Two Parks and Recreation projects received the backing of City and Borough of Juneau Assembly standing committees Monday, getting unanimous approval for their requests to submit resolutions of support to the full Assembly.
The Public Works and Facilities Committee was receptive to the acting director of the Engineering Department’s request that the Assembly signal support for an application to the National Forest Service for a “technical assistance grant” that would benefit a proposed off-highway vehicle park near Bridget Cove.
“What this will do is allow the National Park Service and its partner agencies, and in this particular case, the National Off Highway Vehicle Conservation Coalition … to come in and help us with the public process of vetting this system and also the technical design portion of this,” Bohan explained.
Bohan added, “What we would like is a resolution of support from the full Assembly in order to help our chances with this assistance.”
Assemblymember Ruth Danner responded favorably.
“I’m pleased to see that this kind of expertise is out there, and I wholeheartedly support the request for a resolution,” said Danner.
Bohan also told Assemblymember Karen Crane that Parks and Recreation has reached out to user groups to request their own letters of support.
On a motion by Crane, the committee unanimously approved forwarding the matter to the full Assembly.
Docks and Harbors’ proposal for a Juneau Maritime Center underneath the Juneau-Douglas Bridge, near the site of the former Public Works Department building, received more mixed reviews from the Lands Committee Monday afternoon.
Development of the site has been a collaborative effort between Docks and Harbors and Parks and Recreation, as well as with Engineering, according to Port Engineer Gary Gillette.
“We have worked … with Parks and Recreation and Engineering on this for some time now,” Gillette said. “Docks and Harbors’ interest is the Maritime Center. Parks and Recreation’s interest is the park.”
“We have been working side-by-side on this project,” agreed Brent Fischer, Parks and Recreation’s director.
The Maritime Center, as currently envisioned, would provide office space for Docks and Harbors and the Marine Exchange of Alaska, as well as public restrooms and an interpretive exhibit on the ground floor. It would share the site with a new park, as well as with the Whale Project’s anticipated bronze whale sculpture.
Nathan Bishop, the committee’s Planning Commission liaison, indicated he is leery of putting an “office building” at the scenic waterfront site.
“To me, it has the feeling of an office building with a large foyer,” said Bishop. “I don’t see any anchor that holds people to the space. … I don’t see the mixed uses that the long-range plan designates.”
Gillette compared the plan to developments he said he has seen in Seattle, responding, “I don’t think that it’s totally inappropriate to have offices there.”
The under-bridge site development is, for now, a plan that lacks key funding, as Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee liaison Jeff Wilson pointed out.
“There’s no funding for a park right now, much less a building,” said Wilson.
Assemblywoman Mary Becker, who chairs the committee, offered a motion to forward a resolution in support of the preferred option presented by Gillette for the site’s development.
“How the building exactly is going to look is not really what we’re talking about tonight,” Becker noted. “We’re talking about setting aside the land and approving that a piece of it is Docks and Harbors’ to use and the rest is Parks and Rec, and the whale’s in that position, or at least somewhere in that position.”
Wilson said that when PRAC endorsed the proposal earlier this month, it was lending its support to the way Docks and Harbors and Parks and Recreation want to divide up the site, not necessarily to the current concept for the Maritime Center itself, which he said is likely to change if and when funding is secured.
“Parks and Rec is happy with the division. They may not be totally happy with what the building looks like right now,” Wilson said.
Becker’s motion was adopted without objection.
• Contact reporter Mark D. Miller at 523-2279 or at mark.d.miller@juneauempire.com.
Comments (35)
Add commentSuperfund
That site under the bridge is where the CBJ maintained their fleet with a repair shop and fueling station. Maybe someone should test the soil first to make sure the area wont be a Superfund site that takes millions in cleanup dollars.
Road
At least maybe the road in front of Labor & F&G will be fixed. I've been on less bumpy rollercoasters.
Stupid! Why are we wasting
Stupid! Why are we wasting time on a project that has no funding, has been voted down by us, the taxpayers, and will not help Juneau prosper, just pull us farther into debt? Maybe they should include cots for the whinos...And for the rest of us who will be driven into the poor house by the spend-at-all-costs ass-embly.
Let's not use language that concerns the Destitute
@kpawsuh
People as yourself, who look down on the destitute don't use it
as a joke. You should be ashamed of yourself.
The idiots on the assembly
The idiots on the assembly should figure out how to CUT the size of the city budget/ government.
Not look at ways to spend us into the poor house.
LM- get a life !
This is a beautiful concept
This is a beautiful concept and I approve it.
Dump the 1% temporary sales tax!
The assembly is addicted to spending. Wind Tunnel Park is a prime example. They want to turn this plot over to Harbors and Parks and Rec. and then ask for funds to finance a new site for snow removal, snow dumping and street sanding operations. They have big plans for your wallet.
Vote "NO" on the 1% temporary sales tax and "NO" on the $25million bond issue this October.
LM, your funny! I've been
LM, your funny! I've been homeless in Juneau, and I didn't resort to being a drunk or panhandling. I just worked to become homed again.
Bohan?
Who is Bohan? Don't you usually provide a person's first and last name before you start referring to them by last name only?
elections
for assembly members
there's
still time to ask those running for seats on the assembly were they stand on this issue. We all know they'll want the tax extension & bond issue passed. Of course they'll spin justification.
I don't know much
about the Marine Exchange of Alaska, other than that it is a non-profit organization, and I don't mean to denigrate them. But I don't understand why they are being offered office space as part of this project.
It seems to me that CBJ would be throwing a welcome mat out for any non-profit to demand the same treatment if this goes ahead. Would the Marine Exchange be paying rent?
Does anyone know? I'm afraid I haven't followed this project very closely.
CBJ discovers U.S. Treasury printing press!
It appears that the Assembly has recently discovered a printing press that prints US dollars and can spend all they want on all the frivolous, self indulgent projects that pop into their little heads......
Maybe we can include the spaceport capitol building as well!
Marine Exchange
The Marine Exchange of Alaska will pay for the project. They get office space in return.
Marine Exchange is, as I
Marine Exchange is, as I understand it, part of a marine vessel tracking system. They currently occupy space in the building that also houses Juneau Electronics. I think it would be natural to expect they would pay rent for office space. Seems like an obvious fit for them as well. They could also probably provide some pretty cool interactive video display of vessel traffic in the area.
That aside, I think it is a big premature for the CBJ to be planning on this "park" in an area that at the very least is difficult to get too. I'm sure the folks in the Plywood Palace might enjoy it during their breaks, but if you think this is going to be some place that walking visitors are going to find their way too, shouldn't there be a tail system in place? Seems to me there are a ton of bridges that need to be crossed before this thing gets started.
How's that?
Did I miss something in balance your checkbook 101? The city manager reports that the city is in poor financial condition and that much belt tightening and cost cutting needs to be done. Deferred maintenance issues are being funded with bond issues (loans) and yet here we are planning a new park, a new library and a new ice rink. Not only are these all expensive items to buy and build but they will all add to the annual maintenance cost that the city is already unable to meet.
they
might enjoy it during their breaks, for maybe 30 days a year (if they're lucky) otherwise the whole seawalk is a wind tunnel that will be underused by all, until it's covered, heated & filled with the same artificial sunshine the proponents of this boondoggle are trying to blow up a lower orifice of the tax payer. & that'll be just the first of many cost overruns.
Faulty project
It is actions such as those with this project that infuriate me with CBJ. It should be obvious to all (assembly, department heads, staff, advisory boards) that the mood of the public is not favoring new projects, let alone new projects with few to no benefits and high liabilities. Rather than complain, I plan to vote my feelings. No to the 1% sales text extension, no to the bond for the dock that the cruise industry says is un-needed, and no to any other bonds.
It is time for CBJ to get a clue. Otherwise, maybe it is time to ax about ½ of the planning, engineering, land management, and any other department that supports the fast track to bankruptcy projects we keep getting rammed down our throats. Smaller staff sizes could be the answer to keeping things on point rather than having too much free time to come up with new ways to waste money. I live within my means and I expect that CBJ do the same.
Stop the Spending!!!
Why would we ever look at spending more on non revenue generating infrastructure at this time. I thought we had budget issues. This is to be the new home of the "Whale Project"? Please, another overpriced project when we have bad roads, budget cuts, etc? The Assembly needs to stop with these constant proposals that create a bigger drain on our budget. One thing they never talk about is the future cost of building maintanence. That is where the real cost of these things comes into play. A prime example is the Diamond Park Swimming pool. Don't get me wrong, I use it and think it was needed for the community, but they never discussed the maintenance costs which are not out of this world. They design of the building and some of the equiptment used was inadequate and poor, thus costing us more money. Why doesnt the CBJ look at developing revenue generating projects. Open up land for development of housing which would generate tax dollars. These goofs are in there, not following through with their campaign promises, spending our tax dollars on fluff projects. Already can't wait to vote some of them out.
Take some concrete slabs and
Take some concrete slabs and drop them into the water and make a completely 100% free, no harbor permits or anything, boat launch. First come first serve with plenty of parking.
STOP SPENDING MONEY!
The Bums will love it!!!
Comment to the right people......
Pretty easy to copy your own comments and send an email to the assembly - where it might actually matter.
You can email all of them at once by using this link:
http://www.juneau.lib.ak.us/assembly/attention.htm
Some people have made some good points above about overspending in general and the project specifically. I'd add that if they are going to do a building, put shops and a starbucks in the bottom to generate some rental revenue.
Waste Of Money!!!
As far as I'm concerned widening the end of the road is a waste of money. It needed repaved or resurface but come on why more lanes theres no major traffic out there. The national park should be left as trails and camp sites. A facility that far out is a total waste of money. Tha last thing we need is tour busses driving all the way out the road all summer. They have auke bay screwed up bad enough. How about some simple little things like bouy lightson markers that work. How about some launch ramp parking. We pay enough in fees just to have a tour bus parked in front of the ramp on saturday morning.
swimmer
Thanks, hopefully the emails will flow
I believe the phrase is
I believe the phrase is "demmed if you do, demmed if you don't."
There is no funding request for these projects. This is called the planning stage. Weren't people bashing the City and Assembly over the head just a few weeks ago because they don't plan, just react to fiscal crises? Well, here they are with some long-range plans for public consumption and all anyone is saying is that we don't have the money. No shite, Sherlock. They're planning so that, some day, when/if there is money, they can proceed with an already-vetted project.
And they're trying to get federal funding to help with the planning stage, so need the support of the Assembly.
This seems to be part of the long range seawalk plan that would connect the downtown cruiseship dock to this park ... eventually.
I agree with Swimmer (although I'd leave out starbucks) - there should be a multiuse building: retail/restaurants on the bottom, offices in the middle and condos or apartments on the top floors. It looks nice to me. Much better than what's currently in that spot - I think it's called industrial chic, but really, it just looks like an area that should be condemned.
off-highway vehicle park near
off-highway vehicle park near Bridget Cove, we are using tax dollars for this?
Typical of CBJ; Build/spend $
Typical of CBJ; Build/spend $ on something useless whilst the necessities in need suffer...
I can't wait for another winter with barely any snow plows maintaining the road or hearing about the increase in class sizes because CBJ will not hire more drivers/teachers because we don't have enough $. I wonder where it all went???
Planning
I have no problem with planning if; good projects are being planned. Planning for fluff is a waste of time and money. The under the bridge projects appears to be fluff at this point. There is nothing there for most, and a lot for the few.
What I don't see is...
I'm not really following this project but what I don't see in the artist rendered picture are the buildings currently occupying this area (unless that white box is the Plywood Palace). Is the old theater (F&G) that's soundly built being demolished? The taxpayers will likely have to pay for the building in order to get the land it sits on... Are employees being re-located or moved to the beautiful new building I do see? Are the buildings lined up by the bridge the current hotels aka apartments (with a prospective awesome view/park)? Will traffic pattern be adjusted for increased use? Wait, I don't really see a parking lot. Hmmmm, not intended for community use? Maybe the parking lot was simply forgotten OR intended to be an add-on later. That's how Juneau rolls.
While the city continues to have problems paying for items the taxpayers VOTED down, I'm confident the assembly as a whole won't listen to the voters on this either.
This is a great idea!
We forget what visitors see - and our visitors enhance our economy... and it's a wonderful idea to have a seawalk to look at the beautiful views and get exercise... all the way to the bridge. We are a maritime community. This is a wonderful idea. I'm sure this will go on a priority list for state funding and city funding. It's a good investment to beautify our community.