By ARIADNE WILL
Sentinel Staff Writer
Assembly members declined to make a decision Tuesday night on whether to close Lincoln Street to vehicular traffic on cruise ship days this summer.
But on a related question, the Assembly voted 6-1 in favor of a $1.14 million appropriation to implement the Short-Term Tourism Plan prepared by the Planning Commission.
The question of Lincoln Street is the only part of the plan the Assembly hasn’t yet decided.
The Planning Commission recommended a full closure of Lincoln Street before sending the plan to the Assembly for adoption. At Tuesday night’s regular meeting the Assembly discussed it and took public comment. A vote on whether to adopt the plan is to be on the agenda for the Feb. 8 Assembly meeting.
At Tuesday night’s meeting some Assembly members said they are leaning in favor of the full Lincoln Street closure as recommended by the commission, blocking off the road to cars between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on days with 3,000 or more cruise passengers in town,
Assembly members said that if they passed the full closure option, other logistics — such as how to move cars that may have parked on the street prior to the street’s closure that day — would need to be discussed.
Public comments at the meeting favored a range of options, including full, partial, and no closure of Lincoln Street.
Shauna Thornton of First National Bank Alaska said that a full closure of Lincoln Street would be a problem for banks in the downtown area. At her bank, she said, it would restrict access to the bank’s only ADA-accessible door and limit use of the drive-through window.
Others at the meeting expressed annoyance that so many cruise passengers will be visiting.
Assembly members Thor Christianson and Kevin Mosher again reminded the public that the number of cruise passengers coming is not something within the city’s control.
Christianson — who attends Planning Commission meetings as the Assembly liaison — said the plan was crafted with the interests of local residents in mind, and that it aims to mitigate negative effects that this summer’s cruise season might have on them.
While a decision hasn’t been reached on Lincoln Street, the Assembly voted 6-1, with Mayor Steven Eisenbeisz opposed, for a supplemental appropriation to cover tourism-related expenses. The ordinance will be up for final approval Feb. 8.
The $1.14 million budget to fulfill recommendations in the Short-Term Tourism Plan will shoulder costs ranging from new seasonal positions at Harrigan Centennial Hall to installation of bear-proof trash cans.
The budget will pull from the general fund, with an estimated $827,758 of the expense to be later reimbursed by the city’s cruise passenger excise tax (CPET) funds, city officials said.
An additional supplemental appropriation may be made depending on how the Assembly chooses to handle Lincoln Street.
Costs related to the partial or full closing of Lincoln Street were removed from the ordinance so that the rest of the budget could be passed more easily on first reading.
Planning Director Amy Ainslie told the Assembly during a work session earlier this month that she wanted to pass the budget as fast as possible so that supplies needed for the summer would arrive in time. She said she expects longer lead times on several items due to supply chain issues.
