It was a rocky process that included legal battles and prior site rejection, but the Bridgeport & Port Jefferson Steamboat Company that provides daily service to and from Port Jefferson New York, won approval from the Zoning Commission Monday night to relocate its Downtown terminal to Seaview Avenue across the harbor in the East End.
After years of squabbling over location, the city and Captain Brian McAllister, president of the ferry service, began moving in the same direction last year. A 2012 Connecticut Deep Water Port Strategy Study commissioned by the Connecticut Office of Policy and Management, recommended that the state work to facilitate the move of the ferry terminal to the other side of the harbor.
From the state report:
“In Bridgeport the State should support the Phase 1 relocation/expansion of the Bridgeport ferry to the Barnum Landing Location consistent with the analysis presented in the October 31, 2011 TIGER Grant Application, which was supported by the City of Bridgeport. A total of 347 jobs by 2020 are projected as part of that relocation and expansion. The City should integrate the ferry relocation with the recently-announced 150,000-square-foot Bass Pro Shop’s location to the Steel Point development in Bridgeport Harbor.”
Some Downtown residents support keeping the ferry terminal in its current location or even a two-dock scenario with alternating docking throughout the day and evening for commuters and major event traffic at the Webster Bank Arena and Ballpark at Harbor Yard.
Chuck Willinger, the attorney representing Downtown businesses opposing the ferry terminal relocating across the harbor, had characterized campaign donations from ferry executives to state and local elected officials, as reported by the Connecticut Post, “outrageous-–bordering on scandalous.” The story implied the campaign donations may have helped secure support to move the terminal. Willinger, a savvy land use attorney, is no stranger to campaign contributions. He’s raised tens of thousands of dollars on behalf of a variety of elected officials throughout the decades.
This is good for the people using the Ferry, easy access to I-95 north and south. Please don’t use the tie-in with Bass Pro. How many ferrygoers will be going to Bass Pro?
You talk about Bass Pro like it’s under construction. Nothing going on yet plus seeing is believing.
The Finch admin fought this move tooth & nail, claiming the downtown businesses will lose out … but the admin suddenly got behind the move once the ferry company contributed to his re-election bid. Funny how that worked …
I guess the old saying holds true, money talks and bullshit walks. Let’s see, six people x $1,500; not bad, $9,000 in the campaign coffers.
That’s not much money once you’re out of a job.
BARF, no worries for Finch there, he will get a job with the UI once he’s out of office, his pushing of the solar field in Seaside Park guaranteed that for him. Why do you think he pushed for it so hard even though the contract is going to kill this city in the future? Think about it.
Problem is there is no mayoral replacement unless you count Fabrizi who is knocking on doors looking for support.
Someone with a real chance to win needs to step forward soon, and I don’t mean Mary-Jane Foster, I mean someone with a chance to win who appeals to the people.
Gee whiz BPT REBEL, I understand you like John Fabrizi but to count Mary-Jane Foster out is a little silly, no? Besides, there is a new breeze blowing through the City. There are many young forward-thinking people getting involved in grassroots operations. So far, other than Finch’s support of public housing downtown supported also by Adam Wood and the development director, I do not think Fabrizi has a chance since he himself spoke so highly of Finch and publicly endorsed him. IN FACT THE FIRST TIME I VOTED FOR FINCH AND HAD HIS SIGNS ON MY FRONT LAWN IT WAS BECAUSE JOHN FABRIZI ENDORSED HIM. I thought John was a good mayor. His demise was so unfortunate. I think next time around you will see and hear of some new talent that just may give Finch a good fight to the finish. This individual will have to have a strong platform. Running an anti-Finch campaign is not going to fly.
Steven Auerbach, have you every spoken with Bill Finch and had a conversation with him?
I have known Bill Finch since he was on the common council during the Moran administration. I have spoken to the Mayor a few times. He had always been respectful. I attended his first inaugural at the Klein and the Barnum Museum. I can only say he has always been respectful to me. Why would I cut him down? I only judge people on how they treat me.
Steven Auerbach, Bill Finch is a pleaser, he wants you to like him and believe everything he tells you. He hates to be challenged on what he’s saying, he has no problem in telling you a lie, he can be a bully if you let him.
Doesn’t that make him like every politician who ever served? Ron Mackey, I learned something a long time ago, no matter how hard you try, you cannot please all of the people all of the time. You may do your best but you just cannot do it. That being said, you do not try because it isn’t going to happen.
Steven Auerbach, I’ve had dealings with mayors Bucci, Ganim, Fabrizi and Finch either as a member of the DTC, firefighter union officer or Firebird Society officer, and what I found was Bucci, Ganim and Fabrizi would tell you there were things they couldn’t do. Even with that fact you saw you could work in good faith with Bucci, Ganim and Fabrizi but with Finch he would lie about the subject. Trying to please and be liked is one thing but to lie and be dishonest is something different.
Okay Ron, I got you. YOU are talking personal agenda with the union. I look at the entire picture. Tom Bucci was a very nice guy. He was my Attorney for my first home and appointed me to the Black Rock Historic commission. Joe Ganim dismissed me from the City and his legacy speaks for itself. John Fabrizi came to my street to make sure the roads were paved, he really has a love for this city and I like his style, he reminds me of a character on the Sopranos. Bill Finch is moving this city forward on many fronts and Governor Malloy is funneling money to the City. If Mayor Finch snubs the Governor and University of BRIDGEPORT I will reevaluate my opinion. I see the bigger picture. And Ron Mackey, I hold our police and firemen in high esteem, but these days the public isn’t really concerned with union contracts. I think unions and pensions are a thing of the past and to be honest, they have crippled the City and brought us to our knees. And most of the recipients are not Bridgeport residents.
Let’s take Mayor Finch at face value when he addressed the BRBC on March 11, 2014 with his State of the City talk. “First and foremost, economic development and jobs are coming back to our city. And as your mayor, I’m working hard every day to do what’s right for Bridgeport taxpayers.” Two pages later while addressing the subject of “an educated workforce,” he said, “The status quo of public education in Bridgeport is not acceptable to anyone.”
It is impossible to move the educational status quo without the City meeting the State requirement for receiving current ECS payments. Yet that is what the Mayor’s budget proposal did. He deducted $9.8 Million of supposed City-side expenses from his budget and pushed them to the BOE as in-kind. He even inflated and created categories not currently in his budget. Incredible!!!
When that comes back to him, it would seem the CC will have to scramble for more money. It is about the kids, right? But what about the taxpayer? Well, most taxpayers cannot see how far the City has moved from what the Charter directs. Tom Sherwood has created a process that does not require City Council to approve transfers any longer. (And nobody who should know where the Comptroller’s Department found $500,000 of Miscellaneous Cash after the books closed for 2013 has spoken up. In the Mayor’s budget that departmental line item for ACTUAL 2013 has changed to read COPIES! Can you believe that? Did they take a $50 bill and reproduce it 10,000 times?
And that audited June 2013 report also puts the lie to the Mayor’s supervision of City Council members contributing taxpayer funds to charities before a primary and election cycle. Neither charitable nor political would be allowed were stipend funds used, so Tom McCarthy must have figured no problem. And he has led the way. Thoughts? Time will tell.