The Haines Borough Administration building. (Emily Files)
The Haines Assembly has delayed a decision on a petition to rezone a portion of property along South Sawmill Rd. It wants to give the Planning Commission more time to review a different solution.
Two organizations petitioned to have the zone changed from Heavy Industrial, to Rural Mixed Use — Takshanuk Watershed Council and Professional Property Management.
The request, to rezone all or part of the 61 acres near Jones Point, went first to the Planning Commission, which asked the assembly to deny the petition.
Planning Commission Chair Rob Goldberg was absent from the meeting where that decision was made, but he told the assembly it was the right one.
“Rural mixed use will allow residences to come into that area,” said Goldberg. “And when residences come in next to industrial, there’s always conflict. So I think having rural mixed use come into this area is just a recipe for future conflict. And I think it will actually come back to bite the property owners who are there now.”
Goldberg said there is a need for an industrial area close to town. But, he presented a possible solution: rezone the area as Light Industrial.
He said that would allow for heavy industrial uses with a conditional use permit. But, it would also allow for a broader array of uses to accommodate the current property owners.
In its application to the borough, Takshanuk said the current zoning is preventing the organization from pursuing several goals, including developing trails, and making the area a center for recreation, education, research and conservation.
Ben Kirkpatrick is president of the Takshanuk Board of Directors.
“As the Watershed Council, I am not wed to rural mixed use,” said Kirkpatrick. “Rob Goldberg’s suggestion sounds just fine. You can literally zone it however you like. We just have certain things we would like to do.”
The other portion of land on the rezone petition is owned by Professional Property Management. It’s mainly used as employee housing, office space, equipment storage and a warehouse for Alaska Mountain Guides and Chilkat Guides. Sean Gaffney heads up those businesses.
“We’re going to have that land for decades,” said Gaffney. “And when we sell it eventually, it’s hard for me to consider that it would be sold to anybody for other than the use that’s occurring there now. The zoning designation as it currently exists is something that we’re just not going to put a dime into.”
Right now, the property is split into two different zoning designations. Gaffney said making all of it Rural Mixed Use would allow for consistency. And, he said the Heavy Industrial designation is contradictory to the comprehensive plan.
The assembly postponed making a decision on the issue until the planning commission has the chance to take up other possible solutions to the zoning issues.
