources with the last utility connection, and all wiring running on docks and/or shore from the distribution center to the point of supply shall conform to Chapter 19.04 except as follows:

(a) Wiring system. A wiring system nominally rated 115/230 volts, three-wire AC, with grounded neutral and with a continuous means of grounding shall be used. A receptacle shall be furnished at each location intended for use by a floating home.

(b) Number of supply cords for one dwelling unit. No more than two fifty-ampere supply cords shall supply one floating home. Where the calculated load exceeds one hundred amperes the supply may be furnished by four permanently installed conductors in an approved wiring method, one conductor being identified by a continuous green color or a continuous green color with a yellow stripe.

(c) Supply from one floating home to another. No service shall be supplied from one floating home to another.

(d) Insulation of service conductors. Service conductors shall be covered with insulation which will normally withstand exposure to the atmosphere and which will prevent any detrimental leakage of current to adjacent conductors, object, or the ground. All conductors shall be insulated.

(e) Size of service conductors. Service conductors shall have adequate current-carrying capacity to conduct the current for the loads supplied safely without a temperature rise detrimental to the insulating covering of the conductors, and adequate mechanical strength.

Service conductors shall not be smaller than No. 6.

(f) Clearance of aerial conductors. No energized aerial conductor shall pass over a dock or slip, unless supported on permanently fixed poles. Minimum elevation for conductors shall be elevation +15.0 feet mean sea level datum. Clearance of ten feet shall be maintained between gangways or piers and conductors at all tidal stages. Aerial conductors shall only be used for primary service.

(g) Protected against damage. When conductors are carried down a pole, the mechanical protection shall be installed to the point required to insure against physical damage but not less than elevation +13.0 feet mean sea level datum.

(h) Service connections. No aerial service drops shall be made to floating homes with a demand of less than one hundred ten amperes.

Cords which supply floating homes shall be connected at dockside to a permanently supported receptacle enclosed in an approved manner, mounted in a manner which will insure a minimum of eighteen inches clearance above extreme high tide. If meters are used, they shall be firmly attached at the receptacle locations and protected from physical damage. Strain relief grips shall be used on all cords to relieve strain from wiring terminals.

(i) Wiring to service connection points. Service by conduit system shall be as follows:

Corrosion resistant rigid conduit shall extend from the aerial or utility supply point to the edge of the fixed portion of the pier, shore, etc. Sufficient liquid tight flexible metal conduit shall be run to the floating docks or slips to allow for extreme tidal changes with no strain on the connections. Liquid tight metal conduit shall be installed to avoid continual immersion in water. Where attached to the floating dock, the flexible conduit shall be fixed to corrosive resistant rigid metal conduit and extended to the various outlets. Plastic conduit may be used where protected and a grounding conductor is incorporated.

(j) Wet locations. All supports, bolts, straps, screws, etc., shall be of corrosive resistant materials, or protected against corrosion by approved corrosion-resistant materials.

(Ord. 1693 § 1 (part), 1969)

Unless a local fire agency has established more stringent standards, a marina shall have a water system capable of providing two fire streams of sixty gallons per minute to any location within the marina. Fire hydrants shall be equipped with a hose and nozzle adequate to accomplish the above. Hydrant risers shall be one and one-half inches in diameter and equipped with gate valves. Systems shall be designed to provide a minimum pressure of thirty psi at hydrant risers, under flow. Systems shall be approved by the local fire authority and local water district.

(Ord. 1693 § 1 (part), 1969)

A system for the collection and removal of solid wastes approved by the county department of public health shall be provided at each marina. It shall be the responsibility of the harbor master to insure compliance and operation of the system.

(Ord. 1693 § 1 (part), 1969)

It is unlawful for any person to operate a marina or let berths for moorage of nontransient vessels without first securing a valid permit as hereinafter provided.

(Ord. 1693 § 1 (part), 1969)

(a) All applications for marina permits shall be in writing on a form supplied by the county department of public works and shall be accompanied by a fee in the amount established in the current "Resolution of the Marin County Board of Supervisors Establishing Fees for Permits Administered by the Department of Public Works."

(b) All applications shall, as nearly as is possible, contain the following information:

(1) The size and location and boundaries of the marina for which the permit is sought;

(2) The number of vessels to be accommodated therein;

(3) All provision that has been made for disposal of sewage by connection to an approved shoreside sewage disposal system;

(4) All provision that has been made for connection of shoreside utilities;

(5) Certification that all applicable zoning provisions will be observed;

(6) Plans for all improvements;

(7) Such other information as the director of public works may deem necessary to effectuate the provisions of this chapter.

(Ord. 2209 § 4, 1976: Ord. 1693 § l(a), (b), 1969)

If the director of public works, after investigation, determines that suitable provision has been made for the disposal of sewage and connection of shoreside utilities, and that operation of the marina for which the permit is requested will not create a hazard to the health, welfare or safety of the occupants of vessels moored thereat or the community in general, he shall issue the permit. All permits may be made subject to such conditions as the director of public works deems appropriate to insure compliance with the provisions of this chapter.

(Ord. 1693 § 1 (c), 1969)

Permits shall be permanently posted, displayed, and maintained at a conspicuous location in the marina.

(Ord. 1693 § l(d), 1969)

All permits issued hereunder shall be effective for a period of one year; provided, however, that any material change shall revoke the permit. Permits may be renewed by resubmission of an appropriate application and payment of a fee in the amount established in the current "Resolution of the Marin County Board of Supervisors Establishing Fees for Permits Administered by the Department of Public Works."

(Ord. 2209 § 5, 1976: Ord. 1693 § l(e), 1969)

If the director of public works determines that a permittee is acting in contravention of any of the provisions hereof, he shall notify the permittee, in writing, of the specific provisions involved and the requirements for correction. If the permittee fails to effect compliance within the time specified in the notice, the director of public works may revoke the permit.

(Ord. 1693 § l(f), 1969)

In the event that any applicant or permittee is for any reason dissatisfied with the actions of the director of public works by reason of failure to grant a permit, revocation of a permit, or imposition of any conditions relating to the permit, the applicant or permittee shall have the right to appeal to the board of supervisors, in writing, within ten days after notification of the action. Upon receipt of an appeal, the board of supervisors shall call a hearing within fifteen days from receipt of the appeal and give the applicant notice thereof by registered or certified mail addressed to the appellant at the address shown on the application or permit. At the conclusion of the hearing, the board of supervisors shall render a decision, which decision shall be final.

(Ord. 1693 § 1(g), 1969)

All marinas presently operating shall apply for a permit within one month of March 25, 1969, provided, however, that the applicants who file within the requisite period shall be entitled to a period of one year from the date of application to comply with all of the provisions of this chapter. The director of public works shall have the authority to grant extensions for compliance period on certain existing marina improvements, that in their present form do not comply with the provisions of this chapter, but are not considered to be immediate hazards. The permit to be approved subject to use permit and plan approval pursuant to Chapter 22.59.045.

(Ord. 1693 § 2, 1969)

Any person, firm or corporation violating any of the provisions of this chapter shall be deemed guilty of a separate offense for each and every day or portion thereof during which any violation of the provisions of this chapter is committed, continued, or permitted and upon conviction of any such violation such person shall be punishable by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars or by imprisonment for not more than six months, or by both such fine and imprisonment.

For purpose of uniformity, this section shall be deemed to supersede any of the penalties provided in the respective codes referred to in this chapter.

(Ord. 2644 § 3, 1981)