On Thursday night Greenwich residents are invited to a public hearing at Town Hall to share opinions and input with the harbor management commission, who are charged with compiling a plan for Greenwich’s harbors.
Beginning at 7:30pm, residents will have a chance — 3 minutes each — to speak. Signups to speak will be ready at the beginning of the meeting. The hearing will be recorded by GCTV (not broadcast live) for future viewing.
Greenwich Harbor Master Ian Macmillan reading handouts provided by consultant Geoffrey Steadman, hired by Town of Greenwich to help the commission write a harbor management plan. Credit: Leslie Yager
During the discussion on Wednesday, the consultant hired by the Town of Greenwich to help with the writing of the Harbor Management Plan, Geoffrey Steadman made several points to the commission as they discussed integrating his input with their chapter drafts.
Geoffrey Steadman, the consultant retained to help the Harbor Management Commission write a Plan for the harbors, said that the plan should delineate jurisdiction of the Town versus the state when it comes to harbors.
Steadman prepared several suggested discussion topics for the hearing.
1. Greenwich Harbors Area: The harbor management jurisdiction includes several distinct harbors and coves. For the purpose of the Harbor Management Plan, this area of municipal jurisdiction is known as the Greenwich Harbors Area (GHA) and includes:
• Port Chester Harbor (Byram) • Byram Harbor • Greenwich Harbor • Smith Cove • Indian Harbor Cos Cob Harbor • Greenwich Cove • Tomac Cove • Greenwich Outer Harbor
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2. Institutional Framework for Harbor Management
Town, state and federal agencies have authorities and responsibilities affecting use an conservation of the GHA including: the Board of Selectmen, Harbor Management Commission, Parks & Rec, P&Z, and Police, DEEP, DOT, and US Army Corps of Engineers.
In addition the general public and waterfront property owners have important rights and interests.
• Town of Greenwich Agencies • Neighboring Towns • Regional Agencies • State of Connecticut • Federal Government • General Public • Waterfront Property Owners • Private Organizations
3. Harbor Management Issues and Planning Considerations
A number of issues affecting use and conservation of the GHA are being brought to the attention of the Harbor Management Commission, including issues concerning boating safety, dredging of navigation channels, management of boat mooring locations, conservation of coastal resources, and coordination among different agencies. For discussion purposes, the issues are grouped into seven inter-related categories:
• Public Health, safety and welfare • Navigation and Water-Use • Environmental Quality and Resources • Recreational Boating • Waterfront Land-Use and Development • Water and Waterfront Access • Administration and Coordination
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