Sausalito is considering litigation following complaints about ownership and management changes at Pelican Harbour.
“We gave instructions, if you will, to the city attorney to explore potential causes of action regarding the property transaction involving Pelican Harbour,” Mayor Steven Woodside said Tuesday after a closed City Council session. “And also to explore alternatives we may have regarding the protection of tenants and the rental increases that apparently have been noticed.”
“We did ask our city attorney to explore in depth options that we may have,” he said.
The prospect of litigation comes as Cameron Razavi, the owner of Bridgeway Marina, took over the neighboring 90-slip marina on July 1, even though the city denied a tidelands lease in May.
Razavi said Woodside is “just doing his job.”
“He’s a fine gentleman,” Razavi said Thursday. “I like Mayor Woodside quite a lot.”
Razavi sought to buy the property for $13.4 million and needed the tidelands lease to close. Many Pelican Harbour boaters criticized his management at Bridgeway Marina and persuaded the council to deny the lease.
Several weeks later, Razavi, who said he had a “substantial nonrefundable deposit,” found a legal loophole.
In a letter dated July 1, attorneys for the longtime owners of Pelican Harbour notified the city they “decided to sell all of their partnership interests in Pelican.” They did not identify the buyer.
The same day, notices were posted at the marina saying “Cameron Razavi will be the harbormaster” and “rent payments will continue to be payable to Pelican Harbor Associates, LP.”
On July 2, Razavi sent letters to slip holders announcing rent increases of upwards of 150% taking effect in October. Pelican’s prior harbormaster and maintenance staff were laid off.
During subsequent council meetings, Pelican Harbour tenants and other civic activists urged the city to thwart the takeover and defend the community. They criticized Razavi’s conduct as a landlord.
Rob McCollough said he filed California Public Records Act requests with the city.
“At the last meeting, I asked the council to determine who actually owns Pelican Harbour today,” McCollough said after Woodside’s announcement on Tuesday. “The city’s incomplete response to my CPRA requests has led me to ask not what happened at Pelican Harbour, but how it has been allowed to happen?”
Warren Hewerdine said, “The rent increases we received have already priced many longtime tenants out of the place they’ve cherished for years.”
Doug Litwin said, “Like any other wooden dock, boards are always wearing out and need to be replaced. He’s not doing that anymore.”
Chris Langton said Razavi is “skirting around and acting in poor faith and eluding government control for their own personal monetary benefit.”
“That, of course, does not sit well with me or any of the community members of Pelican Harbour,” he told the council. “I hope you see, for lack of better words, a slap in the face to your jurisdiction and government over this wonderful city.”
Razavi declined to comment on the criticisms aired at the council meeting. As for the potential legal action, he said city officials are “entitled to do whatever they feel is appropriate.”
“We didn’t just jump into this willy-nilly,” he said.