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CONSENT AGENDA. From the San Mateo County Harbor District meeting on Wednesday, December 17th, 2025 meeting, at 10:00am, as a hybrid meeting with remote comments. Meetings are held in person at the SMCHD Administration Building, 504 Avenue Alhambra, Ste. 200, El Granada.
Agenda. Staff Report for Consent Item #F10: “Consideration of a Commercial Activity Permit for Open Ocean Robotics”.
Requested Action/Issue
Consideration of a Commercial Activity Permit for Open Ocean Robotics to rent a parking space for 1 year starting on January 16, 2026 at Pillar Point Harbor in lot C2.
Recommendation/Motion
Motion: Approve a Commercial Activity Permit for Open Ocean Robotics to rent a parking space for 1 year, starting on January 16, 2026. The parking space is located at Pillar Point Harbor in lot C2. Authorize the General Manager to execute the Commercial Activity Permit.
Background/Discussion
By application dated November 10, 2025, Fritz Stahl applied for a Commercial Activity Permit to rent a parking space for 1 year starting on January 16, 2026.
Open Ocean Robotics is interested in renting a parking lot space for 1 year, starting January 16, 2025, to store a 16 ft x 7.5 ft enclosed trailer. The trailer will store a small uncrewed vessel that will be charged via solar panels and monitored remotely via cell network. The vessel is 12 ft long and weighs approximately 400 lbs.
Open Ocean Robotics has been awarded a contract with NOAA to report weather data from Buoy location 46012 off of Half Moon Bay. They will have one vessel on station and another in the trailer charging. Every 15-30 days, they will need to remove the vessel from the trailer and launch it towards the Buoy 46012 location. Once it arrives, the one on station will return to the harbor, be retrieved, and plugged into the charging station inside the trailer. The intent is to launch and recover the vessel from the beach (backup plan is to use main ramp). Once launched, it will be piloted with a remote control until clear of any vessel traffic, at which point a remote operator will drive it out to the Buoy location. Open Ocean Robotics will either contract local personnel to swap out the vessels or travel down from Canada to do it themselves. For emergency recoveries they have contacted several local fishing charters in the event the vessel needs to be towed back to shore.
Applicant has furnished to the Districts satisfactory evidence of insurance written upon a form and by a company acceptable to the District, insuring District, its directors, officers, agents and employees against any losses or liabilities which may arise out of applicant’s use of the facilities, including all costs of defending any action.
The Commercial Activity Permit will be the standard Commercial Activity subject to the
following terms:
- Full permit fees per the SMCHD Rates and Fees Table currently $326 dollars a year
- $500 security deposit
- $400 payable monthly
The CAP fees may be renegotiated for the 2027 Commercial Activity Permit.
Recommended Motion
Motion: Approve a Commercial Activity Permit for Open Ocean Robotics to rent a
parking space for 1 year, starting on January 16, 2026. The parking space is located at
Pillar Point Harbor in lot C2. Authorize the General Manager to execute the Commercial
Activity Permit.
Attachments
1) Application
2) Insurance
3) Permit
4) Website https://www.openoceanrobotics.com/
More on the San Mateo County Harbor District on Coastside Buzz
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Watch remotely. Comments and questions by email.
Please note that email correspondence sent to or from members of the Harbor Commission via the District’s website are considered public records and may be subject to disclosure and additional distribution pursuant to the Public Records Act and the Brown Act.
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Please note that email correspondence sent to or from Members of the Harbor Commission via the District’s website are considered public records and may be subject to disclosure and additional distribution pursuant to the Public Records Act and the Brown Act.
To email the entire Harbor Commission, click here.
Kathryn Slater-Carter ~ District 3
Position: Chair
Term: 2023-2027
Email: kslater-carter@smharbor.com
George Domurat ~ District 2
Position: Vice Chair
Term: 2023-2027
Email: gdomurat@smharbor.com
William Zemke ~ District 1
Position: Secretary
Term: 2021 -2025
mail: wzemke@smharbor.com
Tom Mattusch ~ District 4
Position: Treasurer
Term: 2021-2025
Email: tmattusch@smharbor.com
Virginia Chang Kiraly ~ District 5
Position: Commissioner
Term: 2021-2025
Email: vchang-kiraly@smharbor.com
District Office: 504 Avenue Alhambra, Ste. 200, El Granada, CA 94018
Mailing Address: PO Box 1449, El Granada, CA 94018
Phone: (650) 583-4400 Fax: (650) 583-4614
Pillar Point without the harbor.
Shoaling will be dredged soon.
Author: mdrag
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