The 45-year-old marina in Marina del Rey is suffering a midlife crisis and the outcome could determine the fate of the area for years to come.

At issue is whether the aging marina should retain its current identity as an accessible recreational site for residents or whether it should be overtaken by developers eager to transform it into a complex of hotels, apartment towers, shops and restaurants. Perhaps a third option of striking a healthy balance between the two visions is possible.

The changes being considered are part of the Marina del Rey Local Coastal Program Major Amendment, which would bundle five development projects into one rather than have them considered piecemeal.

The projects include a dry-dock boat storage facility for 345 boats; a 114-unit senior housing complex and a three-building complex on the parking lot on the north end of Mother's Beach that would include 292 apartment units and 32,400 square feet of retail space.

But the amendment proposal is meeting with resistance from some residents, who are concerned about a lack of input from the community. 

"We have an unbelievable opportunity to create a world-class recreational and tourist destination in the marina," said David Barish, co-director of We ARE Marina del Rey. "And this amendment is not it."

Barish made his remarks at a recent meeting of the Los Angeles County Regional Planning Commission. Nearly 30 speakers commented on the proposed development, with boat owners and canoers speaking against it and developers and marina lessees favoring it.

Barish asked for more recreational studies to see how the marina is currently being used and how it would be used for recreation in the future.

The commission scheduled a follow-up meeting for Dec. 15 to hear additional comments before making a recommendation to the board of supervisors. In the multi-tiered approval process, the proposal would then go to the California Coastal Commission, which has final say over coastal development and which will likely consider the matter in 2011.

Marina del Rey lies in unincorporated Los Angeles County and is overseen by the county's Department of Beaches and Harbors. Long-term lessees operate the housing units, boat slips and commercial venues.

The marina's leases generate about $38 million annually for the cash-strapped county, going into its general fund to pay for such items as law enforcement and health care programs.

One of the dynamics at play in the marina's renovation plan is balancing its role as a recreational destination for residents and its potential as a revenue generator for the county.

Tim O'Brien, senior managing director of Legacy Partners, which operates the Neptune Marina complex of townhomes and boat slips, told the planning commissioners during a Nov. 3 meeting that he supports bundling the projects into one amendment.

His company first responded in 1999 when the county announced its plans to consider marina renovation and has invested $5 million so far in the development process, O'Brien said.

By contrast, Barish asked the commission to start over with a new plan.

Of the amendment, Barish advised the commissioners to "throw this in the trash" and start over with a "community-based planning process, a true process." His comments received a short round of applause from the audience.

Critics of the plan have been particularly worried about the parking lot next to Mother's Beach, a popular launching spot for rowers.

Liz Greenberger of RowLA, a nonprofit group that teaches girls to row in hopes of getting them college scholarships, told the planning commissioners that the plan would take away public parking and make it an unsafe area for young rowers.

Barry Fisher, vice president of the Los Angeles Rowing Club, concurred.

"Mother's Beach is nothing less than the recreational small boat resource crown jewel for the entire L.A. County," Fisher said. 

He said changes to the parking lot would hurt access to the beach for the growing number of people who launch kayaks, stand-up paddleboards and canoes from the beach's northern end.

Another contentious part of the amendment plan is the proposal to reduce the number of boat spaces, or slips, to accommodate longer and wider boats. Critics say it favors the wealthy at the expense of those who can't afford large boats and yachts.

Santos H. Kreimann, director of the county Department of Beaches and Harbors, said improvements in boat manufacturing technology have led to bigger boats.

"We cannot build a marina based on 1960s technology," he said. "It would be irresponsible for us to do that."

Kreimann noted that 70 percent of the slips are for boats 35 feet long and shorter. A 2009 slip sizing study found that the demand for boat slips less than 30 feet in length is falling, while there's an increase in the need for boat slips of 36 feet or longer.

"We do see a trend in boats becoming wider and longer—it's irrefutable if you look at the data and if you look at it objectively," Kreimann said. "What we are trying to do is find some balance so the people at low-, mid- and high-income levels can enjoy this particular asset. That's what we are trying to accomplish with this plan."