Borough to upgrade road ends
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TweetHaines Borough Manager David Sosa said the borough will pay for upgrades to the ends of Fourth and Fifth avenues following a disagreement between Aspen Hotels and the borough regarding who is responsible for bringing the roads up to code.
Aspen, which recently bought the 1.2 acres between Fourth and Fifth avenues on the south side of Main Street, balked at the borough’s contention that Aspen was responsible for upgrading the roads, said Aspen representative Glenda Gilbert.
“At first they wanted Aspen Hotels to pay for it, and I said no, this is a subdivision that the Haines Borough developed, and did all the lot lines, and did the whole subdivision, but they didn’t follow the code with regard to the roads,” Gilbert said.
The two roads will lead to entrances and exits of the hotel’s parking lot, which will be located behind the building.
Sosa consulted borough attorney Brooks Chandler, who concluded while the borough wasn’t legally responsible for bringing the roads up to code, “the borough could voluntarily agree to pay for some or all of this work.”
Sosa said after speaking with Aspen Hotels president George Swift and consulting with the attorney, he decided the borough should absorb the costs of improving the roads “in the interest of moving this project forward.”
While Sosa said in an email to Gilbert he would authorize $6,000 for the improvements, in an interview Monday he said he hasn’t figured out an exact amount yet.
“We’ve authorized it to happen. I have to get the specific quote on what it is going to cost, but it’s not going to be outrageously expensive,” he said.
According to a recent change in borough code, Sosa is authorized to spend up to $25,000 without assembly approval.
Public facilities director Carlos Jimenez said to bring the roads up to code, the borough will hire a contractor to remove the existing sub base, replace it, cap it with four to six inches of D-1, and lay asphalt on top.
Jimenez said the work will begin in the next several weeks.
