Straw Poll: Waterfront Development
— by Jeffrey Wisniewski — 23 September 2009 — 3 comments below »
It would be nice to get hold of residents’ general level of satisfaction with regard to the state of development in the Waterfront.
A lot of earth has recently moved, most noticeably the old lookout hill behind the Railroad Avenue live-works, which has been knocked down to create the adjacent fill slope that is surcharging the Bay Mud over which will lie a future small plaza with access to Hercules Point and the Bay Trail.
When answering this question, please consider the planning processes that have occurred or are currently being conducted.
Thank you for your participation.
I’m not sure how to pick just one or the other so I didn’t vote. On the one hand, I am dissatisfied that (1) we weren’t this far along four years ago, (2) the city had caused needless delays over the so-called “Szabo Plan, (3) the historic buildings continue to decay without reason or explanation, (4) so much was done in secrecy from both the public and the Planning Commission on both the Szabo Plan as well as Richard Thompson’s design, and (5) the city allowed Thompson to design a train station that was clearly a post-modern style in defiance of the legal requirements of the Waterfront Initiative, causing further delays. On the other hand, I am very satisfied that (1) Lisa Hammon has turned the process around to result in two very nice train station designs now being on the table, (2) the community has had a good chance to have input on these designs (thanks again to Lisa), (3) the developers and the city are working together productively, and (4) dirt is moving around in a way that makes me hopeful we’ll have something built before I enter my “golden years”.
@Jeff Boore – I’d say that you are generally satisfied then. But you could also choose ‘neither.’
I picked satisfied but I agree with the comment above that we should be much farther along by now. I don’t even care what the train station looks like, I just want it up and running!