Village says vandals are to blame for power outage at Haven Marina

Sarah Minkewicz

Houseboat residents at Haven Marina in Port Washington woke up last Friday to no electricity and no water — the apparent work of one or more vandals. 

“They shut our water off and we’ve had no electricity for a week. They ripped off the whole electrical panel,” Haven Marina resident Kathleen Sutherland said. “At night all you hear are the sounds of generators.”

Sutherland, who has lived at the marina for 16 years, and 30 other houseboat residents, thought they received an unofficial warning to vacate the Haven Marina from marina owner Michael Boromand.

 “I paid April’s rent only to find out I was evicted but they still cashed my check,” Sutherland said. “We all pay to live here and they wanted to get us out of here on May 10. It’s just a bunch of crap. You just don’t know what they’re capable off, are we going to wake up floating in the middle of the water because they cut off our lines. You have people here that are elderly and that have little children.”  

But Manorhaven village officials said at a planning meeting Monday that the power outage was the result of vandalism at the marina, which is located at 12 Matinicock Ave., in Port Washington. 

“Saw the wires, everything was exposed. Wires were hanging out,” said Village Code Enforcement Officer Kareem Buckley, who was said he saw two individuals on Friday at the meter panel. 

Officials said residents began using gas-powered generators on Friday.

Haven Marina attorney Anthony Placentini said water has also been restored to the houseboat residents.

The residents, Placentini said, lost water when a pipe cracked. They could located the cracked pipe, he said, but were able to tap into another source of water. 

Buckley said the first time he visited the site he spoke to Manorhaven resident Nick Cyprus, who told him he had contracted someone to repair the electrical panel for the marina.

Cyprus said the electrician said he was picking up equipment and would return, according to Buckley.

Buckley said when he returned he spoke to Cyprus and the contractor, who acknowledged that he was a mechanic working under the license of an electrician. 

Buckley said he ordered the work to halt and called the police.

Piacentini said no criminal charges have been filed. 

Piacentini said an electric company will replace the meter, after a piece of the equipment becomes available, which is expected by the end of the week. 

“The power cannot be restored at such time until the underwriter approves of all the work that has been done with respect to the meter and the panel and then PSCG [Private Sector Consultative Group] will come and meet with the underwriter,” he said. “If the underwriter renders a favorable report then PSCG will restore electricity to the transformer then theoretically the electricity can be given to the houseboats.”

Placentini said he believed that before the houseboats can receive electricity from the new system each house boat will also have to be inspected. 

Village Attorney James Toner said the generators are a temporary solution only, and pose a hazard. 

“The fire marshall indicated that it’s a temporary solution so part of our notice that we’re putting on the resident’s is that if they don’t permit the inspection they’re not going to be permitted to use a temporary solution as a permanent one so that they’re going to be ticketed for these generators and they’re going to be removed,” Toner said. “They’re fire hazards, there’s gasoline on the docks, a lot of these houseboats have fire places with burning stoves so it’s a real recipe for disaster.”

Patrick Gibson, a neighboring resident at Manhasset Bay Marina, said problems with the infrastructure at Haven Marina have been taking place for a while and said the village needs to take more action.

“We have people who have to live on generative power and the property owner hasn’t been maintaining the property enough to deliver power to them,” Gibson said. “I’m upset with mayor hasn’t done anything.”

Gibson said he believes the owner is slowly letting the property fall into disrepair. 

“It’s his job to maintain the infrastructure,” Gibson said. “Why is he not being issued tickets? This is literally putting people in a difficult situation.”

He said he also doesn’t want what’s happening in Haven Marina to reflect negatively on the other marinas along Port Washington. 

“[Co-owner of Manhasset Bay Marina] Mr. [Guy] LaMotta runs a very nice marina. I’m very happy to live there, but it worries me as to what is happening next door,” Gibson said. 

Village officials said Boroumand and Haven Marina co-owner Ed Mayourian, a developer want their property cleared of boats to build waterfront condominiums — a move that concerns residents.

“It’s a scary place to be and it’s not like you can pack up your bags and go but you have to find somewhere to put your boats,” Sutherland said. “I’ll tell you one thing, you appreciate the little things in life after you’ve had the rug pulled out from under you.”

 

 

 

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