On Tuesday night, the Borough Assembly voted to rehear the former Planning Commission’s decision to issue a Conditional Use Permit to Southeast Road Builders for resource extraction at their site near the ferry terminal and for many good reasons.
The implications of this CUP are broad. This CUP paves the way for a major resource extraction/export hub which affects the community at large from valuable Chilkoot public resources and assets, down through the entire Chilkoot/Lutak corridor, along the highways through town, and up the Chilkat River Valley.
The Planning Commission granted this permit and extended it from two years to five years while failing to consider public comments presented at their recent meeting including my own submitted in writing, and the public testimony of others present at the meeting including Gershon Cohen, Tom Morphet, Patty Brown, and Rachel Saitzik.
This CUP needs to be considered alongside Lutak Dock refurbishment plans, landslide study safety information that is due to be completed next year, safe highway concerns, water quality in Lutak Inlet, a comprehensive plan that is currently being updated, and general resource extraction and resource processing within the Haines Borough and export of these resources outside of the Haines Borough from this location.