[SteelTown]

CHARTING A NEW COURSE

Nicole Macintyre
The Hamilton Spectator
(Dec 4, 2007)

A new vision of the city's waterfront is trying to calm a storm of controversy brewing over the future of west Hamilton Harbour.

The Hamilton Waterfront Trust has unveiled its proposed plan for the shoreline, offering a radically different take than a city consultant paid some $600,000.

"This really is a compromise between all users," said Werner Plessl, the trust's executive director.

At a high level, the trust's plan is cheaper -- about $70 million to implement versus $83 million for the city's preferred plan -- and offers more retail and commercial space to generate taxes and attract visitors to the harbour.

"We want this to be a year-round destination," said Councillor Chad Collins, chair of the trust's board.

The alternative proposal leaves all but one of the waterfront's boathouses in place, instead of combining them under one roof as the consultant recommended.

The consultant's preferred plan, which covers Bayfront Park to Pier 8, has been under fire since it was unveiled earlier this year. The city is still collecting public input on the proposal before bringing it to council in the new year for approval.

"There are certainly some challenges," said Christine Lee Morrison, the city's manager of strategic and environmental planning.

But while there has been negative feedback from waterfront users, Morrison said there has also been lots of positive reviews about the consultant's design.

She said city staff plan to meet with the trust to review its proposal before drafting the final recommended plan.