Consultant urges flexible redesign of Tsunami Landing plaza, residents press tsunami‑zone and evacuation concerns

The consultant described Tsunami Landing as a historically overdesigned pedestrian mall that has become a backwater and suggested converting it into a flexible, shared‑use promenade that retains event capacity while restoring visibility and reducing spaces that encourage illicit activity. "The thing that is most problematic... is a tsunami landing pedestrian mall," the Presenter said, and presented examples of other downtowns that converted failing pedestrian malls into activated mixed‑use corridors.

Several attendees raised tsunami‑zone and evacuation worries during Q&A, asking how new development, critical facilities and housing would be insured and served in a known tsunami/floodplain area. The Presenter acknowledged those concerns and said tsunami evacuation and insurance issues are a larger regional policy challenge but noted the plan could incorporate vertical elements or evacuation structures into future design concepts if the community requests it.