The Haines Borough Planning Commission will meet at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, July 7, to consider two requests to buy the borough-owned lot at the corner of Main Street and Third Avenue, land that some residents want for a public park.

Resident Terry Pardee submitted a brief request to the borough on May 25 stating he and his wife were interested in buying the 32,600-square-foot, or .75-acre, spot for “future commercial development.”

Pardee, who has worked in Haines as a commercial crabber and restaurateur, did not respond to a request for comment.

On June 24, residents Mark and Lori Smith submitted a letter declaring their interest in buying the property.

When contacted Wednesday, Mark Smith said he was on vacation and “not in the mood to talk right now.” Smith works at Sitka Community Hospital where he specializes in emergency medicine.

Planning and zoning technician Tracy Cui this week sent out letters to adjacent property owners of the lot notifying them of the requests for purchase.

The borough in 2014 sold two nearby lots totaling 1.2 acres to Aspen Hotel for $215,000. Months later, it sold a 20,000-square-foot lot next to the Aspen to the Haines Brewing Company for about $86,600, or $4.33 per square foot.

The site became an issue recently when the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee recommended designating the space as a park or future park. The planning commission largely resisted the idea, with several commissioners voicing support for maintaining the area’s current status as “a park-like spot” without making a permanent designation.

Resident Thom Ely, who sits on the Parks and Rec advisory committee, said he would personally like to see the space remain in the public domain.

“I think it’d be great to keep as a town square,” Ely said. “I think there should be a piece of downtown property that is just a gathering place for people.”

If the commission recommends classifying the land for sale, the issue goes to the assembly for a final decision.

If the assembly decides to put the lot up for sale, planner Cui suggested a competitive bid to decide who gets it. “Since we have two proposals, I would say maybe a competitive bidding (process). It’s really up to the manager, though,” she said.

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