The Haines Borough Assembly is remaining firm in its opposition to the proposed East Side Lynn Canal Highway.
The assembly voted 5-0 at its Oct. 28 meeting to send a letter drafted by former Mayor Stephanie Scott to the Department of Transportation once again stating the borough’s preference for improved ferry service over a road connecting Juneau to Katzehin.
The assembly has passed several resolutions opposing the east-side road, including in 2011, 2007 and 1997. The Haines Chamber of Commerce also opposed the road via resolution in 1997.
The letter outlines multiple concerns with the Juneau Road plan, including safety, reliability, the availability of emergency services, economic impacts and the effect on foot passengers.
“(The Alaska Marine Highway System) is not weather-dependent, offering reliable access to Juneau year-round. If (the Juneau Road) is built, both road and air access will be weather-dependent. Nineteen percent of trips to Juneau are medical or business-related, and 18 percent of Juneau trips are for jet service. Reliability is key,” the letter reads.
Jeremy Stephens was the lone audience member to comment on the letter at the meeting, and said he objected to sentences like, “The borough continues to oppose an East Lynn Canal road.”
Stephens, a DOT employee, urged the assembly not to send the letter.
“I consider myself a member of the borough. I know there are at least four or five people that are in support of a road. Therefore, not the entire borough is opposed,” Stephens said.
The letter also cites a 2003 McDowell Group survey, which Stephens called “a bit outdated.”
The survey determined 67 percent of Haines residents preferred better ferry service to the Juneau Road.
Assembly member Diana Lapham also questioned the letter’s claim that ferry service is not weather-dependent. “There have been occasions where the small ferry, as well as the Fairweather, have been canceled (and) do not operate because of the weather in the northern Lynn Canal. They’ve been turned back,” Lapham said.
She also objected to the letter’s assertion that the Juneau Road “will likely provide a net economic loss for Haines with expected retail leakage to Juneau and resulting decreased sales tax revenue.”
“With total respect to outgoing Mayor Stephanie Scott, I think this is an unsubstantiated statement, because we don’t know. We already have people going and using their purchasing power (in) Juneau,” Lapham said.
Newly-elected assembly member Mike Case said while he agreed with Lapham to some extent, the letter is about representing the majority of borough residents.
“I think we ought to send the letter as-is, because it gets pretty much the opinion of the majority of the people. Somebody in the audience pointed out quite correctly that it’s not everybody. Some people want the road. But the majority of the people that elected the folks here (on the assembly) have expressed opposition to the road,” Case said. The public comment period on DOT’s road document, the draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement, closes Nov. 25.Submit comments via email to [email protected] or visit www.juneauaccess.alaska.gov.