Harbor group likes $37 million option
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TweetThe Haines Borough’s Port and Harbor Advisory Committee on Feb. 2 endorsed a $37.3 million Lutak Dock rebuild option.
It’s a variation of a $32 million alternative favored by borough staff that encapsulates the decaying dock, but it adds $5 million to address an eroded section on the earthen dock’s face.
Jeremy Stephens, who worked as an engineer for the state Department of Transportation during renovation of a section of the dock, said the $32 million option would leave questions about the future of the eroded section located between the borough’s dock and the state ferry terminal.
“The only issue I have with ($32 million option) is that it excludes cells six and seven, which means there might be a liability when the environment eventually takes those cells and the material spills out into the ocean and the borough has to clean it up. And if you are going to look for funding, you might as well swing for the fences,” Stephens said.
Shawn Bell, the borough’s interim facilities director, described the $32-$37 million option as a “middle of the road” alternative between reducing the size of the dock ($21 million) and rebuilding the existing structure ($60 million). “It allows us to maintain the footprint we have (and) maintain current operations,” Bell said.
Built by the federal government in the 1950s, the dock is past its useful life, with sections in danger of failing, according to recent inspections.
The next step in the construction process is seeking funding. “As we chase funds, we want to unify behind one design and that will kind of guide us with what we end up moving forward with. If we end up getting all the money we need, then we are in good shape. If we come up short, year after year, then that will help us make a decision to rethink our final design,” Bell said.
Those include looking at a $21 million option, which replaces the decaying structure with a rock slop, ramp and mooring dolphins, Bell said. “We could still do that.We would have that information available to fall back on. We would like to see the (port and harbor committee) and the planning commission hopefully unify with the assembly on the direction that they want the borough to take. Really, it makes our grant writing that much stronger.”
