Petersburg Pilot -

The public has a final opportunity to review and comment on Petersburg Borough long-term planning objectives after the Borough Assembly approved a hearing schedule for the comprehensive and waterfront plans.

The plans outline and recommend strategies for borough management, land use and the environment, transportation, economic development, recreation and tourism and waterfront development over the next 20 years.

The comprehensive and waterfront master plan is the result of Agnew::Beck Consulting, an Anchorage firm the borough hired in the fall of 2014, to assist with updating its previous plan.

Consultants met with community members, conducted surveys, took public comment on multiple drafts of the plans and met with local advisory boards and committees as it drafted the latest versions.

During last Monday’s Borough Assembly meeting, assembly member Bob Lynn said he believes the plan disregards some concerns of community members who live outside service area one. He said “promises were made” regarding those community members having a say in establishing additional service areas and other concerns regarding land use outside the previous Petersburg city limits.

“How do you see those playing into this (planning documents) because reading the document I see those promises, some of those promises anyway, thrown out the window,” Lynn asked of Community Development Director Liz Cabrera.

Cabrera said any changes in zoning would be part of a long public process.

“I think what they’re (planning documents) setting the stage for are for those conversations to occur and for us to start thinking about how we were going to manage all the land within the borough, and zoning and land use is part of that,” Cabrera said. “Again if you pass a document it doesn’t create zoning in any way it just has a general intent and if you read the language that’s in the plan it says you should consider zoning.”

Cabrera also said if the assembly wants to consider multiple service areas then it should and that the plan doesn’t intend on circumventing any established public process.

Public comment and review on the final drafts are open until January 29, 2016.

The Harbor Advisory Board along with the Planning Commission will hold public hearings and work sessions in January before making recommendations to the Borough Assembly in February.

On February 16, 2016 the Borough Assembly will consider an ordinance in first reading regarding adoption of the plans.

Copies of the plans can be downloaded from the borough website or hard copies can be picked up at the Public Library or municipal building. Public comment can be submitted by email to lcabrera@petersburgak.gov, by mail to Community & Economic Development Dept, PO 329, Petersburg, AK 99833 or dropped off at the Community & Economic Development Department in the municipal building.