The residents of South Portland don’t owe builders a “contract rezone” on the waterfront subsequent to Bug Gentle – an enormous zone change that may defy the objectives of the shipyard zone and the shoreland overlay protections. These zones don’t permit residential improvement. The unprecedented change contemplated may permit development of 4 residential towers, every 18 tales and 180 ft tall, making them 4 of the 5 tallest buildings in Maine.
Are you able to envision how tiny our stunning Bug Lighthouse would seem proper subsequent door? Or how uncomfortable it may be to chill out on the Bug Gentle benches close by, sensing that scores of individuals could also be trying down on you?
However extra necessary is the well being and security of the attainable 120 “inexpensive” items which shall be on the decrease flooring – inside respiration distance of the benzene fumes coming from the adjoining tank farm, and close to the water’s edge, the place 8 ft, 8 inches of sea-level rise await.
A particular Broadway evacuation plan shall be wanted to deal with attainable harmful air or water issues. Broadway is already challenged by the amount of neighborhood and Southern Maine Neighborhood Faculty site visitors. These towers simply don’t belong there. And with with a attainable change of builders on the positioning rumored, native residents merely don’t know what else could also be coming down the river.
However right here’s one other query. What does belong there, on that stretch of presently underused entry to the ocean, proper on the mouth of Portland Harbor, one of many deepest on the East Coast? The governing zones are supposed to maximize South Portland’s most useful pure useful resource: about 300 ft of working waterfront historical past and potentialities, backed up by about 30 acres of land.
One attainable reply is an “ocean cluster,” a mixture of marine-related makes use of of the waterfront space, presumably city-managed or city-partnered. It may present three or 4 piers of berthing for a wide range of water-dependent actions, providing a base for the aquaculture and seaweed industries; ocean analysis; berthing for fishing, work, or taxi boats; and always-needed sheds for gear and product storage.
Windmill elements may very well be saved there, awaiting supply to ocean websites. There may very well be non permanent or long-term berthing for metropolis companies akin to fireplace, police, and so on., and small-boat development or different business exercise may exist there, too. And, generally, waterfront parcels have to stay fallow between applied sciences and evolving wants. Eimskip’s worldwide delivery port and the massive business boatyard on Portland’s western waterfront are nice examples of that.
The remainder of the property may stay accessible to current and new light-industrial makes use of akin to boat storage or restore, and will function one thing as creative as an aquaculture-seaweed restaurant or academic middle for current and rising sea merchandise. Schoolchildren may go to and find out about our waterfront’s previous and our future wants for seafood and for windmill electrical energy. Possibly an academic boat journey may deepen their information and respect for the ocean.
This World Battle II Liberty shipyard’s harbor-entrance location can supply benefits to water-dependent business of all types: it cuts the gas prices and journey occasions required by all vessels that should decelerate to five knots inside our busy harbor.
South Portland has a waterfront treasure proper subsequent door to our Bug Gentle treasure. Let’s hope that knowledge wins over haste.
In Might 1987, the voters of Portland voted, 2-1, to guard their working waterfront from additional rental improvement. I feel that South Portland’s spectacular working waterfront historical past would need us to respect it, too, and carry it ahead the place attainable.
From Roman regulation, to the Magna Carta, to our personal Colonial Ordinance, the “public nature” of submerged lands has been protected for such makes use of as fishing, fowling, commerce and navigation. It’s in our collective finest curiosity to proceed to respect that.
« Earlier
Associated Tales
Invalid username/password.
Please test your electronic mail to verify and full your registration.
Use the shape under to reset your password. While you’ve submitted your account electronic mail, we are going to ship an electronic mail with a reset code.