The city’s inner harbor was cut off in the 50s by 195 and the hurricane barrier and there’s only a small vestige of relatively inactive industrial waterfront in Fox Point. India Point was made a park in the 70s. Why north of Thurbers? Why not north of Public? North of Thurbers almost a mile long stretch of the industrial waterfront. That’s almost half of the 2 ¼ mile long working waterfront for the whole city. There’s nowhere else to push port activities, unless you consider Quonset. There are already plans to begin residential-izing the East Providence waterfront.

With the discussion about creating a “green” economy besides the educational and medical ones, where will support and transport facilities go if any viable green industry is developed in Providence? Narragansett Bay is developed and unlike Boston, New York or Seattle where there was much more coastline for port activities to begin with, if Providence’s port is reduced to a little over a mile in length, will it still remain viable and competitive? If a compromise must be made, give away Fox Point to residential development.

http://providenceworkingwaterfront.org/index.php/2007/12/14/response-to-mayor-cicilline%E2%80%99s-providence-waterfront-commentary/

Businesses currently along Allens Avenue will continue to function as before and can grow and expand. The Plan does do two important things:

1. The Plan removes zoning restrictions that hampered efforts to build the economy along Allens Avenue, and;
2. It puts legal parameters in place that will allow a wide variety of economic activities to co-exist and thrive together.

Here’s how it will work:

• Before opening for business, new property owners will have to agree to deed restrictions and lease restrictions acknowledging that common by-products of industrial uses such as noise, odor and vibration do not constitute a nuisance.
• In the event residential development is proposed along Allens Avenue, it will only be allowed north of Thurbers Avenue (the W-3 zone). Further, residential uses will be allowed on a conditional basis only. Residential proposals, like condominiums, will require special permits. Finally, priority will be given to residential uses that are tied to the associated commercial uses, such as workforce housing for employees.

This applies to Allens Avenue north of Thurbers.

But, I’m glad to see that some common sense is finally being used here. It’s progress.