Posted on Jan 20th, 2011
Key West city leaders are continuing to explore widening the shipping channel that leads into the city’s commercial harbor to accommodate newer, larger cruise ships.
The most recent step was authorization from the Key West City Commission for staff and lobbyists to push for federal authorities to authorize a $5.48 million study taking a detailed look at the economic and environmental impacts of widening the half-mile Cut B from 300 feet to 450 feet, allowing for bigger ships.
In a study released in November, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers pegged the total cost of such a project at $35 million.
Welcoming bigger ships with more passengers has long been controversial in Key West, pitting two old foes: Old Town quality of life versus a reliance on a tourism-based economy.
“I think this is going quietly along,” Commissioner Teri Johnston said, but it needs to be a major discussion.”
She mentioned an April 2010 panel discussion sponsored by environmental group Last Stand; of six panelists representing stakeholders including the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and small business, the Key West Chamber of Commerce was the only group in favor.
Johnston drove that point home in an exchange with City Manager Jim Scholl at a special City Commission meeting on Jan. 13.
“It’ll take years,” Scholl said of widening the harbor, “but we need to start if the community believes we need to continue to support a level of cruise-ship activity that we know the industry is going to evolve to.”
“Do we know if the community supports that?” Johnston asked.
“I don’t know if everybody believes that,” Scholl came back, adding that he knew the chamber supported it. “When do we hit that point where it’s too far to turn back?” Johnston asked. “Where do we hit that point where we’re no longer able to say we’ve decided to pull the plug on this?”
“Obviously the city of Key West is going to have to support the process from start to finish,” Scholl said. “If it doesn’t get resourced, it won’t happen.” He said there would have to be some money coming from the city but at this early point, no exact figure is clear.
“I want to proceed,” Johnston said on Tuesday, “knowing exactly where we’re at, when we can pull the plug if we decide to pull the plug as a community, and what the total impact is going to be.”
On the other hand, Commissioner Mark Rossi, who owns a large bar and entertainment complex on tourist-friendly Duval Street, supports the prospective dredging.
“If we don’t stay on top of widening that channel,” he said, “we’re going to be left in the wake of this and you’re going to be looking at more taxes to push on people. This is something that needs to be done. If you lose the cruise-ship business, the devaluation of Duval Street — it’s going to be a major impact here. I want to push it.”
By SEAN KINNEY (keysnet)
Source: keysnet, January 20, 2011; Image: Picasa, October 6, 2008