There were a couple significant events that led to my moving to Haines from Fairbanks four-and-a-half years ago. Those events were preceded by my son saying, “Why don’t you move to Haines so I can visit you and snowboard at the same time?” When the heli-ski industry experiences a setback like the denial of Scott Sundberg’s heliport, I feel their pain for my son and for these guys (mostly) who have a vision for themselves and their place in the world. I’m writing to ask all the operators to talk to each other, to look closely, and to work with the borough to find a place where a single heliport could be built and shared. Sharing is not easy; it’s not like private ownership. It requires a different set of muscles, but I believe you can do it. What you’re about is quite a big deal, maybe not as big as a mine or a highway project, but way bigger than a business that’s focused in town. I believe Haines wants you to get the proportions right for the size of this town. I don’t believe Haines wants to completely thwart your intentions. To the borough government, if the planning commission can’t spearhead this, do we need an ad hoc committee? There’s surely a solution that we haven’t discovered yet and it’s right in front of our noses.
Evelyna Vignola