#PattiPage

The Waterfront Today

Enduring Gloucester 1 Comment

Patti Page

Boats in Harbor, Gloucester. 1911                Hayley Lever (1876-1958)

Rowing season is underway in Gloucester harbor.  Gig rowers from Maritime Gloucester have been in the water for several weeks.  The dories tied at St. Peter’s Commercial Marina are seen moving around the harbor with more women rowing this season than I have noticed in the past.  The Gloucester High School sailing team started their season in March.  They are well underway to their third consecutive winning season.

As small boats maneuver around the harbor, they negotiate the coming and going of fishing boats.  Gloucester lobstermen are busy shuffling lobster traps from land to sea for the harvesting season.

More than two million pounds of lobsters were landed in the port of Gloucester in 2017.  Gloucester leads the State in lobster landings each year.

In April, approximately eight Maine scallop boats visited Gloucester to harvest scallops.  These vessels, referred to as transients because their home port is Maine, contribute to the economic viability of our working waterfront.  Each boat lands 400 pounds of shucked scallop meat per day.  In Harbor Cove, both Ocean Crest and Fishermen’s Wharf offload day-boat-dry scallops.  This is high quality, locally harvested and landed seafood. With a boat price of $8 per pound of meat, their landing value is appreciable.  In addition to the value of their catch, these boats contribute to the local economy in other ways.  Dockage fees paid for otherwise empty wharves, temporary housing for crew and supplies for fishing trips.  Some boats tie up at The Gloucester House and several others dock in Smith Cove.

All these activities, fishing, rowing, and sailing are important historic cultural activities.  It is who we are.  It is our identity.  All these activities require access to the water.

Is there adequate public access to the water in Gloucester harbor?

Let’s look at the City’s inventory of publicly accessible waterfront locations in the harbor.

County Landing is the only point of public water access to the harbor.  It is located at the beginning of the Boulevard, abutting the Tavern.  This landing was once used for launching boats from trailers and amphibious vehicle tours.  It is now in such disrepair it is difficult and dangerous to launch kayaks or paddle craft there.

The City has entered into a 30-year lease agreement with National Grid for 19 Harbor Loop which houses the Harbormaster.  The City is seeking $2.5 million to invest in the building to develop a public boating facility.  That seems to be ample funding to develop a dual purpose boating facility.  A boating center which serves the community with amenities for use by residents and seasonal visiting yachters.

For those interested in participating in a discussion on Community Boating and expanding public waterfront access, there will be a public discussion held in the Friend Room at the Sawyer Free Library on Tuesday, May 29th at 6:00 pm.  Come meet Guy Fiero, Executive Director of Cape Ann Community Boating to learn more.  For more information email CapeAnnCB@gmail.com.

 

Patti Page, of Gloucester, is retired from a career in federal fisheries regulatory compliance work and a past member of the City’s Waterways Board.  She is a founder and former director of Sail GHS, the sailing program for students across Cape Ann, and is dedicated to a broad range of working waterfront advocacy issues.

 

 

Waterfront Facility Development

Enduring Gloucester 3 Comments

The City is planning to develop a waterfront facility.  The Seaport Economic Council awarded the City a grant to perform a study.  (see below)

On June 1st, the city contracted with Harriman Consulting to conduct the study which will be completed early this fall.

According to the plan of services submitted by Harriman Consulting, they will develop a Communication Plan which will describe methods that will be used to provide public information and the process that will be used to engage the public throughout the process.

This is an important opportunity to express to the consultant the needs of the community in the development of an important waterfront resource before recommendations are set forth in their draft report.

Anyone concerned and interested in participating in a public process and communicating the needs of the community should contact the Mayor, Harbormaster and Waterways Board with your concerns.

Comments can be sent to:  Voiceoftheport@gmail.com

 

SEAPORT ECONOMIC COUNCIL GRANT:

Gloucester – $80,000

Gloucester is the oldest fishing port in America, and it is critical to the economic health of the city that visitors – especially visiting boaters – feel welcome and have access to the resources they need. In order to advance Gloucester’s maritime and tourism economies, the City will use Seaport Economic Council funds for a site selection study that will examine co-locating a visiting boater support facility with the Harbormaster’s office, to offer resources and amenities including changing rooms, showers, laundry facilities, public restrooms, and common space with Wi-Fi access.

 

 

Patti Page, EG consultant, of Gloucester, is retired from a career in federal fisheries regulatory compliance work and a past member of the City’s Waterways Board.  She is a founder and director of Sail GHS, the sailing program for students across Cape Ann, and is dedicated to a broad range of working waterfront advocacy issues.

 

Tally’s Questions Continue… Oct 18th @ 6:15pm O’Maley

Enduring Gloucester 1 Comment
Gloucester, Massachusetts. Main street, 1943. Gordon Parks (1912-2006), photographer.

Gloucester, Massachusetts. Main street, 1943.                      Gordon Parks (1912-2006), photographer.

On Tuesday, October 18th at O’Maley Innovation School 6:15 pm, the City Council will hold a special meeting to review the resubmission of the MassDOT Prioritization Plan of the Safe and Accessible Street Program.

See link to agenda:
http://gloucester-ma.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/6493

From information that has been gathered, the City will be resubmitting to the State a scaled back proposal for improvements to Tally’s corner which will consist of sidewalk improvements and withhold the rotary concept.

As required by the State Policy, the goal of Complete Streets is to design, operate and maintain Gloucester’s streets in a context sensitive manner to promote and ensure safety and accessibility for all users. It does not assert this program is inherently appropriate for every road construction project. To the contrary, the State program provides further flexibility to the City via criteria for exemptions from inclusion, which can be evoked by the Mayor. Being primarily pedestrian and bicycle focused State funding, it lends itself more to other priority projects such as school routes, which were preferred by several City Councilors during the Policy approval process.

Therefore, the revised proposal for sidewalks, which will complement the newly installed ADA compliant sidewalks on Commercial St., should through a context sensitive approach, first protect and provide for the primary use of continued heavy commercial vehicular traffic on the Designated Port Area roadways.

The rotary proposal, which called for reducing radii, utilizing “neckdowns”, widening of sidewalks, narrowing streets and installing pedestrian islands are all counter productive for ease of access of large commercial vehicles. These restrictive measures would result in a rerouting of commercial truck traffic exclusively to the Blackburn Rotary, the 128 extension, Rogers St. and Commercial St. If implemented, which class of commercial trucks to be rerouted remains to be determined. Due to the restrictive nature of the rotary proposal, tractor trailers were assured to be rerouted. However, subject to inclusion would be passenger buses, large box trucks, ten-wheel, eight-wheel and double axle trucks. This would impact all industrial sectors, businesses and delivery trucks servicing the City.

We are anticipating a fully transparent presentation by City staff, which should include a revised, detailed work narrative and plans for review by the City Council and the public. As stated by DPW Director Mike Hale at the last presentation to City Council, the sidewalks set the context for what is to be developed between the sidewalks. We are also awaiting an inclusive process with business owners and the public to review plans and weigh in on impacts and implications of any proposed changes.

 

pattiPatti Page, EG consultant, of Gloucester, is retired from a career in federal fisheries regulatory compliance work and a past member of the City’s Waterways Board.  She is a founder and former director of Sail GHS, the sailing program for students across Cape Ann, and is dedicated to a broad range of working waterfront advocacy issues.

Rounding the Corner at Tally’s

Enduring Gloucester 3 Comments
Rounding the Corner at Tally's

Photo Courtesy Bing McGilvray

Listed on the City Council agenda for Tuesday October 11th, is the presentation by Mike Hale and Dan Smith on the Tally’s corner project timeline.

As stated in the Safe and Accessible Streets Plan (SAASP) policy signed by the Mayor, a requirement of the process is for the DPW Director to collaborate with and solicit input with several entities on major reconstruction projects.  To date, this has not taken place with the area businesses or residents.  We are interested to know which City departments were consulted during the planning phase?  Was the City’s Fire Department consulted for emergency vehicle access?  Given Coastal Zone Management’s jurisdiction over DPA areas, were they approached to weigh in?

SAASP Policy:  3.  Procedure for creating more safe and accessible streets:

“…the Public Works Director shall collaborate and share information with departments, residents, developers and other organizations on annual street maintenance plans and major reconstruction projects by soliciting questions and concerns to ensure safety and accessibility for all users with a context sensitive approach.”

According to the State MA DOT Funding Priority Program chart, this proposal does not consider Freight Operations as a criteria of the project.  How does a project go forward without such considerations on a DPA roadway which has a primary function to service businesses on Commercial Street?  How does this meet the criteria of a context sensitive approach?

In the 2012 hotel development traffic study, by their own engineers, there was no such finding for major reconstruction necessary for this area. Their recommendations consisted of lane designations and signage.

The joint Ward meeting on September 15th, held after the proposal was submitted to the State for stage Tier III funding, produced much concern and no support for the plan.  There are several Commercial Street business owners expressing deep concern over this proposal as having a potential negative impact on their business operations.  There have been assurances made by the City there is latitude to make modifications to the plan.

Given the lack of public process, lack of collaboration with City departments and omission of any detailed plans provided to City Council during the approval stages, this proposal should be pulled back for further review.

We once again ask when and to what extent public input will be solicited to produce a plan which serves to support area businesses, provide user safety, enhance aesthetics and produce a cost effective solution.

 

pattiPatti Page, EG consultant, of Gloucester, is retired from a career in federal fisheries regulatory compliance work and a past member of the City’s Waterways Board.  She is a founder and director of Sail GHS, the sailing program for students across Cape Ann, and is dedicated to a broad range of working waterfront advocacy issues.