MARGATE – Residents stepped up to the microphone May 1 to provide overwhelming support for a well-loved business in the Marina District. At issue was a decision by the Board of Commissioners to either solicit proposals or continue a lease on a piece of land across the street from Scott’s Dock, a multi-generational bait and tackle shop on Amherst Avenue.
Scott’s Dock, formerly called Ray Scott’s Dock, has been leasing a 210- by 109-foot lot at 201 N. Benson Ave., next to where the owner lives at 221 N. Decatur Avenue. The Planning Board previously approved use of the site for boat storage and maintenance, and it has been in operation for more than 70 years, Mayor Michael Collins said.
The existing lease is up for renewal at the end of May. According to City Solicitor John Scott Abbott, the normal procedure would be for the city to put the lease out for public bidding. He said he would investigate other options for renewing the lease, such as issuing a revocable license agreement. He said the lot cannot be sold because there is a municipal well on the land.
“It’s an important recreational amenity in the city,” Abbott said.
The city could vacate the property which would give adjoining property owners the option to bid on the land or a public auction could be held.
Although the commissioners were leaning toward renewing the lease, they would like to see the lot improved somewhat, and a fence installed.
The grandson of founder Ray Scott, Ray Scott Bonner, who took over the marina business after his mother Robin Scott passed away, said the business has been operating in the same location for 66 years. He admitted the marina business is a difficult one, but “we provide a service that is imperative to our town,” he said.
That includes opening up at 6 a.m. for anglers, hosting families looking for a fun day fishing on the bay and renting pontoon boats for fishing excursions.
“My family has never asked the city for anything in our history of doing business here and that piece of property is imperative to my operation,” he said, urging the commissioners to allow him to continue his family’s long legacy of providing visitors with access to the bay.
One by one, residents who live in the neighborhood stepped up to encourage the board to continue the lease.
One neighbor, who has owned the adjacent property for 27 years, said she couldn’t ask for a better neighbor.
Another resident said “it’s not about the money, but the kindness they show,” such as providing teens with summer employment.
Photo-bombed at Ray Scott's Dock. He said Scott’s Dock is more than just a marina.
“It’s an educational facility that provides knowledge of wetlands, birds and wildlife.”
The business has educated the public about the marine environment and conducts a baby terrapin rescue program that releases the turtles into the bay each summer.
“If it’s an issue keeping the property a little cleaner and putting up a fence, I promise you an army would show up,” he said. “It would be an injustice to deny the lease to this business. His business wouldn’t survive without the use of that land.”
Sustainable Margate green team Chairman Steve Jasiecki said Scott’s Dock is a valuable asset for the city’s environmental advocacy team.
“I do osprey nest repairs off his dock and his dock is essential to counting osprey chicks. It’s a good kayak launch for the Rubber Duck Regatta and bay cleanups, and they provide the Wetlands Wonderland program during the Fall Funfest,” he said.
Children flocked to Ray Scott's Dock to learn about bay marine life.
Margate Business Association President Ed Berger said it was “gratifying” to see the community step up to help a local business stay in business.
A couple who lives nearby called Scott’s Dock a “masterpiece for the city.”
Former Fire Chief and avid fisher Tony Tabasso said he has been friends with the Scott family for years, calling them “dear friends.”
“I can vouch for Scott’s character and determination to keep his family business going,” Tabasso said. “He is filled with energy and doing so many good things and growing and maturing as a business owner in Margate.”
The board plans to renew the lease, according to a resolution on its May 15 agenda, which grants Bonner a revocable license for continued use of the lot. Consideration will be $1, and the term will be until such time as the business is no longer in existence.
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