Tourism-Related Land Use on Assembly Agenda

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Created on Thursday, 12 December 2024 15:32

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By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
    A city ordinance on permits for commercial recreational use of city lands and a 74-page plan to go with it are up for public hearing and final adoption at Tuesday’s Assembly meeting.
    The need for the two was brought forward by the Parks and Recreation Committee, which has seen an increase in tourism-related commercial permit requests, and also by findings of the Sitka Tourism Task Force.

Abigail Bliss runs up Gavan Hill Trail in 2018. (Sentinel file Photo)

    In the year of its existence, the task force has received numerous comments and complaints about increased commercial use of favorite recreation areas, and has recommended giving local residents priority on use and access.
    Parks and Rec Coordinator Kevin Knox and the city Planning Department, headed by Amy Ainslie, have been working on both the ordinance and the use plan for the past eight months. The need for both has become more apparent through the increase in permit requests, and comments made at the tourism and land use open houses, in public surveys, and testimony at Assembly meetings.
    “It was a discussion at the Parks and Recreation committee and is a goal in the Sitka Strategic Plan to ‘review the impacts and benefits of tourism and develop policies that prioritize the quality of life for all Sitkans,’” Knox said. “It was also a recommendation by the Sitka Tourism Task Force to ‘identify and protect priority recreation sites.’”
    The Tourism Task Force concluded its one-year assignment, and recommended - among numerous tasks - the establishment of a permanent Tourism Commission. The Assembly appointed members and the first meeting will likely be in January, city staff said today.
    The ordinance to be considered Tuesday night was passed on first reading Nov. 26. It would revise the permit process for those running seasonal tourism-related businesses on city public land, such as guiding on trails, offering kayak and boat tours from city land, or taking visitors to beaches or hot springs. The Assembly also asked for a new land-use plan along with the ordinance when it came back for final approval, which was planned for the December 17 agenda.
    Knox said the land-use plan should serve as a guiding document for city staff, commercial operators using city land, and the general public which recreates on the land. The land use plan provides guidance on carrying capacity for areas, and is based on comments by the public and those operating businesses on those lands.
    The ordinance and use plan apply to trails (Thimbleberry and Heart Lakes, Cross Trail, Beaver Lake, etc.), water access areas (Back Beach, Herring Cove Beach, Swan Lake, etc.), and special use areas such as Baranof Warm Springs and Goddard Hot Springs.
    The land use plan doesn’t address commercial use of city streets, but the ordinance does. “For those areas, permits will still come back to the Parks and Recreation committee for recommendation (on whether to issue a permit),” Knox said.
    The plan is on the agenda for the first time, but can be passed in a single reading.
    In late November, Knox talked about the need for the ordinance and called attention to the increased numbers of commercial use permits, including for Baranof Warm Springs and trail systems closer to town.
    “In the current system the city isn’t able to adequately manage capacity limits, and therefore we aren’t able to manage the permits overall that are granted for any certain area,” says the memo on the ordinance from city administrator John Leach, Ainslie and Knox, and included in the Assembly information packet.
    If the ordinance passes on final reading Tuesday, the code revisions would establish carrying capacity for certain areas. It also will allow city staff to grant permits under the use plan and set permit duration and penalties. The stated purpose of the ordinance has a component for public engagement in establishing policies for recreational land.
    He added today, “I think it’s also important to note that this land-use plan has significant ability to be adaptable and provide flexibility for operators who already have known or committed to tours and rentals, so we will be able to work with operators in making sure that they’re still able to operate.”
    In the ordinance, those making appeals may go to either the Parks and Rec Committee or the Assembly. Knox said he appreciated the questions that were asked at the last Assembly meeting, and hopes members’ concerns have been addressed.