In what has become a predictable verbal tug-of-war, 24 speakers had their say Tuesday night during an Edmonds City Council-sponsored public hearing regarding a proposed amendment that could pave the way for taller buildings near the Edmonds waterfront.

The hearing was the first of two aimed at giving the public a voice about the proposal to incorporate the Master Plan for the Port of Edmonds-owned Harbor Square Business Complex into the City’s Comprehensive Plan. While not a proposal for an actual project on the current Harbor Square site, Council incorporation of the master plan into the city’s plan is a necessary first step toward redeveloping the aging 14.62-acre complex. One possible result could be the inclusion of buildings heights of three to five stories, up to a maximum of 55 feet.

Speakers testifying against the amendment focused on a few main points: Mainly, the fear that taller buildings would spawn a host of problems, from destroying views to opening the door to allowing taller buildings nearby, notably the former Skipper’s restaurant property and the Waterfront Antique Mall located in the next block. There were also concerns about the stability of the soil on which the project would be built and the possible negative impact any new building would have on the nearby Edmonds Marsh.

John Reed, speaking on behalf of the Allied Citizens of Edmonds (ACE), said that his group has spent significant time studying the issue and can’t support it because of the negative impacts the proposal would have on views. “Five-story, 55-foot buildings do not in our opinion respect and compliment the small-town atmosphere and general low-level architecture of Edmonds,” he said.

On the other side, speakers encouraged the council to be willing to change the status quo — in the words of Kathleen Dewhurst, who sat on a Port steering committee studying the plan, “to have a vision for the future.” Edmonds Chamber of Commerce President Ron Clyborne said that the chamber believes the proposal will benefit “the community overall, not just the business community.” And Chamber member Darlene Stern noted that “The only human institution that rejects progress or change is the cemetery.”

The Port’s vision is to transform the business park of  tilt-up buildings, which the port acquired in 1978, into  a mixed-use transit-oriented development that could includes up to 358 residential units, 50,400 square feet of retail, 9,784 square feet of office, 123,410 square feet of recreational health club uses (including tennis courts), 3.8 acres of public open space, and 1,091 spaces of off-street parking. The Port first introduce the idea to the public in 2009, followed by the formation of a steering committee of interested citizens, several public meetings and workshops, and a public hearing prior to the Port Commission’s unanimous adoption of the plan in June 2012. The current site includes the Harbor Square Athletic Club and Tennis Center, the Harbor Inn hotel and numerous businesses located among five buildings on the site.

The next public hearing on the issue will be Dec. 18 in the Council Chambers, and citizens are encouraged to attend and express their thoughts.

In other action, the council:

– Approved the City of Edmonds Draft 2013 Legislative Agenda and Professional Services Agreement between the city and its lobbyist Mike Doubleday. After a lengthy discussion, councilmembers voted 4-3 to remove from Doubleday’s agenda a priority to lobby for a solution to “public safety, public access and ferry loading concerns as a result of more train travel through Edmonds.” The main sticking point was the “ferry loading” portion of that statement, with some councilmembers stating that they believed the focus should be on safety only.

– Adopted a rate increase of 7.5 percent for water rates and an 8 percent increase for stormwater in 2013, but decided to delay approval of a proposed hike in sewer rates pending a future discussion on the costs of planned wastewater treatment plant upgrades.