As Session Ends, Keenan and Berry Secure Funding
to Repair McCabe Marina

BOSTON, MA – With less than a half hour to go in the legislative session yesterday evening, both the House and Senate voted to override the Governor’s veto of $350,000 for repairs to the McCabe Marina, formerly the Kernwood Marina, in Salem, Representative John Keenan (D-Salem) and Senator Fred Berry (D-Peabody) announced today. By a vote of 136-19 in the House and 34-4 in the Senate, the legislature directed the Department of Conservation and Recreation to repair the severely damaged public access way on Beverly Harbor in Salem.

“Clearly the legislature recognized the importance of this public facility,” said Representative Keenan, “The McCabe Marina is a very heavily-utilized access point to Salem’s waterfront. The condition that the boat ramp has fallen into is truly disgraceful. I look forward to this project’s completion and hope that boaters from across the North Shore will come to Salem to make use of the newly renovated facilities at the marina in the near future.”

"I am pleased we were able to override the Governor’s veto,” state Senator Berry, “The funding for the public access ramp and dock represents the final phase of the ongoing rehabilitation project at the marina. I am hopeful that McCabe Marina will serve as a public launch for our entire region.”

“The marina's ramp is in poor condition and these funds are badly needed to continue to operate the marina,” pointed out Doug Bollen, Salem’s Director of Recreation and Community Services, “I want to thank Representative Keenan and Senator Berry for their tireless work on this project on behalf of the residents of Salem. McCabe Park is a beautiful area and a new pier was put in just three years ago. The repair of the state ramp is the last remaining piece in making this a first class marina.”

“This is such an important project for the City of Salem,” agreed Mayor Kimberley Driscoll, “I sincerely appreciate Representative Keenan and Senator Berry’s hard work to get funding for these improvements to McCabe Park.”

The marina funding was originally proposed by the late former Rep. J. Michael Ruane as the final component of repairs that had begun in 2003. That year, the city of Salem committed $100,000 to demolish and replace an old pier on the site, which now provides safe access to the waterfront for boaters from Salem and the entire North Shore. The McCabe Marina is the only public access to the Danvers River and Beverly Harbor from the Salem coastline.

In a letter sent several weeks ago to House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi requesting the override of the veto, Representative Keenan wrote, “Despite the repairs on the city-owned pier, the state-owned boat launching ramp adjacent to the new pier remains in an extremely dangerous condition of disrepair, with crumbling concrete and rebar jutting out throughout the parcel. This both detracts from the usability of the marina and greatly increases the public safety risk and risk to the private property of recreational boaters who attempt to use the dilapidated ramp and launching pad. According to the state’s Public Access Board and many of the boaters who use the ramp, it is perhaps the worst condition ramp in the Commonwealth. It is used by hundreds of boaters – both recreational and commercial – every month during boating season. $100,000 of city funds have already been invested in this project and these long-awaited state dollars represent the capstone of this worthwhile public project.”