City council approves waterfront redesign after two years of debate
The plan adds a public promenade, a ferry stop and 300 parking spaces to the old cannery site
Port Ellery will finally rebuild its waterfront. After a four-hour session that ran past midnight, the city council voted 5 to 2 on Tuesday to approve a redesign of the former cannery site, ending a debate that began in 2024.
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The decision follows months of public meetings in Port Ellery, where residents pressed officials for a clearer timeline and a firm budget. Council members said the final plan reflects most of that feedback, although two of the seven seats voted against it.
"We heard the same thing at every meeting: people want to know what happens next and who is accountable," said Tom Alderman, who chairs the committee that reviewed the proposal. "This document answers both questions."
Officials at Ellery General Hospital said the change will be phased in over the next eighteen months, starting with the neighborhoods closest to the waterfront. A second phase, covering the rest of Marrow County, is expected to begin next spring.
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Not everyone is convinced. A group of business owners along Front Street argued that the schedule leaves too little time to adapt, and asked for a longer transition period. The request will be discussed at the next public session.
The numbers behind the plan are modest by regional standards, but significant for a city the size of Port Ellery. According to figures released this week, the program will cost about $4.2 million over three years, with roughly a third covered by state grants.
For Tom Alderman, a resident of the East Harbor district for more than two decades, the announcement was overdue. "We have been asking for this since my kids were in school," she said. "I am glad it is finally moving, even if it is later than it should be."