Letter: State DOT ignored plan to restore Falls of Clyde
Your recent article mentioned the Falls of Clyde and the state Department of Transportation’s (DOT) attempts to have her removed from the harbor (“State officials are working to redevelop Honolulu Harbor,” Star-Advertiser, May 31).
It was inaccurate to say that DOT “pushed for safety improvements.” While DOT made public statements that the ship was a safety hazard, it never provided evidence for that allegation. In 2014, we provided DOT with a drydock plan and a business plan. The ship was structurally sound and we had a phased restoration plan as a museum ship.
However, the drydock was a prerequisite before restoration could begin. We never got a response to our plan and in 2015 unsupported safety concerns were being communicated. If the ship is now unsafe after eight years of undermining our mission, who is to blame?
Bruce McEwan
President, Friends of Falls of Clyde Inc.
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