September
2, 2001
Editorial;
Bad trade for Towhead
Courier-Journal, The (Louisville, KY)
MAYOR
Dave Armstrong's plan to turn over to Nugent Sand Co. 10 critically important
acres of waterfront property, just across from Towhead Island, is awful. The
gain of Towhead Island for public use wouldn't be worth the loss.
The City of Louisville has spent millions - rerouting River Road and relocating
a rail line - to make room on this property for some kind of residential
development that would simultaneously preserve public access to the water's edge
and encourage expansion of the only municipal harbor within the city limits. Now
the Mayor proposes trading away the waterside acreage.
This deal would amount to a public policy turnabout, and the Board of Aldermen
shouldn't approve it. Indeed, the City virtually never should sell or trade away
waterfront property, once it is in public ownership.
The original planning process for this site was extensive and open. Developers
submitted proposals, whose merits were publicly reviewed and debated.
But now, more or less out of the blue, Nugent is to get this valuable waterside
property and the community is to get, in return, Towhead Island, which has
uncertain value as public domain.
At the very least, this deal looks suspicious. It may be entirely aboveboard,
but the absence of a public process in developing it raises concerns.
Even the bird-watchers are unhappy, fearing that the surest way to destroy
Towhead as a wildlife reserve would be to make it accessible by ferry or water
taxi for activities such as picnics.
At a minimum, the Mayor's plan would interrupt the hardwon public access and
public space along the Ohio River in this area.
Proponents of the swap say that Nugent couldn't do anything on the land that
would be incompatible with adjacent parts of Waterfront Park or Beargrass Creek
Recreation Area.
It's true that Nugent would have to get approval of any development plans from
the Waterfront Development Corp., Jefferson County Planning Commisssion and (if
new zoning is required) the aldermen.
But the possibility also exists that if it didn't get what it wanted, it could
go to court and claim ``unreasonable constraint'' and ``taking without just
compensation.''
This is America. The only way to ensure compatibility between future residential
development and the public activity that surrounds this site is public ownership
of the land.
The message the Mayor's proposal sends is that, in this area, everybody can
visit the water's edge, but only the welloff may live there.
That approach has been avoided so far in the effort to reattach Louisville to
the Ohio River. Even the upscale Waterfront Park Place now being built will
preserve the water's edge for everyone. The value of that development is, in
fact, enhanced by the preservation of public space between it and the river.
When aldermen consider this issue, they must protect the public's interest in
waterfront access. Access to Towhead Island is secondary.
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