|
Assembly denies appeal of
Spuhn Island development
The Juneau Assembly has denied an appeal filed by the Smugglers’ Cove
Neighborhood Association of the preliminary plat for 38 waterfront lots on
Spuhn Island granted by the CBJ Planning Commission.
The Spuhn Island Development comprises about 156 acres on an island located
off the end of Fritz Cove Road and is owned by Steve and Karla Allwine.
The main issues in the appeal focused on the impact the proposed new
subdivision may have on the Smugglers’ Cove and Fritz Cove Road
neighborhood.
Traffic and parking generated by future residents of Spuhn Island generated
the most concern.
The Association contends that the end of Fritz Cove Road will become the
staging area for travel to Spuhn Island.
The neighborhood association also argues that granting the preliminary plat
comprises illegal “spot zoning" and violates the CBJ Comprehensive
Plan.
In their order denying the appeal, the Assembly found that the Smugglers’
Cove Neighborhood Association failed to meet its' burden of proof.
The Assembly found that Spuhn Island's proposed large-lot, high-end,
residential development is very much in harmony with the neighborhood and
that the only real neighborhood harmony question is that of parking and
marine access to the island.
The Planning Commission placed conditions on the plat that include five
parking spaces provided for owners of lots on Spuhn Island before final
platting, with five more provided within five years and another 20 spaces
over the next 15 years, and moorage on the island for 30 vessels at least 20
feet in length.
The developers have identified an area near the Auke Bay Harbor for the
first five parking spaces.
The Assembly found that the Commission and developer have tried to
discourage access to the island through the use of the Smugglers’ Cove
neighborhood, and have attempted to direct island traffic and marine access
through Statter Harbor at Auke Bay.
And the, Assembly says, Spuhn’s covenants, conditions, and restrictions on
the lots are intended to discourage access at Smugglers’ Cove.
The Assembly found that "it may not be the best possible solution to
the problem and is it certainly is not the neighbors’ preferred solution,
but it will suffice to meet the code requirements as viewed through the
standard of review."
The Assembly found that adding parking and other facilities at the end of
Fritz Cove Road would only serve to exacerbate the present congestion by
encouraging additional use of the area.
However, the Assembly says that merely adding a parking lot at the end of
Fritz Cove Road for use by island residents will not meet the intent of the
Commissions' conditions.
The Assembly said that merely adding a parking lot at the end of Fritz Cove
Road for use by island residents will not meet the intent of the conditions
place on the island development.
The Assembly modified the permit to make clear that “marine access
facilities” means more than a beach at the end of the road, with or
without parking.
The Assembly also found that the subdivision does not fall into the category
of "phasing."
The Assembly says the proposed subdivision will stand, or fall, on its own
merits and each subdivision will have to go through the full application and
Commission review process.
The Notice of Decision is scheduled
to be taken up by the Assembly, Wednesday February 16th at 5 P.M. The appellants
could raise objections at that time.
Rash of vehicle vandalisms
under investigation
Juneau Police
have received sixteen reports of vehicle vandalisms.
Fourteen were reported Thursday and two more came in this morning (Friday),
according to Captain Tom Porter.
The incidents were reported in areas all
around the borough with most occurring in Mendenhall Valley
neighborhoods.
In all cases, car windows were broke out on parked vehicles by unknown objects.
Total damage
in the first ten reported cases Thursday was estimated at $6,000.
Captain Porter didn't have a damage figure for the last six cases, but says
damage was between $600 and $900 for each vehicle in the other cases.
Residents are asked to report anything
suspicious to police.
Anyone with information may also call Crime Line.
Callers may remain anonymous and still be eligible for a cash reward.
The Crime Line number is 586-4243.
Three men caught in Gottschalks caper
Police have nabbed three suspects in connection with a theft early Thursday afternoon at Gottschalks in the Mendenhall Mall.
A store employee called police at about 1:15 p.m. to report that a man had fled the store without paying for merchandise.
The employee said the suspect left with an armload of clothing and entered a car waiting in the parking lot.
The employee was able to provide a description of the suspect and
noted the vehicle's license plate before it left the scene.
Police were able to determine the owner of the car and found it at an apartment complex on Amalga Drive in the Valley.
As officers were approaching the vehicle, three men were observed getting in. Police made contact with the men identified as 19 year old Emery
Pecson, 18 year old Jason Garcia, and 18 year old John Eala, all of Juneau.
Store employees identified Pecson as the suspect who fled with the merchandise without paying.
He was place under arrest for larceny, a class A misdemeanor and transported to the Lemon Creek Correctional Center. He was later released on his own recognizance.
Charges are being filed through the City Attorney's Office against Garcia and Eala for receiving or concealing stolen property.
On-line filed PFD's reach 100,000
This year's Permanent Fund Dividend filing reached a milestone today (Friday).
Paul Dick, the Chief of Operations in the Department of Revenue's Permanent Fund Dividend Division, says the milestone was achieved today (Friday).
He says they have received a hundred thousand on-line applications. The division didn't reach that level until March 3 last year.
There were 158,000 PFD applications filed on-line last year. Dick says their goal this year is to go over the 200,000 mark. And he says if people keep filing on-line like they have so far, they're confident of exceeding that goal.
The filing deadline is March 31st.
House panel increases per student spending
The House Education Committee yesterday [Thursday] approved a $320 dollar increase in per-student spending.
The base student allocation would be $4,896 dollars under the proposal.
The proposed increase is $16 per student more than Governor Murkowski's plan.
The Governor is proposing funding state education an additional $62 million.
Juneau School District Superintendent Peggy Cowan told the committee that even with the Governor's funding proposal, the Juneau school district will have to cut some staff, aids, counselors and teachers and some bus routes.
Cowan says the CBJ School District would like to see a $514 dollar increase in per-student spending- totaling $5,090.
Cowan says that level of funding will take pupil teacher ratio's in kindergarten down to an average of 20 kids, elementary to 25 students and 30 students in high school and middle school classes.
She added those numbers would get the situation back to a manageable level.
Early funding, a proposal supported by Murkowski and some lawmakers, would prevent districts from having to hand teachers pink slips in preparation for a potential funding shortage.
March 15th is the date school districts give tenured teachers pink slips if they are unsure whether enough funding will be available to pay them.
The bill still has two more committees to go through, as well as the Senate and its committees.
Some lawmakers and education officials were disappointed the increase wasn't higher. But others argued that the amount could still be changed in other committees.
The education committee yesterday also approved an appropriation bill to pay operating costs and school debt expenses. The total foundation program would be funded at seven-hundred-and-sixty-two million dollars.
Governor raises
supplemental budget request to $141 million
JUNEAU (AP) - Governor Frank Murkowski has submitted a 141 million-dollar
supplemental budget request to lawmakers.
That's about 16 million dollars more than what was earmarked in the
governor's original budget proposal.
Budget Director Cheryl Frasca says about 101 million dollars would go toward
increased and unexpected costs. That includes fighting the worst fire season
in state history, damage from winter storms in Kaktovik and western Alaska
and increased Medicaid and health costs.
Another 40 million dollars would go toward new or expanded programs,
including preparatory work on a gas pipeline from the North Slope and a
proposal to increase substance abuse prevention programs.
Murkowski proposes paying for the supplemental budget request through the
state's oil revenue surplus, now estimated at about 466 million dollars.
SOB library drying out
after bursting of water pipe, no asbestos detected
It
was all clear Thursday at the State Office Building following the bursting of a water pipe in the ceiling of the State Library on the 8th floor Wednesday morning.
Testing has ruled out the possible danger of asbestos, according to Vern Jones, who is the state's Chief Procurement Officer.
He says they didn't expect it to be otherwise, but its a precaution that must be taken when there's a potential exposure.
Emergency repairs were made and the water turned on in the building again Wednesday afternoon.
Two inches of standing water was found in the circulating library on the 8th floor when employees showed up
that morning.
There's also water damage in the library's area on the 7th floor and in Retirement and Benefits on the 6th floor.
Jones says a damage estimate could take a couple of weeks.
Bruce Kato, the Chief Curator of the Alaska State Museums in the Division of Libraries, Archives and Museums says an area of about 25 feet by five rows of books were damaged.
He says they're trying to avert mold damage and are looking at drying out damaged books and wrapping them.
He says the work will be done at the State Museum.
Kato says the circulating library will be closed until further notice.
Park Service explores options for retrieving wreckage
ANCHORAGE (AP) - National Park Service officials say they're exploring the possibility of retrieving the wreckage of the plane that crashed into a southern Alaska lake, killing three young sisters on board the craft.
Jeremy and Michelle Davis of Port
Alsworth, the parents of the girls, survived the crash yesterday in blinding snow in Lake Clark National Park and Preserve.
Killed in the crash were their daughters, nine-year-old Samantha, seven-year-old Jesse and six-year-old Katie.
Park superintendent Joel Hard says the parents are devastated by their loss and have not requested the bodies of their children be recovered from the wreckage.
But Hard says the Park Service is looking into the challenges of retrieval should the parents request it.
He says it would be a difficult undertaking.
The plane went down in the deepest part of Lake Clark, an area estimated to be about 900 feet deep.
Further complicating the job, the lake is fed by glaciers, which makes the water a cloudy silty blue.
Here is the latest Alaska news from The Associated Press
Charges pressed against suspected drunk driver from January 30th accident
Juneau Police are pressing drunk driving charges against the 21 year old man seriously injured in a single vehicle roll over on Glacier Avenue on the night of Sunday, January 30th.
He's identified as
Adam Christopher Hilbelink.
He has since been released from the local hospital after receiving treatment for serious injuries.
Capital City Fire Rescue had to extricate
Hilbelink from the wreckage. After losing control of his vehicle near the 2000 block of Glacier Avenue, it left the roadway and stuck a utility pole.
The charges were forwarded by police to the City Attorney's Office.
Driver in fatal accident had similar crash one day before
ANCHORAGE (AP) - Alaska State Troopers say a truck driver involved in a fatal crash Wednesday had been in a similar accident the day before.
Fifty-year-old Gilbert Montiel of Chugiak crossed the center line of the Seward Highway on a bridge near the Hope Cutoff and smashed into a minivan.
The two people inside, Jay and Terry Stafford of Soldotna, were killed.
State authorities are inspecting the 1985 Freightliner tractor-trailer Montiel drove.
Troopers say they do not believe alcohol or other substances were factors in Wednesday's fatal crash.
Montiel leased the truck from K&K Enterprises in Wasilla. He had been hauling rock in Seward.
A day earlier, Montiel had a similar accident in Seward.
Troopers say he lost control of his truck on a gradual right curve on a slippery road and ended up in the oncoming lane.
He struck a 1995 Ford pickup driven by 18-year-old Zach Coots.
Coots' truck went off the road into an embankment and was demolished. Coots was uninjured.
Anchorage snow means sled dog race can go on
ANCHORAGE (AP) - Heavy snow in Anchorage this week has spared the Fur Rendezvous World Championship Sled Dog Race.
Organizers of the three-day sprint race decided last night (Thursday) that there's now enough snow to go ahead with the race in two weeks.
The race is a highlight of Anchorage's winter festival, the Fur Rendezvous.
Organizers had considered canceling it before the snow dumps Tuesday and yesterday.
Race marshal Bill Wadell says there could be a problem informing mushers about the race so late in the season.
But Alaska Sled Dog Racing Association President Ken Ford says an upcoming race in Canada will give plenty of opportunity to get the word out.
(KENI)
Young introduces transportation bill that matches president's
WASHINGTON (AP) - A new national transportation bill has been introduced by Congressman Don Young.
The bill by the Alaska Republican contains a six-year spending total that matches the measure proposed by President Bush last week.
Young's bill would spend nearly 284 (b) billion dollars.
During the last Congress, Young sought 375 (b) billion dollars and an increase in the federal gasoline tax.
Opposition from the administration over higher gas taxes and the higher spending number forced a retreat to an amount identical to the bill Young introduced yesterday (Thursday).
Young says it was the total six-year guaranteed funding level that congressional negotiators almost agreed to in last year's conference negotiations.
It's also the amount that highway funding analysts believe will be available from the federal Highway Trust Fund without increases in gas taxes.
Young assigned to Homeland
Security Committee
WASHINGTON (AP) - Alaska Congressman Don Young has a new assignment.
Young will be the top-ranking Republican on the new Committee on Homeland
Security.
Young -- a 17-term Republican congressman -- will have most seniority on the
committee among both Republicans and Democrats.
Young could not be chairman of the committee in part because he already
leads the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
Young's Transportation Committee retains oversight of the Coast Guard.
The new committee has primary jurisdiction over the Department of Homeland
Security plus the Coast Guard's role in transportation security.
Young last month said he wanted to protect Coast Guard functions that have
little to do with security.
Among them are important Alaska concerns such as fisheries law enforcement,
search and rescue and oil spill response.
Canada turns back Alaska man for old conviction
PRINCE RUPERT, British Columbia (AP) - A Hydaburg man says he's been in a bureaucratic nightmare trying to cross into Canada for basketball tournaments.
David Edenshaw says he's apparently been turned back by Canadian Border Services Agency officers recently because of a drunk-driving conviction 13 years ago.
Edenshaw says he's surprised because he has successfully crossed the border from Alaska into Canada several times before.
Canadian border services spokeswoman Faith St. John says people with criminal records are not admissible into Canada and criminal records include convictions for impaired driving.
Edenshaw applied in 2002 for deemed-rehabilitation, a process that aims at clearing people for entry if they've lived a trouble-free life after a conviction.
Edenshaw in 2003 crossed into Canada and was cleared to travel.
But in recent attempts, he's been told the agency had no record of such paperwork.
Rocket blast come this weekend
KODIAK (AP) - The next rocket to blast off from the Kodiak Launch Complex could go up this weekend.
The launch window is set for between February 12th and the 16th, in the evening sometime.
Pat Ladner -- C-E-O of Alaska Aerospace Development Corporation -- says rocket launch personnel in Kodiak are communicating with a facility in the Marshall Islands. That's where an interceptor missile for the missile defense system will launch from.
The launch is a retest of a Missile Defense Agency test in December. In that test, the rocket went up as planned, but the interceptor failed.
Move made to protect coral beds in Aleutians, fishing ban in parts
SEATTLE (AP) - The North Pacific Fishery Management Council has made a move to protect deep-sea coral beds in Alaska.
The council has proposed closing bottom trawling over more than half the fishable waters off the Aleutian Islands.
The council voted unanimously yesterday (Thursday) to ban trawling on more than 370-thousand square miles around the Aleutians and several pockets in the northern Gulf of Alaska.
Conservation groups wanted a larger area protected, but hailed the decision as a huge step in the right direction.
Environmentalists argue that coral beds, sponge gardens and underwater peaks known as seamounts will be ruined without more protection from bottom trawlers -- which scrape the ocean floor with weighted nets.
The restrictions stem from a lawsuit environmental groups filed in 2000. The suit alleged that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration was falling short of its duty to protect fish habitat.
Bill to reduce marine debris introduced in Senate
HONOLULU (AP) - U-S Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska and Hawaii Senator Daniel Inouye are introducing federal legislation aimed at cleaning beaches.
Their bill would pay for the removal of the thousands of tons of ocean debris that wash up shores each year.
The senators say the bill is supposed to protect marine ecosystems and human health from ocean-borne trash.
One target is discarded fishing gear, equipment abandoned by commercial fleets and cargo that has washed overboard.
The measure would authorize 50 (m) million dollars over five years for a debris prevention and removal program at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Another 25 (m) million over five years would strengthen Coast Guard enforcement of laws banning ship-based pollution.
Discarded long line nets and fishing line damage coral reefs and kill marine animals, including seals, dolphins, turtles and seabirds.
Subway offers Alaska salmon
in three Midwest states
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Alaska salmon is being featured in new venues this week.
Subway restaurants in eight market areas in the Midwest are offering wild
Alaska salmon.
The fish will be offered as applewood smoked Wild Alaskan Salmon on a
toasted or untoasted submarine sandwich, in a wrap or on a salad.
The salmon is being promoted as part of a natural diet, as well as a
sustainable seafood resource.
The salmon is being sold in Minnesota in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Rochester,
Austin, Duluth and Mankato.
In Iowa, it can be found in Mason City, and it Wisconsin it's being sold in
Eau Claire and La Crosse
Grant to train welders on Ketchikan campus
KETCHIKAN (AP) - The University of Alaska Southeast campus in Ketchikan has received a federal grant.
The grant will be used to provide tuition, books and tools for eight students to learn the welding trade.
The university says priority will be given to people living outside of Ketchikan, on Prince of Wales Island or Metlakatla.
The students will enroll in a 600-hour American Welding Society entry-level welder class. The course will run from late February to mid-June.
Applications must be returned to the university by next Friday.
Help
for prospective college students and parents offered this Sunday
College Goal Sunday is coming up this weekend.
It begins at 2 p.m. at Juneau Douglas High School.
Financial aid professionals from seven schools, including the University of Alaska Southeast, will provide help to prospective college students to complete their free application for
federal student aid.
Parents and students are advised to bring their current income information, such as their most recent completed tax form and W-2 form to assist in the process.
Bears take on Colony during Homecoming
Its homecoming at Juneau Douglas High School this weekend.
The basketball teams will host Colony.
The men's games are tonight and Saturday at 8 p.m. on KINY.
The women play at 6 each evening.
(Copyright ©2005 Alaska Juneau Communications - KINY Radio)
|
