By Bob McChesney, Executive Director
Port of Edmonds

As summer inches toward fall, the Port of Edmonds has been making steady progress with Harbor Square redevelopment possibilities. Since an economic feasibility study was presented in November, the Port has conducted a series of Port Commission workshops, public meetings and open houses to consider a variety of development scenarios.

That phase of the public outreach process was completed in June. The level of public interest and participation was quite high. The gatherings were open conversations with a fair exchange of issues and ideas.

At this point, a potential preferred alternative for redevelopment has been neither chosen nor defined. We hope to get to that after this next round.

During the past several weeks, the Port has been working to refine a process for moving forward with Phase II. One area we would like to address is something called a view-shed analysis that will illustrate and measure if there are any local views that might be impacted by our future development. We don’t have those answers and we need to find out.

To that end, the Port has engaged an independent study by the University of Washington that will integrate up-to-date topographical maps, potential Harbor Square site plans, and highly sophisticated graphics to generate an interactive model. We think it is going to be pretty cool and it will be accessible from the Port’s website. Stay tuned.

Another important element of this next phase will be a more detailed representation of different design concepts. The Port has hired a professional planning and design firm to produce those for us.

We hope to energize even more ideas and citizen participation this time. Our intent is to both inform and be informed. We expect to re-commence the process by establishing a steering committee and then move to a new round of public workshops beginning around the end of October.

Fall will be here in less than two weeks. The time goes by quickly. We hope to see you at our next open house. These meetings are meant to be a partnership between you and the Port and we can’t hope to succeed without you, so please plan on joining us.

The actual number, dates and locations for the meetings will be well advertised here, as well as in different publications, in other media outlets and on the Port’s website. In fact, if you contact us, we will even email you the information as soon as it becomes available.