Harbor plan ready to go in NL

City could be state’s only shoreline community without such a blueprint

New London — The city is poised to hire a consultant to start work on a Harbor Management Plan, what officials expect to be a blueprint for future activity on its waterfront and a voice in decisions regarding the area.

The New London Port Authority has chosen Geoffrey B. Steadman, a land and water resources planning consultant, to draft the plan. Steadman has helped work on plans for other towns, including Norwich, Old Saybrook, Chester and East Lyme, and is known as an expert in the field.

New London Mayor Michael Passero, a voting member of the Port Authority, said the city might be the only shoreline community without such a plan, which he likened to a Plan of Conservation and Development for the waterfront.

He said the New London Port Authority — which also would serve as a harbor management commission when the plan is completed — was revived in 2008, thanks to a push from himself and fellow City Councilor Adam Sprecace. A harbor management plan was always at the top of the priority list of the Port Authority, though a lack of funding was one of the hurdles.

Steadman, with approval from the City Council, would be paid $32,000 for his work on the plan. The fee will be split jointly between the Connecticut Port Authority and the Renaissance City Development Association, which was tasked in 2016 with working out the process for developing the plan.

The RCDA sent out a request for proposals in September.

The benefit of having a harbor management plan is a stronger city role in “planning management and regulation of in-water and waterfront activities,” Steadman said in his response to the request for proposals.

And while tidal waters, submerged lands and intertidal areas are the jurisdiction of state and federal authorities, Steadman said the plan would provide a mechanism for the city’s ideas to be considered and incorporated into state regulatory programs.

“The Harbor Management Plan will also serve to increase coordination among the different city commissions and departments that carry out harbor management-related activities,” Steadman wrote.

Port Authority Chairman Ken Edwards said the plan should act as a guide for maximizing use of the waterfront.

“Most of us would say it’s underutilized,” Edwards said of the waterfront. “Going forward, it should help guide what types of activities and development ... fall within its goals.”

Edwards said the final document should provide some continuity through changes in city administration and avoid political influence.

The proposal is being presented to the City Council on Monday. Passero said he expects it will take a year between development of the plan and approval at the state and local levels.