By ARIADNE WILL
Sentinel Staff Writer
Downtown business owners and the Planning Commission met Thursday to discuss priorities and concerns for the Short-Term Tourism Plan.
The forum was the second of its kind. The first, held last month, was between the commission and Sitka tourism industry players. Comments collected at the two forums will be synthesized by Planner 1 Ben Mejia and presented to the Planning Commission at a later date.
The forum drew representatives of Raven Radio, Alaska Pure Sea Salt, Sitka Bazaar, Harry Race, Northrim Bank, Island Artists Gallery, Backdoor, Fisheye Cafe, Russell’s, and Abby’s Reflection, along with a few members of the public.
Attendees were asked to consider cruise passenger drop-off points (as well as drop-off points that should be avoided), current concerns, and suggestions in terms of infrastructure, processes, systems, and communications.
Those ideas were written down on whiteboards placed around the meeting room and were read aloud by Planning Director Amy Ainslie for discussion by the group as a whole.
Downtown businesses were more flexible in ideas for transporting tourists to downtown than were those at the last forum. One concern expressed by business owners was making sure cruise visitors find the Lincoln Street business district, particularly if they’re dropped off under the O’Connell Bridge. Amy Sweeney of Island Artists Gallery said that from under the bridge visitors see only the backs of Lincoln Street buildings, and may not realize Sitka even has a downtown.
Pat Kehoe, also of Island Artists Gallery, said it might make sense to hire Sitkans to direct tourists from drop-off points. This also would have the benefit of creating jobs, she said.
Artist and downtown merchant Pat Kehoe writes down ideas on a white board in Harrigan Centennial Hall during a Planning Commission business forum Thursday night. (Sentinel Photo)
Other recommendations were to have a traffic director at the downtown stoplight; use empty storefronts as places for tourists to rest; and ease up on regulations limiting the places benches can be placed on the sidewalk. Parking was brought up, too. Steven Eisenbeisz of Russell’s said he would like to see more enforcement of two-hour parking on Lincoln Street.
Merchants agreed there needs to be more parking for people who work downtown, but said the Crescent Harbor parking lot should remain harbor parking.
Bicycle racks might be part of the solution, but some business owners said they prefer not to bike to work where they could appear sweating and rain-drenched in front of customers.
Electric buses were suggested to replace the conventional buses that shuttle tourists between the Halibut Point Marine dock and town, and are used for tours and transportation in town.
Chuck Trierschield of Sitka Bazaar mentioned the $1 million gift to the city from Norwegian Cruise Line as a likely source of funding for 2022 season preparations.
As in previous Short-Term Tourism Plan conversations, the cruise passenger excise tax (CPET) funds figured heavily into the discussion.
Jay Sweeney of Island Artists Gallery and a former city finance director, said CPET funds are not available until the year after they have been collected, which means the per-passenger tax from this year won’t be available in time to pay for 2022 season preparations.
He suggested the city could advance funds from anticipated CPET collections to pay for 2022 preparations, but cautioned the Planning Commission to be aware of the requirement that CPET-funded projects must “enhance the safety and efficiency of interstate and foreign commerce.”
“The farther away you get from safety and efficiency and foreign commerce, the harder it gets to justify (CPET spending),” he said. He said that during his time as city finance director the state audited the city’s CPET spending and the audit “slapped Sitka’s hand pretty hard.”
“Be careful in thinking that CPET funds will pay for everything,” he warned.
