By appointing four new members of the city's Waterways Board, Mayor Carolyn Kirk last week didn't merely bring new voices to a panel that holds the keys to a number of important and creative projects.
She is also bringing a renewed economic development focus to an area that needs it most — Gloucester's waterfront and harbor.
The additions of former marine fisheries worker and boating advocate Patti Page, veteran permitting attorney Ralph Pino, recreational fishermen David McCauley and investor/boater all bring the potential for a more diverse board that can look at the city's needs and waterfront changes.
One of the board's first priorities should be to accelerate incumbent member Phil Cusumano's proposal for a floating marina that could provide important new dockage space for so-called "transient" boaters who may want to visit Gloucester's downtown for a day, but have not found welcoming space in the past.
Another should be to consider the role the waterfront piece of the I-4, C-2 property can and should play in the city's quest to attract bidders for that long-dormant site's development.
The Waterways Board — which controls the sliver of I-4, C-2 land right on the water — may operate outside the city's budget while managing the harbor as a self-sustained enterprise fund. But it's not fully independent from the city.
And while it's vital to maintain the waterfront I-4, C-2 parcel for the lobstermen who use that dock space — and must be allowed to keep doing so — there's no reason that space, working lobstermen and all, can't be incorporated into some retail and other potential uses of the overall site.
In making her appointments, Kirk noted that "we have a combination of people who can take a hard and fresh look at the harbor to drive positive economic options."
We can only hope she's right.
