The Haines Borough Planning Commission is recommending Mayor Jan Hill appoint a committee to dig into the issue of commercial trailers.

“We really don’t have anything in code that addresses this, and it’s something I think we need to address,” commission chair Rob Goldberg said.

Commercial trailers have been popping up around Haines in recent years: a scooter rental business used a lot near the post office last summer, and a trailer set up near the Port Chilkoot Dock to sell T-shirts and art. A fish-and-chips stand stationed near 0 Mile Haines Highway has operated from that location for several years.

The commission looked at code from Skagway, Juneau, Wrangell and Ketchikan that addresses the issue. “It seems that all of these have in common that they don’t allow trailers to sell stuff like T-shirts or whatever, and I think that is wise,” said commissioner Heather Lende.

Commissioner Lee Heinmiller said he understands the objections of property-owning businesses who claim commercial trailers could detract from business in brick-and-mortar stores, but believes there “ought to be some room for (commercial trailers) in the community.”

Commissioner Brenda Josephson said commercial trailers serve different markets than brick-and-mortar stores and that the concern about reduced business from building owners or renters is “an invalid argument.”

The borough has struggled to deal with commercial trailers, which were once prohibited but more recently have been allowed with issuance of temporary use permits.

Some of the confusion comes from interpretation of code and questions of whether a “temporary use” should be indefinitely extended.