The Port of Seattle is getting underway on its 20-year plan for FIshermen's Terminal that, according to the Port, will provide an analysis of customer and tenant needs and help develop a long-range plan for Fishermen's Terminal.

The plan is a way of projecting out the needs of the fishing fleet and how to best use and improve the 20 acres of upland area of Fishermen's Terminal, Joseph Gellings, project manager for the Port of Seattle, said at the Nov. 11 Ballard District Council meeting.

A number of meeting attendees expressed concern that the Port would ignore the needs of the fishing fleet in favor of development interests, such as condos.

Getting the highest returns on the property is not the goal of the 20-year plan, Gellings said.

"The Port is bound by the primary mission of serving the needs of the fishing fleet," he said.

He said the study will determine how much, if any, surplus land at Fishermen's Terminal exists that is not being used by the fishing fleet and what can be done with it.

According to the Port of Seattle, Fishermen's Terminal creates 3,924 jobs and the commercial fishing fleet brings in more than $37 million in state in local taxes annually.

The Port of Seattle is currently briefing community and industry organizations on the 20-year plan.

The Port will hold a 20-year plan open house for the public from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Jan. 6 at Chinooks Restaurant, located at Fishermen's Terminal.

For more information on the 20-year plan, visit the Fishermen's Terminal Web site or download the 20-year plan fact sheet with the link on the right.