|
Citizen Access?
Mark
Y. Avelli
03/01/2003
Citizen access to waterfront property has been the city's clarion call to marshal the public support needed to justify going forward with the now delayed Trillium project. Unfortunately, past city actions on waterfront access fails to pass the litmus test of credibility.
Over decades, the wise masters at city hall have functionally reduced waterfront access. For example:
(1) Swimming was once permitted at Wayside Park. Drowning accidents a few years ago was used by the city to declare Wayside Park off limits. If drowning is the criteria, it follows that swimming at Pensacola Beach should not be permitted.
(2) The popular boat-launching ramp at the end of Hyde Park Rd. was closed a few years ago.
(3) Building Bayfront Parkway close to the waters edge has effectively removed public access to several hundred yards of shoreline.
(4) Long term leasing, or the sale of Bayfront Auditorium and Port Royal property to private interests has made more city shoreline not accessible by the public.
(5) The bulkheads recently built at Trillium have effectively reduced desirable access to the water. Where are the boat ramps or walking piers?
(6) During the past decade, easy public access to gulf waters has been eliminated by poor planning both within and outside national seashore boundaries.
The audacity and demagoguery of the city citing "waterfront access" to bolster support for the development of Trillium is the manure practiced by many of those elected to office. Pensacola and environs has more than its share.
Mary Y. Avelli
Email
Comments
Gulf
One
mya_ep_112002.html
|
