The Planning Board will be hosting
two forums next month on the issues facing the working waterfront.
The Changing Waterfront: Economic Conditions for the Central Waterfront – Ground Fishery, Lobster Fishery, and Marine Tourism
March 2, 2010; 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Merrill Auditorium Rehearsal Hall, Myrtle Street entrance
Private Piers, Public Policy, and the Future of the Portland’s Central Waterfront
March 3, 2010; 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Merrill Auditorium Rehearsal Hall, Myrtle Street entrance
The first forum, The Changing Waterfront: Economic Conditions for the Central Waterfront – Ground Fishery, Lobster Fishery and Marine Tourism, will explore the economic challenges and opportunities facing three key components of the marine industries that current policies are designed to protect. Panelists include Deirdre Gilbert, Deputy Commissioner of the Maine Department of Marine Resources, Burt Jongerden, General Manager of the Portland Fish Exchange, Barbara Whitten, Executive Director of the Greater Portland Convention and Visitor Bureau, commercial lobsterman and “Lucky Catch” tours owner Tom Martin, and Don Perkins, President of the Gulf of Maine Research Institute. The forum will also provide an opportunity for the panelists, Planning Board and public to discuss how changes to current policies may impact identified marine industries.
The next day, a second public forum, Private Piers, Public Policy, and the Future of Portland’s Central Waterfront, will outline potential changes to Portland’s waterfront, and seek public input on the future of the zone. Participants will be broken into small groups to discuss a number of questions including: Have current policies helped or hindered economic vitality for the area? How would significant non-marine development in the Central Waterfront impact the city as a whole? What elements should be preserved and what elements can be improved for the Central Waterfront zone?
