|
Preservation, city manager Camran Nojoomi recalled that
<br />orchestrating the dredging of the channel was a difficult task
<br />that nonetheless set the stage for the metamorphosis of Suisun's
<br />waterfront.
<br /> Other communities share such aspirations for residential
<br />development on their waterfronts. Waukegan, Illinois, a
<br />onc:-thriving industrial suburb north of Chicago, has
<br />grappled for years with contamination in its port and on
<br />surrounding properties. After an extensive court battle, the
<br />
<br /> .e)roDertv can sever
<br />,~.t;.~ ·
<br />_, 2?he ,l nk between
<br /> and the
<br /> iSn'd stifle,a
<br />
<br />f
<br /> and'social L=... ..
<br />.~'~e'..'..i)"; ' :: '...~'::;~ -,.....-'~ .,,~.;b~
<br /> ,:; nvestment.
<br />P:..:;:'/-"'" '""' "" ' :~..b.. ..... ' ........ ' '- - .
<br />
<br /> contaminants were dredged. The bill was shouldered in part
<br /> by the polluter, a local corporation, as parr of the federal
<br /> Superfund program. Since then, waterfront advocates have
<br /> slowly and painstakingly worked to clean other lakefront
<br /> properties, through media exposure of polluters, pressure on
<br /> property owners with extensive code violations, and talks of
<br /> brownfield redevelopment.
<br /> In June 1997, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
<br />announced its selection of the city of Glen Cove, New York,
<br />along Long Island Sound, for a regional grant through its
<br />brownflelds pilot program. The goal is to facilitate productive
<br />reuse of industrial and commercial properties where
<br />redevelopment is complicated by real or perceived
<br />environmental contamination. Glen Cove has taken full
<br />advantage of this and earlier grants and plans major zone
<br />changes on the waterfront to encourage water-related uses,
<br />marine retail, and restaurants.
<br /> Residential living, however, is not part of its waterfront plan.
<br />Mayor Tom Swuozzi says residential and industrial uses do not
<br />mix well on waterfronts in suburban settings. "That only works
<br />in distinctly urban areas," says Swuozzi, who is also quick ro
<br />note that brownfleld sites do not meet standards required for
<br />residential development.
<br /> Still, brownfield redevelopment has been an important tool
<br />for adopting a mixed-use approach to zoning on other industrial
<br />waterfronts. Washington's Landing, an award-winning mixed-
<br />use development in Pittsburgh, has transformed industrial
<br />Herr's Island in the Allegheny River into an attractive place for
<br />manufacturers, homeowner~, and recreational enthusiasts alike.
<br />It was one of two sites in southwestern Pennsyh,ania to be
<br />nominated for the Phoenix Award for brownfield
<br />redevelopment.
<br />
<br /> Environmental barriers are not always the problem. In a
<br /> 1996 survey I conducted for DePaul University, administrative
<br /> officials of 16 small and medium-sized Great Lakes port
<br /> communities identified their waterfronts' worst problems.
<br /> Pollution was less of a barrier to revitalization than expected,
<br /> with just one-third viewing this as a significant hindrance to
<br /> waterfront development, while the majority cited other issues.
<br /> Accessibility. Limited public access is common to industrial
<br /> waterfronts, but the manufacturing sector's demise has
<br /> redirected community attention toward alternative uses.
<br /> Residents see the potential benefits of a waterfront without the
<br /> aesthetic and structural hazards created by heavy industry.
<br /> Blighted waterfront property can sever the link between
<br /> downtown and the shoreline and stifle a community's potential
<br /> as a marketplace for economic and social investment. To reach
<br /> public beaches in Waukegan, visitors must negotiate an
<br /> expressway, shipping port, and several manufacturing sites.
<br /> According to a Waukegan Harbor official, this perceived barrier
<br /> to the waterfront is one of the city's greatest challenges. Racine,
<br /> Wisconsin, although not as industrialized as Waukegan, solved
<br /> its access problem by implementing an extensive signage
<br /> program. Visitors now perceive the waterfront as merely an
<br /> extension of the adjacent downtown.
<br /> Lakefront access was part of a larger mosaic in Racine. A
<br /> surge of residential development has infiltrated this industrial
<br /> Lake Michigan community. Private developers recently built
<br /> three upscale residential complexes on the waterfront, including
<br /> one featuring 80 private dockminiums. More residential
<br /> development is in the works. The existing residences
<br /> complement a 110-acre full-service harbor (housing 921 boat
<br /> slips), a hotel, restaurants, and a 17-acre park created with
<br /> material dredged from the harbor.
<br /> Access is postponed indefinitely ifpublic holdings of
<br /> waterfront property are limited. This is such a concern in
<br /> Wisconsin that the Wisconsin Coastal Management program
<br /> has undertaken nine major access improvement projects, mostly
<br /> in smaller industrial communities like Sheboygan, Kenosha, and
<br /> Manitowoc.
<br /> Citizen demand has many industrial communities using
<br />zoning and permitting as tools to retain such access. Setback
<br />requirements, for example, allow uninterrupted movement
<br />along the waterfront, and height limitations on buildings ensure
<br />view protection.
<br /> Plan for everyone. Civic leaders, planners, developers, and
<br />private residents alike should benefit from waterfront renewal
<br />efforts. An effective and supported plan will provide an
<br />incentive for the entire community rather than just private
<br />developers or potential home buyers. Simply replacing
<br />manufacturing with privately owned residences contradicts the
<br />notion of returning the waterfront to the community.
<br /> Residential developments, manufacturing faci[itles, and open
<br />space can coexist. Careful planning and appropriate zoning have
<br />produced this harmonious relationship in many waterfront
<br />communities around the country. "Washington's Landing is an
<br />emerging center of commerce, industry, and recreation," says
<br />Pittsburgh Mayor Tom Murphy. "The creation of attractive
<br />housing is rounding out development of the island."
<br /> Municipal parks, greenway development, public beaches, and
<br />boardwalks are attractive waterfront elements that citizens may
<br />demand. Developers may be hard-pressed to build and maintain
<br />the extensive open space systems more suitable for public
<br />agencies. With too many privately owned properties, non-
<br />waterfront residents can feel left out and isolated. An excessive
<br />
<br />
<br />
|