The Haines Borough Assembly voted last week to oppose a proposed trail leading across the boat ramp in the Portage Cove Harbor design but a PND engineer said a path still needs to be available to keep pedestrians out of the parking lot.
PND Engineers changed the “sea-walk” trail into a sidewalk. PND Design Engineer Brandon Ivanowicz presented the latest concept design at a community meeting Wednesday night.
“Looking at this, we still need to provide a safe pedestrian route,” Ivanowicz said. “We’re not going to call it a sea walk but we still need this designated pathway for pedestrians to walk that’s similar to the side of the road. We have to get people out of the parking area and give them a safe place to walk and this is the way to do it.”
Ivanowicz said any signage or indication that the path is a trail will be removed.
Jerry Ballanco has criticized the walkway during several public meetings, citing safety concerns. The assembly took action at its Oct. 24 meeting after Ballanco spoke during public comment.
Ballanco said the area shouldn’t attract pedestrians and the design should “isolate this section of the walkway so people do not bother people who are working with their boats there.”
Public facilities director Brad Ryan said pedestrians, especially tourists, are going to walk toward the edge of the parking lot to look at the harbor and they need a safe place to be routed.
“There has to be some safe walking access from there especially if you’re going to have people down in this area…everybody has to realize people go to harbors to look at them no matter where you’re at in Southeast Alaska, so we have to route them somewhere,” Ryan said during last week’s assembly meeting.
Ivanowicz said PND also removed landscaped islands in the parking lot because of Norm Hughes’ concerns that it would make snow plowing more difficult.
Ivanowicz also outlined funding sources, cost estimates and a construction schedule for the project.
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game is funding the project. Fish and Game has secured $3.5 million for the project. An additional $1.5 million will likely be secured as well, Ivanowicz said.
“We’ve talked with the grant administrator and he hasn’t promised it yet, but it sounds very, very likely that money will become available,” Ivanowicz said.
The borough has $420,000 dedicated for upland development associated with the project’s general obligation bond from the state.
The entire project, including all alternates, is estimated to cost $5.7 million.