But what is happening at the Camille-Rayon port? Inaugurated in August 1989, it takes its name from its creator, who built it on the concessioned public maritime domain. It was contractually planned that its manager – the company of the new port of Vallauris Golfe-Juan (SNPVG) – would return it to the municipality on 1is July 2024.
Except that, around ten days before the keys are handed over to the lucky candidate for the public service delegation – the Greek group D-Marinas Hellas -, Olivia Lara Rayon, the port director, learns that a pre-contractual summary is blocking the procedure. “The City is ordering us to stay in place until July 10. We plan to contest this decision”she announces.
The town hall and the buyer remain silent
She confirms having sent letters to Kevin Luciano, the mayor The Republicans from Vallauris, requested to be received… without response. “It’s ludicrous to extend this contract by ten days. We have users with subscriptions, contracts with service providers, professionals… who see beyond these deadlines”adds Olivia Lara Rayon.
Indeed, the professionals who border the port deplore being in the dark, a few days before the change of direction. They do not know what rents they will be subject to, nor under what conditions they will be able to operate. “We still haven’t seen the shadow of a written document even though this situation has been known for 35 years. All we know is that prices will increase”, says a trader. The latter have also created an association with all port users, in order to defend their interests.
“We were sold dreams”
The boaters feel they are being held hostage. They do not know the prices that will be charged on the pontoons, nor the parking spaces. For the moment, they say they pay 240 euros per year to park their car.
However, according to their information, the buyer would ask them 66 euros per month in summer and 44 euros in winter. “But we have not received official confirmation. We don’t even know from when these tariffs could apply”regret three of them, who wished to remain anonymous.
Although they claim to have given their agreement for D-Marinas Hellas to contact them, no one has yet come back to them. “During the information meetings, we were told that certain things were going to be put in place, that the Camille-Rayon project was going to resemble that of the Old Port… we were sold a dream”, they say, disillusioned. As the Riviera ports are victims of their success, they fear having difficulty finding a place if prices increase in Golfe-Juan.
D-Marinas Hellas and Vallauris town hall did not respond to our requests.
