The Sturgeon Bay City Council will be asked to begin the process of vacating portions of 1st Avenue and Jefferson Street during its regular meeting Tuesday afternoon. The action, which comes at the request Fincantieri Marine Group, by way of Bay Shipbuilding, would essentially take the street segments off the city map so that the land could be used to consolidate all of the Bay Ship and Palmer Johnson parcels without streets cutting through them. That would also allow Bay Shipbuilding to incorporate the Palmer Johnson facilities into its yard. Representatives of the shipyard are expected to be on hand Tuesday to present their proposal and rationale for the street vacation request. If the council moves in that direction, a number of steps must be taken before a final vote on the matter. Introducing the resolution Tuesday does not bind the council in any way. After the required public hearing, the council still has the authority to approve or deny the request to discontinue the streets.
