The Haines Borough Downtown Revitalization Committee is trying to get the ball rolling on several small projects, including installing a bike barn on Main Street and adding signs to direct drivers downtown.
At its June 2 meeting, the committee passed a motion supporting construction of a bike barn on Main Street, though only in concept. Committee member Heather Lende said she still wanted to see the design before construction begins in order to weigh in on the details.
Alaska Arts Confluence president Carol Tuynman and CVN publisher Tom Morphet have been discussing the bike barn with architectural designer Larry Larson, who drafted a rough concept of the structure last week.
The pavilion-like structure would shelter bicycles from the weather and keep them from piling up along Main Street storefronts, Morphet said.
Tuynman and Morphet envision the structure at the intersection of Third Avenue and Main Street at George Mark Park, though both have said they are open to putting it elsewhere downtown.
Mayor Stephanie Scott expressed skepticism about the location of the bike barn, and seemed to think the committee was getting ahead of itself when it endorsed the bike barn without seeing a design.
Scott said she has been discussing the idea of installing a bike barn in Haines for years, though it has never come to fruition. “We never even thought about this particular location,” Scott said of the Third and Main site, claiming the area would be too congested with a bike barn.
Scott urged the committee to consider the design carefully to ensure the aesthetics align with future downtown plans. She also pushed for a “uniform” design that could be used to build other bike barns around town. “I would recommend that you select a bike barn that can be replicated elsewhere,” she said.
Also at the meeting, committee member Lenise Henderson Fontenot moved to direct borough staff to touch base with the Department of Transportation regarding the possible repair of the agency’s dilapidated fence, which runs along the west end of Main Street.
The committee also passed a motion directing manager David Sosa to investigate installing signage that would direct tourists toward Main Street. As it stands, tourists driving off the ferry are liable to drive down Lutak Road to the Haines Highway without noticing Main Street.
The committee will meet at 5 p.m. Thursday, June 12, to discuss the Haines Brewing Company’s request to buy borough land at Fourth and Main. Regular meetings have been scheduled for 5 p.m. on the first Monday of each month.