Pensus, part of Arizona-based marina operator and commercial developer Pensus Group, will operate the Markley Cove, Putah Creek, Lake Berryessa Marina, Spanish Flat, Steele Park, and Rancho Monticello resorts.
For the next three years, however, Markley Cove will continue to be run by its current long-term owners, John and Linda Frazier. Reclamation already has a separate contract with Arizona-based Forever Resorts to manage Pleasure Cove Marina.
Pete Lucero, public affairs officer for the Bureau of Reclamation, said that Reclamation expects limited boat launching, camping, and service facilities to be open this summer.
Berryessa Highlands residents and Napa County officials have been concerned about whether Pensus, as operator of Steele Park Resort, will pay into an assessment to upgrade water and sewer facilities serving the Highlands. Lucero said the contract calls for Pensus to pay any required assessments to the county or the state.
Lucero told the Lake Berryessa News that the signed contract and its attachments are being transmitted to Pensus. Once Pensus has the contract in hand, Reclamation will make it available to the public.
In a prepared statement, Pensus CEO David Maule-Ffinch said, “Pensus Group would like to thank Reclamation for the effort and commitment necessary to bring this complex transaction to fruition. The signing of this contract will now allow work to start on the improvement and expansion of services at Lake Berryessa. We anticipate a very successful public-private partnership in the best interests of the visiting public.”
Mr. Ffinch told the Lake Berryessa News that he was enthusiastic about the future potential of Lake Berryessa, but that, with it now being the first week of May, “we are going to have a tough challenge for 2010”. A Pensus team will begin work at the lake during the week of May 3.
The Pensus Lake Berryessa web site at, http://berryessalake.com/, now includes the resorts slated for opening this season, projected opening dates, and proposed services for those resorts. They hope to open Putah Creek Resort by Memorial Day weekend. The Spanish Flat Resort opening is still to be determined, and the Steele Park opening is dependent on the state of the resort clean-up.
Although the actual timing is unclear because of the operational start-up complexity and the need to carefully comply with environmental laws, Ffinch said that they expect to provide tent camping and RV sites at Putah Creek and Spanish Flat this year. Possibly later in the season they may be able to provide tent camping sites and RV sites at Steele Park based on the state of the clean-up of that resort.
They will be using the mobile home sites on a temporary basis to provide more attractive and spacious camping accommodations, and possibly more sites, than have been available in the past.
Pensus LBP also intends to provide “Self Launch & Retrieval and Self Park on site (subject to space availability)” at all three resorts, as well as a boat launch-and-retrieval service (you call, they launch, you play, you go, they retrieve and store) for those who don’t wish to test their trailering skills. Fuel will be dispensed at Putah Creek and possibly later at Steele Park. Steele Park will also have dry storage of boats in a fenced and secured area
Due to the very limited time available, operations for the 2010 season will be minimal. There will be no water or sewer services for the RV and campsites. Until water and sewer facilities are fully developed, porta-potties or mobile trailer restroom units will be used. Likewise, food service and retail products will be sold from portable trailer units. There will be no restaurant-style food service in 2010.
Pensus LBP understands that the demand for boat slips is very strong. Although they are taking reservations and expect to start signing people up very soon, they won’t be able to start installing slips until later this year.
Assuming that they can get all the permitting in place, Mr. Ffinch hopes to install initial lodging units and provide better retail services next year. He urged people to go to the Pensus Lake Berryessa website, http://berryessalake.com/, to make reservations, for more detail, and for regular updates.
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