Urging Compromise for the Redevelopment of the Kingston Pen
Kingston is riven with Yes/No battles – the Third Crossing/The Capitol/The Wellington Street Extension/The Airport Extension –so when it comes to the future of the Pen, surely there could be compromise?
Enough can be preserved (some must be, architecturally) to satisfy those who want the history and the tours. And surely, enough of the walls and modern structures can go, to allow a home for the Marine Museum, CORK and a view of the water?
Mid-rise Condos may be a step too far beside Portsmouth village, but can we not reach an amicable compromise for once? The Pen has seen enough fights already, let’s not have another.
I feel like this is a classic case of positions vs. interests. The “position” might be “tear down the walls” and another “position” might be “keep up those walls” – but each of those positions has interests behind it, and it might be possible to meet both sets of interests through different means – something more sophisticated and elegant than simply keeping up half the walls, for example. Perhaps everyone could read a copy of “Getting to Yes” and then come together for some genuine open discussions? I was at one of the recent sessions at Portsmouth Olympic Harbour and I thought that it was well-run and the plan, as presented so far, was well-considered and just fine. If people are going to stay stuck in closed positions, then someone will be upset and that’s the reality of moving ahead. But let’s not allow that to hold everything back. “If you choose not to decide you still have made a choice”.