South Central Waterfront plan pushed back

The timeline for implementing the South Central Waterfront Regulating Plan has been extended once again, according to a memo from Planning Department Director Lauren Middleton-Pratt. In the memo, she explains that at an Aug. 24 meeting with members of the development community, her department heard concerns that “the Regulating Plan, as presented, would not be adequate to meet current and future market demands, would create obstacles to development, and would not achieve the vision of the South Central Waterfront Vision Framework Plan. To better understand the concerns of the development community, focused meetings will be held in mid-October.” A meeting with an advisory board working group two weeks later brought to light additional concerns that “some of the proposed community benefits could be exclusive and not available to the public.” In order to get more time to iron out these details, the original schedule that would bring the plan to City Council in December has been scrapped. The new timeline will allow for revisions and community comment through the end of this year, new presentations to city boards and commissions in January and February of 2024, and an anticipated Council vote in March or April of 2024.