To the editor:
Gloucester's deep water commercial harbor is its crown jewel, a recognized prime commercial waterway on the Eastern seaboard.
For years, activists and preservers of the "working waterfront" have advocated for our blue-collar fishermen and the preservation of Gloucester's quintessential commercial harbor.
In the mid 1960s, urban renewal devastated our working waterfront. Until recently, every public administration and economic development body have refused to recognize and address this major economic deficiency in our commercial tax-paying community.
To that end, we have rebuffed the commercial residential development of the Paint Factory by several private developers, opting for a nonprofit marine-related whaling research organization. This property, after decades, now half its original size, is the potential emblematic harbor front door to our city. Currently, this inactive property is a visual reminder of unproductive grandiose dreams, seeking some form of public funding.
While the periphery of our stagnant harbor continues to remain blighted and punctuated with undeveloped properties, this floating marina proposal, however well-intentioned, is destined to compound our working waterfront felonies of the past.
The one asset we have miraculously retained over centuries is our undisturbed natural deep water waterway, especially the Inner Harbor itself — until now! If the Waterways Board and the "fast track" Gloucester Daily Times have their way, I believe the very lifeblood of our community will be jeopardized by diminishing the only area showing new growth in a promising dynamic commercial working waterfront.
Our expanding new Cruiseport Gloucester facility, with its ocean-going tug and its continuing effort to attract medium-sized cruise vessels, is not enhanced by the introduction of a sprawling recreational mooring field at the narrow entrance to its North Channel waterfront location.
Introducing a 450-foot small boat obstacle, right smack in the middle of a deep water channel intersection leading into the far reaches of our harbor's north and south channels, is a bad proposal.
This narrow North Channel has a long history of near misses, collisions and sinkings. It can be argued that this floating marina is set back from the working channels, out of harm's way; it is not.
At high water, this area is a frequent short-cut for medium-sized vessels crossing the harbor.
A commercial harbor with year-round, 24-hour daily activity is no place to install a series of permanently anchored recreational floats! Think about this proposed 450-foot long, 18,000 square foot proposed "breakwater" with 30 small vessels tied up at night, unaware owners and crews sleeping, about to be run down by a huge, loaded herring trawler with an out-of-control engine! This whole floating breakwater, sitting dead center in our harbor, would be wiped out, similar to the recent cruise liner accident.
The point is, anything can happen in an overcrowded active commercial waterway.
Suppose a sudden southwest gale sweeps down the harbor as these small yachts hang precariously onto surging floats? Even our 110-foot Coast Guard cutter, from the same harbor area, always seeks calmer waters and refuge at the end of the fish pier in the North Channel or on the pier's south side Cripple Cove end. This practice started in 1940 and continues to the present day.
I am always in favor of meaningful waterfront development. This floating marina plan is a dangerous solution to circumvent the Designated Port Authority zoning restrictions.
This zoning is effectively killing our waterfront economic advancement. Our city fathers and state political representatives should move heaven and earth to get out from under this bondage, once and for all,
But, consider the following less dangerous harbor locations:
Behind Ten Pound Island.
Inside Eastern Point Breakwater, adjacent to yacht club.
In front of Niles Beach.
Off Half Moon Beach.
A few visitor floats at Freshwater Cove area or mouth of Little River.
This floating marina proposal is a pricey infrastructure investment.
This major city government undertaking demands thorough research from all departments — especially the legal department.
Proceed with caution!
RON GILSON
Gloucester
