By By MIKE VOSS
Contributing Editor
Washington now has a harbor district, mostly for marketing purposes.
The district was approved by the City Council during its meeting Monday. Establishing the district was one of seven goals developed by Citizens for Revitalization to help begin implementation of the reinvestment and revitalization strategy for the downtown/waterfront area adopted (in concept) by the council last year. The strategy calls for creating a downtown harbor district that includes activity centers and districts, along with a diversity of uses while maintaining the public’s access to the Pamlico River. The plan calls for “investments” to improve the quality of life in Washington, with those investments being made by the public sector, the private sector and public-private partnerships.
Although the council approved the harbor district, the council made it clear it will modify the district’s boundaries. There are no regulations or rules associated with the harbor district, which will be used for “branding purposes,” according to Chris Furlough, the spokesman for Citizens for Revitalization, who addressed the council.
The harbor-district boundaries (yet to be modified by the council) are as follows:
• South boundary — the water’s edge of the Pamlico River on its southern shore.
• West boundary — Bridge Street (both sides).
• North boundary — Third Street (both sides) to Market Street on the north and then north on Market Street to midway between Third and Fourth streets. Then from Market Street east along Water Street to include the Builder’s First Source property.
• East boundary — the railroad trestle.
Council members indicated they want to include land beyond the southern shore of the river as part of the district and to modify the northern boundary in the Fourth Street area. Those modifications will be made in the near future, council members said.
“We need to protect that shoreline,” said Mayor Pro Tempore Bobby Roberson, referring to the south side of the Pamlico River between the U.S. Highway 17 bridge and the trestle.
“When you’re happy with the boundaries, we’re happy with the boundaries,” Furlough told the council.
Citizens for Revitalization continues to pursue another of the seven goals, Furlough said.
A design concept for public restrooms and a dockmaster’s facility at the west end of the waterfront promenade has been developed for the purpose of seeking grants to pay for the building that would house the restrooms and dockmaster’s facility. The design of that building attempts to replicate the former Pamlico Lighthouse.
The harbor-district idea surfaced several years ago when talk about putting a mooring field in the Pamlico River off Washington’s waterfront began.
For additional coverage of the council’s meeting, see future editions of the Washington Daily News.