Salem Harbor Plan Update
Harbor Plan Implementaion Committee Meeting
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
City Hall Annex (3rd Floor, 120 Washington Street)
7:00pm to 9:45 PM
Meeting Notes
Committee Members present:
Fred Atkins (Chair) Craig Burnham Claudia Chuber
Barbara Warren (Vice Chair) Doug Haley Peg Harrington
Dolores Jordan Walter Power Annie Harris
LT Conrad Prosniewski Patricia Trap
Salem City Staff:
Kathy Winn (DPCD) Frank Taormina (DPCD)
Consultants:
Captain Greg Ketchen (FPA) Jay Borkland (Apex)
State Officials:
Kathryn Glenn (MCZM)
Other Attendees:
Sign-in lists attached.
Meeting agenda is attached.
Chairman Atkins opened the meeting with introductions and then began discussion of individual items on a list of recommendations for the plan update provided to each committee member (attached).
A summary of the discussion points follows:
1. Transportation. Suggested that there is a need to expand the language in the plan with some more specific examples. Add pedicabs and Zip cars. What specific issues is the plan addressing?
2. Governance - Should be a public/private partnership with good management structure. Some committee members said that there should be one organization with responsibility for all city waterfront facilities. There was reluctance expressed for creating more than one new governing or management body. May be better to have one entity covering both waterfront landside open space and port operations. If not one body, than there was some support for keeping waterfront open space management (e.g. Winter Island) within Dept of Parks and Community Services. The Port Operations Group would be created when Salem Wharf comes on line. There was general support for a new authority or management team to run the port/Salem Wharf (AH). WP said
that a new management team/committee could push to make Palmer Cove, Dion and possibly Collins Cove major destinations within the harbor through access and dredging. An open space committee focused on the Salem waterfront could make this a priority. Open space committee = recreational use and public access. Port Ops Group = commercial working waterfront. Dredging is top priority and newly formed governance entity can push this forward. JB – there is need for dedicated implementation coordinator supported by a committee or authority. Dredging is needed for more than just for city-owned properties. Harbor Authority should coordinate both public and private dredging. FA - Dion Channel was dredged initial by federal government during WWII thus should be consider a federal channel with its maintenance the responsibility of the USACofE. Several committee members again expressed their belief that the Harbor Plan should include
the entire Salem waterfront (North River, islands, Forrest River, …..). WP - South Essex Sewerage District outfall site could eventually be converted to an area where dredged material from Salem Harbor could be deposited and contained and the resulting “island” could be the site of tertiary treatment infrastructure. This proposal should be welcomed by the federal government and may be supported by federal dollars.
3. Waterfront activities. AH – should have a specific goal to expand the amount of linear feet of dock space for improved access to waterfront (both water-side and shore-side)? Maximize the amount of dock space! This would increase the ability for people to get on and off boats, particularly transient boats, and thus “activate the waterfront”. Should also increase the number of private and public moorings (addition of 12 public city moorings was suggested), creating a designated municipal mooring and anchorage area. Need language on this issue that places “special emphasis on water-dependent (marine, maritime) activities.” Need to add general language about the value of connections to adjacent waterfront areas (Willows, Forrest River Park) and establish productive working partnerships with nearby communities (Beverly, Danvers and Marblehead) – jointly promoting/supporting activities and infrastructure upgrades. Put language in the updated plan that address advantages
of coordinating with neighboring ports.
4. Environmental Resource Management . Both point and non-point pollution sources need to be identified. Add public educational component (youth and community). Include examples of environmental leadership (e.g. use of renewable energy – solar, wind, etc…). Discuss potential future uses of the Designated Port Area. (Plan should suggest uses for property if Dominion were to leave sometime in future. e.g. what happens or does not happen, retain DPA?), New development should be clean uses employing best available environmentally friendly technology. Need more pump out facility(ies) for rec boats (where appropriate and feasibility) and for commercial vessels. Can there be direct tie in to water treatment plant? Congress Street pump out
does not work because it is often inaccessible and possibly should be relocated.
5. Funding and Revenue Generation. Like to explore adding fueling at city facilities as a revenue source. Do not limit to Winter Island (see last sentence on handout). Maybe include as a “for example……”. Public/private partnership and revenue sharing.
6. Infrastructure. Emphasize dredging. Need a master dredging plan for the harbor. Should cover areas outside MHP study area including the North River. What are other dredging priorities? Introduce concept of a “City Pier”. Apex will provide planning-level bathy survey of harbor to include a planning tool in the updated MHP. First priorities – Salem Wharf, dredging and South River. Second priority – Wharf of Shetland Park, Kosciusko Street, Bridge Street pier.
7. Public Access. Include access to Palmer Cove, from Derby Street to South River, walkway around Shetland. Make certain that future harbor front development is required to add harborwalk, specifically Shetland Park, South River, Palmer Cove). AH questioned eliminating harborwalk design plan as presented in the 2000 MHP from the 2007 update. Need some schematic drawings at least. Add language referring to “gateways”. Need to define view corridors. Need to enhance/protect views at end of streets leading to harbor from Derby Street. Views – from Pickering Wharf, from downtown to North River, of Collins Cove, old Beverly Bridge, Shetland wharf/Pier. Committee members offered to help identify valuable view corridors
to harbor. WP – need more boat launching spots. Need to make Forest River and Palmer Cove more accessible/useable. Status of Palmer Cove boat ramp? Include development of park near Beverly Bridge (more floats, ramp, bike ramps, dredging, view corridors). Need additional public restrooms and better signs for restrooms.
8. Consolidation of Efforts. PT - good idea, bring in neighboring communities.
9. Themes. Keep in same order and same language as the Plan.
10. Expand Harbor Planning Area . Add Beverly Salem Bridge. Should include entire waterfront – eliminate North River and Marblehead. Add islands.
11. Overlay District. WP - Congress Street should be an overlay district. The need for creating an Overlay District is still important. Update should have language supporting the importance of moving forward with the overlay district.
Public Comment:
Bob Blair (Harbor Pilot) - Need to be careful when using “Port Authority” for the proposed harbor management group because it has specific legal connotations that may not be appropriate for Salem Harbor. May be better to use Harbor Management Group or Council. He emphasized that dredging needs to be highlighted and completion of the dredge material maintenance plan (DMMP) needs to be a priority. He recommended the committee consider supporting the dredging of a channel to the water treatment plant to facilitate pumping of waste water from boats. He pointed out the MHP is intended to be a five-year plan but Committee should be looking out to the more distance future. Offered that Salem has been historically a city of finger piers and should be
thinking about recreating these.
The Committee did not have time to complete discussion of regulatory issues and agreed to delay these discussions until the next meeting.
Ron Bourne (Bourne Engineering) and Charles Norris (Norris and Norris) attended a short portion of the meeting to introduce themselves and set the stage for Salem Wharf project discussion scheduled for an upcoming meeting of the HPIC. Mr. Bourne and Mr. Norris are the consultants selected by the City to complete this study. Committee recognized that they need to know where MHP may present barriers for development of site. AH - we will be stating that development is not likely to succeed without improved access via Webb Street. Consultants made the following additional points:
1. Need to define, as much as possible, all anticipated uses for this new facilities. They recognize that these uses will all be commercial but what are they? 2. The development of plans for the Salem Wharf will be a public process. 3. Harbor Plan should offer flexibility for wharf development. 4. The size of the site has been reduced from that initially conceived thus options for development are limited.
The Committee was informed that DPCD and the consultant have tentatively been scheduled to brief the Salem City Council on July 10th about progress on and adjustments being considered for the Harbor Plan update. Committee members were invited to attend. The next committee meeting was scheduled for July 17th at 7 PM to discuss regulatory issues followed by a meeting on July 24th to discuss the Salem Wharf project.
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