The Haines Borough Assembly on Tuesday delayed voting on a resolution to lease land near Lutak Dock for a Verizon cell tower. The assembly postponed its decision about the tower until a third public hearing on Feb. 8. The tower would enable wireless communication services along Lutak Road and at the ferry terminal. Initially, it was reported that the tower would […]
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Borough secures $20 million to renovate Lutak Dock
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski called Haines Borough Mayor Douglas Olerud on Tuesday with some long and eagerly awaited news: The borough has been awarded a $20 million federal grant to revitalize Lutak Dock. “I’m ecstatic. This is huge for Haines,” Olerud said. “We’ve been working on this for a long time.” The grant, which is from the U.S. Department of […]
Posted inLetters to the Editor
Lutak cell tower to be moved near ferry terminal
The company building the wireless, 5G-communication tower that will provide cell-phone service to the Lutak area and the ferry terminal is seeking a new land-lease location. The original site, the mountainside across from the ferry terminal, was too steep for construction, according to Haines Borough planner Dave Long. The planning commission last week voted unanimously to recommend the new […]
Posted inLetters to the Editor
The Lutak Dock
It seems that everyone running for assembly is in support of refurbishing the Lutak Dock. But why? This is the new white elephant, the new sacred cow. But we don’t need the dock, really. The roll-on barge facility can bring our goods and take our products out. Outside of timber and mining we don’t really have any […]
Posted inLetters to the Editor
Lutak Dock not a municipal obligation
Haines Borough taxpayers might consider whether the Lutak Dock is truly a municipal obligation or a piece of freight industry infrastructure the taxpayers have been subsidizing for more than 40 years. Consider that all or nearly all of the towns and cities in Southeast don’t own a freight dock. Juneau doesn’t. Ketchikan doesn’t. Petersburg doesn’t. Even Skagway, […]
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Public remains divided about use of Lutak Dock
There’s widespread support for existing Lutak Dock services, and a need for more information and public conversation before any attempt to expand services, Haines Borough officials said after last week’s Lutak Dock town hall meeting. The meeting involved presentations from potential dock users and investors, including the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority, and several hours of public testimony. “My take-away […]
Posted inNews, Haines Borough
Assembly approves first two phases of Lutak Dock renovations
The Haines Borough Assembly gave the go-ahead to pursue funding for the first two phases of Lutak Dock renovations. The Lutak Dock face has reached the end of its service life and officially closed last year after Alaska Marine Lines (AML) completed construction of a new freight ramp, ensuring Haines’ supply chain remains intact, for now. The phases are part of […]
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PHAC: Abandon old Lutak Dock repair plan
The Haines Borough Port and Harbor Advisory Committee (PHAC) is recommending the assembly abandon current Lutak Dock plans and pursue funding for a new, phased approach to dock construction. “If we can piecemeal this, it’s like eating an elephant, you take a chunk at a time and not a very big chunk, we’ll just put ourselves closer and closer […]
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State Senate rejects Lutak Dock funding
The Alaska State Senate voted 14-6 against a budget amendment that would have added $7 million for the first phase of Lutak Dock renovations. The Lutak Dock face has reached the end of its service life and officially closed last year after Alaska Marine Lines completed construction of a new freight ramp, ensuring Haines’ supply chain remains intact. The […]
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Lutak could get cell service
Cell phone service could be coming to Lutak. On Tuesday, the Haines Borough Assembly introduced an ordinance that would authorize the lease of property behind Lutak Dock to Vertical Bridge LLC for construction of a communications tower. “It’ll be a 5G tower, providing service from Lutak Spur (Road), south,” planning commission chair Diana Lapham said. “It’s trying to bring us into the […]