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Tuesday, Mar 19, 2024
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Port Must Take Its Time With N. Embarcadero Plan

Port Must Take Its Time With N. Embarcadero Plan

OPINION

by Stephen P. Cushman and Jess E. Van Deventer

What happened to the “shared vision” for the development of the North Embarcadero waterfront?

It seems some local editors want the various government agencies to take some action, in fact any action, just to keep this important redevelopment project moving. A better emphasis should be on re-establishing the consensus that has recently collapsed under the weight of huge increases in project costs. Let’s take a look at how we arrived at this point.

In 1997, the Port of San Diego, the city of San Diego, the county, the Centre City Development Corp. and the Navy joined on a voluntary basis to develop a visionary plan for the North Embarcadero. Often referred to as San Diego’s “front door,” the North Embarcadero’s bayside setting on the western edge of Downtown offers an unparalleled opportunity for a grand civic project combining public amenities and private development. The CCDC board of directors and the port recently reaffirmed this consensus on the original visionary plan and supports a phased implementation of the agreed-upon plan.

But the planning process has moved from consensus to dissension, from fiscally sound to fiscally outrageous. Recent proposals for the waterfront by the county would expand its park by 36 feet, reducing Harbor Drive to two lanes and removing vital parking for San Diegans.

We must continue to be sensitive to the public access needs of our local bayfront nonprofits like the Maritime Museum/Star of India and for the many for-profit businesses, i.e., Anthony’s, Holiday Inn, Harbor Excursion, and Hornblower Yachts, that generate revenues to support the many recreational opportunities we enjoy in our big bay. Providing access and parking must be a priority. Equally important, any shared vision needs to be based in the realities of the financial limitations of the public agencies that must contribute funding to make this project a reality.

Under the latest estimation, the cost balloons to more than $150 million, up from the original agreed-upon visionary plan cost of $53 million.

It is clear to us that without regard to the consensus position developed over many years of work; the county’s plan drastically reduces the public’s on-site access to the bayfront.

By increasing the size of the park and shifting parking away from convenient public sites, they have chosen to both ignore the consensus process that gave us the initial plan and add considerably to the cost of the project. As one participant in that process, we felt compelled to call a “time out” so that these and other issues could be examined.

Local residents and millions of visitors who help fuel our regional economy deserve the best waterfront environment possible. We need to reinvigorate the discussions of the North Embarcadero Alliance and get on with the task of reaching a real consensus on how to move forward toward our common goal.

With budget shortfalls at the state level about to cascade down on the city, county and potentially the port, we must also be fiscally responsible to the public. Pushing the plan through now would disregard both.

We call for time out before we lose out on this important opportunity to define our waterfront.

Cushman is chairman of the port commissioners; Van Deventer is vice chairman.

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