Fri 1 Sep 2006
CITY WATERFRONT PLANNING PROCESS ON FAST TRACK
The city-sponsored waterfront planning process is off to a bumpy start. To increase trust and smooth the way forward, the final decision by the City Council to pick the consultant (who will oversee the process) should be made AFTER the upcoming election.
This City Council delegated shaping the waterfront planning process to the Planning & Zoning Commission (P&Z). At the second special meeting of the P&Z last Monday night 8/28, many citizens requested that the process slow down to include greater notice and wider community involvement.
But the current City Council appears hell-bent to select the consultant before the next City Council can be elected and a progressive majority may be formed. (Councilmembers Maris and Good will be replaced in November.)
The present City Council simply does not represent the majority viewpoint on waterfront development matters; otherwise, there would not have been the need to circulate the Shoreline Protection Initiative during their tenure.
Some current councilmembers actually have been quoted as wanting Caruso to come back, and seem prepared to acquiesce to Caruso’s demand for a guaranteed final EIR–before submitting the application!
At the special meeting, citizens Marge Atkinson, Joanne Wile and Nan Wishner (by email), Wynnette, Ed Fields, etc., spoke up for establishing trust before shaping an outcome; for achieving consensus before setting a course; for greater input before setting a pre-determined deadline (i.e., writing a ballot measure for the 2008 election).
“Why is Park & Rec included,” one questioner asked, “and not Social Justice or the Arts Committee, for example?”
Granted, in the end the P&Z did increase the number of members of the selection committee from five to seven and stretched out the condensed schedule a couple of weeks (yet still to be chosen before the next City Council takes office). But, no members from the public at large, no members from other committees/commissions, no further deliberations on the consultant selection after the November election.
Selection of the consultant to conduct the city planning process may very well pre-determine the final outcome of that process.
To earn trust, the P&Z should extend the current timetable to provide greater notice, more reasoned deliberation, and wider citizen input, rather than rushing to judgment before the new council–which with your help will include both Joanne and Marge–can be seated.
I am not sure where the city sponsored waterfront planning process will lead, but one thing is for sure, we need to elect Marge and Joanne to the City Council to put a stop to any more playing footsie with Caruso, the developer. What’s the rush to choose the consultant except maybe for the pro-mall majority to lock in one that will come up with a big development project and open the door for Caruso to come back. Unless this thing is slowed down, seems that the city council may be sending a signal to Caruso that they are conceding to his requirement that the EIR not be rejected at some point, but seen through to the final conclusion or acceptance, whichever comes first.