Naked City

The Seaholm District Master Plan is destined to receive mixed reviews today (Thursday, May 9) when it goes before City Council for a public hearing, scheduled for 6pm. The plan leaves a couple of key issues unresolved: the design and direction of the Pfluger Bicycle Pedestrian Bridge extension, and the fate of the Lumbermen's Investment Corp. property west of the Seaholm Power Plant. Actually, the plan does address the Lumbermen's tract -- but not in a way many community advocates would prefer. According to the current plan, the city would realign nearby Sandra Muraida Way to elevate the property above flood level. What the plan doesn't address is the prospect of the city buying the land and scratching Lumbermen's out of the picture altogether. The South Central Coalition of neighborhoods, one of several groups studying the plan, doesn't relish the notion of a private property owner reaping substantial benefits from a public project. Moreover, they, along with bicycle and pedestrian advocates, believe that the City Council should first take action on the public safety issues associated with the incomplete Pfluger Bridge before moving ahead on the Seaholm plan.