The Picture Point Wayside Project is costing more than the Haines Borough projected, with new bathrooms at $25,000 over budget and paving of the pullouts pretty much out of the picture.
The ad hoc Picture Point Design Committee met at the site Monday to discuss the project and get an update from tourism director Leslie Ross. Ross inherited the project after community and economic development director Bill Mandeville resigned last month.
As the committee hadn’t met since August, there was some confusion about the project priorities, funding status and steps for future development. In August, the committee had recommended the borough buy a $27,500 rest room and $28,000 “Welcome to Haines” sign for the site.
As it turns out, the recently-installed bathrooms cost about $35,000, Ross said. And the original estimates didn’t take into account the cost of installing the bathrooms, which added another $24,500.
“It wound up being a bit of a bigger deal,” public facilities director Brian Lemcke told the committee.
Committee members also asked when the lots were set to be paved, with members Rob Goldberg and Judy Heinmiller saying they specifically remembered previous project coordinator Darsie Culbeck saying part of the grant was earmarked for paving.
Goldberg said it was his understanding the northern pullout would be paved, while the area closer to town would remain a gravel lot. The northern pullout was brought up to grade with Lutak Road last fall.
Ross said the grant included only $2,000 for paving, which would cover hardly anything, so she moved that money into the site prep budget.
“So this is it. We’re getting D-1 for our finished surface. Okay,” Goldberg said.
The committee decided to make beach access trails its next priority. It also asked the borough to provide cost estimates for placing logs at the edge of the lot.
The committee talked about complaints members have been hearing around the community, including from photographers objecting to the picnic tables placed on the gravel lot and a “No Overnight Camping” sign there marring the view.
Public facilities director Lemcke said the sign has repeatedly been knocked down.
At a recent Planning Commission meeting, commissioner Heather Lende questioned why the parking area was raised to meet the road, making it more difficult to access the beach. “It makes the beach inaccessible,” Lende said. “It’s a place to park your truck and look out. You’re not going to go down.”
Goldberg said a rough access trail has already been cut on the east side of the graded gravel lot, and the committee’s next step is working on establishing a trail to connect the two lots.
“I don’t know what the problem is. I don’t know what people are complaining about,” Goldberg said.
The committee is set to meet at the site at 11 a.m. Monday to walk and mark the future trail.
A conceptual design for the Picture Point project by architects Bettisworth North put the project’s price tag at $730,000. The design depicts a park with two distinct areas and parking lots. The design includes amenities – fire rings, picnic tables and a pavilion – and a concrete patio with an inlaid map of the Chilkat River area engraved into the stone.
The committee has repeatedly acknowledged the borough doesn’t have enough money for all elements of the design. As it stands, the borough has $35,000 left for trails, $16,000 left for a pavilion, a couple thousand dollars for site preparation, less than $5,000 for grant management expenses and $6,800 left for landscaping.
About $28,000 already has been appropriated for a “Welcome to Haines” sign flanked by two totem poles made at Alaska Indian Arts. It’s unclear where the sign will be situated.