By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
Consultants for a haulout project at the Gary Paxton Industrial Park are recommending the area closest to the NSRAA hatchery as the most desirable site, park director Garry White said today.
The GPIP board will meet 3 p.m. Wednesday at Harrigan Centennial Hall to formally select a site for new haulout piers, a 150-ton travelift, and other infrastructure.
“I’ve asked the consultants to look at four factors,” White said. “Cost of construction, operation efficiency, expansion potential, and overall risk of construction. Once all the scoring had been completed, the area next to the NSRAA hatchery (next to Sawmill Creek) was clearly the best location based on the analysis.”
The public voted by an overwhelming margin in October to dedicate the $8.18 million in proceeds from the sale of the former Sitka Community Hospital to a new boat haulout, considered essential infrastructure for the fishing fleet.
The Juneau engineering firm Peratrovich Nottingham & Drage (PND) was hired as the design team and project manager for the project.
Other locations at the GPIP that were considered for the haulout were at the access ramp next to the former utility dock and the area next to the multipurpose dock. Those two locations placed second and third, respectively, after all scoring points were tallied, White said.
Plans call for a basic level facility to be ready to haul boats by the summer of 2025, White said. The city doesn’t know the final cost, which is part of the PND process under way. A basic haulout will include two haulout piers, a 150-ton lift, a washdown pad and water treatment facility. The city has applied for help in funding project through the state and federal government.
“Making this determination will help us produce a better cost estimate,” White said. While the three sites scored evenly in several categories, the site next to the hatchery appears to be the least expensive to develop by a sizable margin, he said.
The agenda item on the haulout includes an opportunity for the public to comment.
Other items on the Wednesday’s GPIP board agenda include:
– a decision on whether a caretaker is allowed to live on the GPIP property, when NSRAA expands its facility. Currently residential use is not allowed at GPIP, unless granted permission by the board, White said.
– an update on a dock use agreement for Adventure Sitka for loading and unloading passengers on the GPIP dock. Adventure Sitka and the city have had an agreement since 2022 but White is recommending adjustments to match the tariff updates.
– an agreement for security services for cruise ship operations at the dock, which in the past has been managed by the harbor department.
