The Haines borough hired a consulting company to write a new comprehensive plan. The document will guide local decision making for the next decade.
Consultants from the firm Agnew Beck will be in Haines next week to meet the community and facilitate a series of meetings. They have been hired by the borough to write a new comprehensive plan.
Kreitzer: “The current plan was written in 2012”
That’s borough manager Annette Kreitzer.
Kreitzer: “The assembly and the planning commission started having this discussion in September/October of last year, and wanting to move forward and not wait until 2025 to actually update the plan.”
The state requires municipalities to write a comprehensive plan.
Borough code defines a comprehensive plan as a compilation of policies, statements and maps for guiding the physical, social and economic development, both private and public, of the borough.
Five main themes will be the focus of the next plan. Land use, economic development, utilities, transportation and housing. Kreitzer says it is important to engage all the entities in town that will be affected by the plan.
Kreitzer: “So you are going to see outreach to not only the general public, but specifically to organizations like the Haines Economic Development Corporation, Chiloot Indian Association, Chilkat Indian Village -Klukwan-, the chamber of commerce, we are going to reach out to many folks.”
Kreitzer says citizens serving on boards will also be contacted, as well as private businesses.
Kreitzer: “Like on the Ports and Harbor Committee, when we are talking about transportation issues, it’s important for them to be involved. It’s important for Alaska Seaplanes to be involved in that conversation. So as we look at each of these elements of the comp plan, we are trying to invite not only the general public, but also folks that have that specific knowledge that can be helpful.”
The planning commission plays a key role in the design of the comprehensive plan. Because the recent special election shows almost two thirds of voters chose to shift to an elected planning commission, some say writing the new plan should wait until after the election.
Travis Eckhoff sits on the planning commission, and he commented on the situation at the last borough assembly meeting.
Eckhoff: “I just encourage the assembly, the planning commission and the Haines borough to pause the work on the updates to the comprehensive plan until the elected planning commission is in place, I’m concerned that moving forward with the comprehensive plan updates without the elected commission would maybe undermine some of the community’s trust in that plan.”
Kreitzer says the process is too far along to stop.
Kreitzer: “We started this ball rolling way before the initiative was even considered, and we are so far down the road now with this that it doesn’t make sense to slow it down. That’s why we are getting the word out to people to participate.”
Shelly Wade will manage the project for Agnew Beck. She says it is not unusual for community leadership to change during the planning process.
Wade: “Elections happen mid-stream on planning processes, and that’s why our priority is to continue to engage whoever it is who is sitting in those seats. That we continue to have that interactive engagement and prioritize a constant dialogue.”
Wade says the bulk of her work with the community will happen this summer, and that her company will present a draft plan to the borough in the fall. By that time, the election will have taken place, and the elected planning commission will review the plan before sending it to the new borough assembly for approval.
Wade says she and her coworkers have already started conducting individual interviews with assembly members and planning commissioners.
Wade: “We are really prioritizing at least for these initial stakeholder dialogues, to get the forks that are working most closely with these topics, and then we are planning in September a community wide, broader public workshop, where we have more opportunity to do a bigger event for all community members.”
Manager Kreitzer encourages community members to come to the meetings and be part of the process, especially those who want to serve on a borough board or committee.
Kreitzer: “If you are interested in sitting on the planning commission you need to engage now. I think it’s really important that people take advantage of this opportunity.”
The first round of meetings will take place next Tuesday through Thursday.
Kreitzer says the schedule will be posted on the borough website.
Here is the schedule as communicated by Shelly Wade
Tuesday morning: Land use stakeholder dialogue, at the Aspen hotel.
Tuesday afternoon: Economic development, at the Aspen hotel.
Tuesday evening: Joint Planning Commission and Borough Assembly comprehensive plan revision workshop, 6 to 8 pm, in assembly chambers and on Zoom.
Wednesday morning: Utilities, at the Aspen hotel.
Wednesday afternoon: Housing, at the Aspen hotel.
Thursday morning; The consultants will attend the Ports and Harbor Advisory Committee, with a discussion focussed on transportation. In assembly chambers and on Zoom.
Informal discussions with community members are planned in addition to this, location undecided, maybe the brewery or the Mountain Market.
