Gloucester’s historic, working waterfront has always been and continues to be the center of both civic and commercial activity in the City. The City continues to prioritize and explore ways to support infrastructure investment, create and retain jobs, and diversify our fisheries-based maritime economy. We believe our evolving economy, which continues to respond to such pressures as commercial fishing regulation and climate change, is poised to capitalize on new opportunities in marine research and product development to move Gloucester’s fishing and waterfront economy forward. The future of our harbor economy will be built upon strengthening its existing industry and infrastructure with compatible businesses while allowing a variety of scaled supporting uses. The city is identifying compatible industries for the commercial fishery, such as the professional maritime trades, renewable energy, and marine and climate change research. These economies provide additional work for the existing commercial fleet, increase demand for shoreside property, and may create synergy between the existing knowledge base of the community and the emerging blue economy industries.
Since the Dorchester Company of Puritans landed in Gloucester in 1623, the City’s historic, working waterfront has continued to be a center of both civic and commercial activity. Gloucester Harbor is the city’s most valuable asset, making planning for its future central to all economic and community development activity.
A Municipal Harbor Plan is a state-approved document establishing community goals, standards and policies to guide public and private land use along harbors.
Goals of this MHP update:
Strengthen and support traditional industries
Align the MHP and DPA plan with the City’s goals of diversifying and modernizing its maritime economy;
Incorporate long term planning to adapt to risks associated with rising sea levels and climate change; and
Renew the 2014 Gloucester MHP and the provisions of the DPA Master Plan for an additional ten years.
The City’s new MHP/DPA MP will be foremost a strategic document to support the existing economic base and expand economic development opportunities, including both marine water-dependent and supporting uses of harbor properties. The economic strategy will take into account the city’s overall economic position in order to most effectively position the economic revitalization of its maritime assets.
The City and consultant team will work closely with concurrent work being undertaken by the Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM) and develop coastal resilience strategies to protect infrastructure needed to secure harbor assets and inform the economic strategy.
In addition to serving as a strategic document for harbor economic development, the MHP/DPA MP will include a subsection that defines with analysis how the updated MHP/DPA MP meets the State’s requirements per 301 CMR 23.00
The City and Consultant team will evaluate the state regulatory environment and determine whether the regulations are tailored to Gloucester’s unique DPA and ensure regulations provide the city with the ability to attract both the water-dependent and supporting uses it desires for its diversified and economically healthy maritime economy.
Why plan now?
While Gloucester’s current Municipal Harbor Plan/Designated Port Area Master Plan (MHP/DPA MP) was approved on December 14, 2014 with a ten year expiration, we believe our evolving harbor economy faces continued pressures (1) to its commercial fishing operations from changes in fisheries management and global competition, and (2) to its existing and aging infrastructure from the risks associated with climate change and rising tides. We also believe that our harbor economy is poised to capitalize on new “blue economy” opportunities in fisheries, marine research and biotechnology, and ocean and seafood product development.
Tom Balf – Economic Development & Industrial Corporation Member
Katie Kahl – Citizen / Research Representative, Extension Assistant Professor of Sustainable Fisheries & Coastal Resilience at UMass Amherst
Vito Giacalone – Citizen / Industry Representative, Fisherman, Former Policy Director for the Northeast Seafood Coalition, and President of the Gloucester Fishing Community Preservation Fund.
Tessa Browne – Citizen / Industry Representative, Co-owner Cape Ann Lobstermen
