A rezone request for a quarter-acre vacant lot along Ketchikan’s waterfront promenade is up for public hearing and final vote at the Borough Assembly’s meeting Monday.
The request comes from K&B Real Estate, a Puerto Rico-based company that also owns other properties in downtown Ketchikan. Developers hope to build a mix of housing and shops. The lot is currently zoned for heavy industrial which does not allow for housing.
Only one neighbor expressed concern when the matter came before the assembly for first reading on December 20. A consultant representing the owners said that the new building would retain the character of Ketchikan’s historic Newtown, and would not block views. Borough planning director Richard Harney told the assembly that if the lot is rezoned, the assembly will have limited review powers over the development.
The assembly unanimously approved the rezone request in first reading. Neighbors and others again will be able to ask questions and provide feedback during Monday’s public hearing.
In other business, the assembly will consider calling on Canadian regulators to immediately pause permitting, development and expansion of transboundary mines upstream from rivers that flow into Southeast Alaska. If passed, Ketchikan will join several other Southeast communities, including Craig, Juneau, Sitka, Petersburg and Wrangell, along with environmental groups and a consortium of tribal governments, in seeking changes.
Ketchikan’s Borough Assembly meets at 5:30 p.m. Monday in the White Cliff Building. Members of the public can weigh in at the beginning of the meeting and during public hearings. The full agenda is available at the borough’s website, where the meeting is also live-streamed. It’s also available on local cable channels.
