The current plan was last certified by the California Coastal Commission in 1980, though harbor commissioners have amended it several times since. Critics say the plan should be completely overhauled and re-submitted for certification, in part to reflect changes in the area that no one could have foreseen decades ago—including the sharp rise in sea traffic created by the long boom in the import-export business, as well as the hundreds of large commercial real estate projects that have sprouted up in the area over the past several years.

An even more pressing concern is the presence of several giant, highly explosive chemical tanks and terminals that dot the port area. Many local residents, as well as some harbor commissioners and military officials, say they want to move those terminals to more secure or remote areas.

One company, Westway Terminal Co., has already started working with government officials to relocate its chemical tanks near Signal and 22nd streets to a more remote parcel on Terminal Island. The move is expected to cost more than $25 million.

The face of commercial real estate development in the harbor area could be drastically changed if the port's master plan is essentially gutted and re-written, some real estate brokers say. Simply relocating more terminals could create promising new markets for builders, as jobs shift from one neighborhood to the next.

Meantime, many existing tanks and terminals were built on waterfront-area land that since has skyrocketed in value. Though such parcels might seem like ideal locations for future commercial projects, much of the land would likely first require extensive remediation work to clear it of toxins.