Monday, January 26, 1998
JRD seeks
public input on user fees
Two more public workshops will be offered this week to get residential input on how to go
about implementing the recreation fee demonstration project. The project is a
Congressionally mandated program that allows recreation areas managed by the Forest
Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, Park Service and Bureau of Land Management to collect
user fees, and then funnel that money directly into the area collected, without being
deposited into the Treasury. Workshops will be held Thursday from 5 to 9 at the
Juneau Public Library, and Friday, also from 5 to 9, at the Mendenhall Valley Public
Library.
Visitor
center renovation pushed back
Work on the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center is about two months behind schedule, due to
the bankruptcy last summer of Omega Environmental, the original contractors on the
project. McGraws Custom Contracting of Sitka won the bid the second time around, and
has been doing what they can to keep the project on the established time line. Most
of the difficult blasting and tunneling work has been completed, and the steel structure
should be going up soon, along with the roof. The Center had been scheduled for a
mid-July opening.
Duffers
get go-ahead from Fed and State
Totem Creek Incorporated, developers of the proposed West Douglas golf course, have
received a permit from the Army Corps of Engineers to fill 1.4 acres of wetlands to
construct a driveway and paths to the facility. TCI is almost through the state
permitting process as well, but needs to get through the conditional use permit process
from the city. The estimated cost of the course is $5 to 10-million, but according
to Randy Bayliss, project manager, they will have a better estimate once the permitting
process is done.
Design
review being discussed for CBJ
Discussion at tonight's Committee of the Whole meeting will focus on the reasons for
having a design review process. The method is used nationwide to maintain property
values, promote tourism and encourage development consistent with a municipalities
visioning, but the process can be a long and costly one. Following the regular meeting
will be a special meeting where the Committee will adjourn into executive session to
discuss the SECON NOAA land trade.
Howitzer
takes aim at Mt. Roberts
Thane Road will be closed for two hours tomorrow morning to accommodate avalanche control
measures. Jim Merrill with the state Department of Transportation says crews will be
firing recoilless rifle explosive rounds from a pad near the Treadwell mine to a position
on the west slope of Mount Roberts. Merrill says the recent rain on top of snow pack
has made conditions hazardous. Crews will be firing anywhere from 5 to 20 rounds.
Equipment will be standing by to clear the road of any snow that may accumulate
after the blasting. The blasting will begin at 10 and last until noon.
Listen to KINY's
complete, in-depth News of the North Now! anytime;
or catch the news on our live-streamed 24-Hour Live Webcast!