A Juneau design firm that has built interpretive trails throughout the region will come to Haines early next week for two community meetings about the Haines Borough’s Portage Cove coastal trail and uplands project.

An “open studio” event to be held between the public gatherings will allow residents to provide comments as architects rough out preliminary concepts.

Corvus Design holds a $40,000 borough contract for developing a conceptual design of an interpretive trail and park. The trail would extend from Portage Cove campground to Picture Point. The park, tentatively called “Harbor Park” may incorporate, add on to or replace the existing Lookout Park. The design should be complete by summer.

Chris Mertl, a landscape architect for Corvus, said the meetings are fashioned to allow maximum public participation.

Monday’s meeting will include an introduction and overview of what Corvus has learned so far, as well as taking input on a trail alignment and park location.

The meeting also will be seeking themes for the project’s interpretive element. “We want to find out what are the great stories of Haines,” said Mertl. “What are the stories people tell when they have visitors? What are the unique angles?”

The interpretive information may include site-specific stories and be may be presented in ways other than information plaques, such as site furnishings, paving patterns and park layout. Corvus aims to coalesce stories into a unified message without duplicating other interpretive displays already in place around town.

Draft concepts for the trail, park and interpretive plan, using input from Monday’s meeting and Tuesday’s “open studio,” will be shared at meeting Wednesday.

Corvus plans to return in about six weeks with a preferred layout for the park and trail, and will hold the third and fourth of the project’s five public meetings. At that time, the project will move from conceptual layout to preliminary engineering, Mertl said.

Previous work by Corvus includes the Sitka Sea Walk, Ketchikan’s Promenade, Wrangell’s Heritage Walk and Skagway’s Pullen Creek Stream Walk.

The efforts of Corvus represent one of three parallel – but as yet uncoordinated – efforts under way to design and shape the town’s waterfront as the borough’s harbor expansion moves forward.

The borough assembly recently voted to set aside $420,000 for “uplands development” at the harbor, money aimed at making a four-acre parking lot more agreeable to citizens concerned about the waterfront’s look.

Assembly members last week came under fire for the earmark from fishermen and harbor users, who say the money should be spent instead on new floats. It’s not clear how the money will be spent, but suggestions at last week’s meeting included for landscaping the elevation or shape of the parking lot to match the waterfront site.

Meanwhile, the Haines-based Alaska Arts Council is seeking up to $500,000 in grant funding to develop a master plan for arts and recreation that would incorporate Portage Cove, Fort Seward and downtown. “A master plan will be a larger project involving all of the property owners and the public – everyone – in figuring out how best to progress in developing the entire harbor,” said Carol Tuynman, the group’s creative director.

Master planning uses a team of local, state, nationally and internationally acclaimed planners, architects and landscape designers who will draw on our local pool of complimentary talents, Tuynman said. “Alaska Arts Confluence has recently received seed funding – and is expected to receive more – that can help Haines achieve higher level planning without breaking the bank,” she said.

While it’s uncertain how all the pieces might ultimately fit together, next week’s meetings are an important first step, said Haines Borough Manager Brad Ryan.

Corvus’ designs might help the decision-making process on how the borough’s $420,000 set-aside is spent, as well as how the new sport boat ramp will be incorporated, Ryan said. “All (three efforts) play off each other to help educate the process, with any luck,” he said.

Haines Borough planner Holly Smith said Corvus has done some interesting work in other communities and she’s hoping residents turn out to participate in the process. “The more public involvement we have next week, the better the product will be.”

Next week’s meetings are Monday and Wednesday, starting 6:30 p.m. in the Chilkat Center lobby. The “open studio” is set for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday at the public library.

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