May 1st 2008
Press Release

For immediate release and distribution

From: Tom Cozens
President, Encinitas Preservation Association.

Encinitas Boathouses Preserved Forever

The Encinitas Preservation Association (DBA) is proud to announce that we have closed escrow and are now the owners of the Encinitas Boathouses. We hold the Boathouses for the benefit of all citizens in the public trust of preservation forever.

This acquisition of the $1.55 million Encinitas Boathouses was a year long journey, as unique as the Boathouses themselves. Each of the founding board members of the Encinitas Preservation Association has brought immeasurable skill as well as personal and professional contributions to this effort. The partnering of two great organizations, Downtown Encinitas Main Street Association (DEMA) and the Encinitas Historical Society, as well as dedicated members of the Encinitas community at large has culminated in one of the most imaginative, creative and important preservation accomplishments in the State of California.

I want to acknowledge the indomitable spirit over the past 18 months of Peder Norby who brought us all together in this great endeavor. I truly believe that each and every citizen, today and in the future, will benefit by the retention and preservation of this irreplaceable, Nationally important landmark. Their creative design and resourceful construction are constant reminders of the unique spirit of the five communities that proudly share the name Encinitas.

The Director of the National Trust Main Street Center, Doug Loescher offered this comment on the effort: "As a Main Street revitalization leader of both the State of California as well as the nation, Encinitas has once again demonstrated that by embracing preservation as a tool for economic development, a coalition of community stakeholders can overcome great obstacles to build sustainable community resources, such as the Encinitas Boathouses. In partnership with local government and a developer, the Main Street organization is helping to do more than preserve a nationally important landmark; they are demonstrating how complex projects such as this can achieve affordable housing and other goals as well. This project can serve as a model for future development, both in Encinitas and around the country."

“The DEMA board of directors is very proud to be part of this preservation effort to keep the whimsical creations of builder Miles Kellogg moored in their original location for generations to come,” said Dody Tucker, Executive Director of DEMA.

Several key community partners played critical roles in purchasing the Encinitas Boathouses.

The prior owners of the Boathouses, John Deters and Mark Whitley approached DEMA with a desire to offer the sale of the Boathouses to a preservation effort, instead of putting them on the open market. We thank them for that gift of an opportunity.

The Lofts at Moonlight Beach provided over $650,000 in funding to help purchase the Boathouses including affordable housing fees and a $25,000 charitable donation. Richard Lee Sax, the President of Distinctive Projects Company, Inc. manager of The Lofts at Moonlight Beach LLC said : “The Lofts is thrilled that its development of its critical gateway property at the entry of Moonlight Beach and the entry to downtown Encinitas is coupled with the historical preservation of another essential element of the unique nature of our City. We’ve taken seriously our obligations to our community as we develop our property, and we are so pleased that we’ve had the additional benefit of saving the past for future generations.”

The City of Encinitas provided over $200,000 in affordable housing funding to help purchase and preserve the Encinitas Boathouses. Mayor Jerome Stocks said: "The Encinitas Boathouses are an iconic Encinitas landmark., and the entire City Council are thrilled to have helped in their preservation."

California Community Bank, the official bank of the Encinitas Boathouses, newly located in the heart of downtown Encinitas, provided a community loan to assist in the purchase of the boathouses. California Community Bank CEO Larry Hartwig commented, “We are delighted to be able to assist with this high profile community project, and particularly at the time Don Taylor is about to open our new Encinitas Branch.”

The Encinitas Preservation Association now embarks on a fundraising voyage that will culminate in the opening of the Boathouses to the public, in a manor compatible with the surrounding residential neighborhood. “The Boathouses represent the history and eclectic charm of the City of Encinitas ,” Supervisor Pam Slater-Price said. “They really are an icon of a simpler time. Every effort has been made by the city to save them for posterity, and rightfully so. To me, a small on site museum is the logical next step. I’d like to see the boathouses made a part of a coastal beaches walking tour of Encinitas.”

We invite the citizens of Encinitas and North County to join us in a special once in a lifetime “Boathouse Christening” on May 19th at 5:30pm. The location is the 1883 Encinitas Schoolhouse (1/3rd of a block north of the Boathouses) where we will gather and celebrate. We will then walk to the Boathouse for a community picture.

Please join us to celebrate our unique heritage, a National Treasure, and your Encinitas Boathouses.

Tom Cozens