The idea for a Haines Borough-owned gravel pit died almost as quickly as it surfaced.
Planning and zoning technician Tracy Cui wrote in her Feb. 12 report submitted to the planning commission that the borough was seeking an area within the townsite to develop its own gravel pit. “Staff have selected a potential site, and will provide the commission with an analysis when it is ready,” Cui said.
Last week, though, public facilities director Carlos Jimenez said the idea has been ditched for the time being after preliminary investigation found the best site for a borough-owned gravel pit would be next to the Jones Point Cemetery.
“I’m not interested in developing a gravel pit that would be near the cemetery,” Jimenez said. “I don’t really have the time and resources right now to do any cost/benefit analysis of another area.”
Jimenez started looking into the matter when he saw someone had put $7,000 in the capital improvement projects fund for “investigation of gravel pit development.” “That money has been sitting there for years,” he said.
Jimenez asked Cui to identify unoccupied borough lots that might fit the bill. After surveying some of the plots with longtime locals, including Don Turner, who owns a gravel pit, the best option seemed to be the area near the cemetery.
Though Jimenez has pulled the brakes on moving forward now, “that’s not to say it won’t someday,” he said.
The issue is complicated because while developing a borough-owned gravel pit could likely save the municipality money, it could also put strain on private businesses, he said.
“I don’t want to put anybody out of business,” Jimenez said.