The City of Morro Bay is taking bids now for a consultant to update the master plan for the future of the heart of the city.
The City is seeking a consultant to update the Waterfront Master Plan, part of the Local Coastal Program and the General Plan, and the main document covering the main tourism area. It’s the first update of the WMP since first being adopted in 1996, nearly 30-years ago.
“The WMP,” reads the request for proposals, “is a land use policy document, a conceptual development plan, and implementation document.
“The WMP sets a vision for future development, land use, circulation, and infrastructure for Morro Bay’s waterfront area.”
The WMP has background information on the waterfront’s history and current conditions plus conceptual plans for four main waterfront planning areas, “and a roadmap of future actions to achieve the WMP vision.”
It also has a chapter on design guidelines, which traditionally have been a “fishing village” motif, though that’s not too well defined, and has guidelines and standards for development that are not the same for other areas of town.
Such plan updates normally take a long while to complete and will include chances for the public to chime in on their vision is for the waterfront’s future.
One possible curveball in this at bat, could be the future of waterfront facilities in the face of potential use by the proposed offshore floating wind farms and the facilities those companies might need.
The city already got $1.5 million from the Federal Government to make upgrades and repairs to the North T-pier, which could become the tie-up spot for the OSW crew boats. Then again, the Trump Administration halted all permitting work on offshore wind projects, as the new president believes these projects to be boondoggles and part of what he calls the “climate change scam.”
On the other hand, the State Government seems committed to OSW projects here and off Humboldt County, plus it wants to install near shore wind turbines up and down the entire State of California.
Bids are due by 5 p.m. Friday, March 14.
