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Skagway advisory board to update port master plan, schedule work session
Summary
Ports and Harbors Advisory Board agreed the 2021 port master plan needs updating to reflect post‑pandemic changes and the 2020 rock slide; members asked staff to schedule a public work session in mid‑to‑late April to set priorities including dredging and marine services platform work.
The Ports and Harbors Advisory Board on March 11 agreed to reconvene a working group to update Skagway’s port master plan and scheduled a work session in mid‑to‑late April to set priorities for a revised draft.
Board members said the 2021 master plan no longer reflects conditions on the ground after the COVID‑19 pandemic and a 2020 rock slide that shifted port work from the Ferry Peninsula to the Ore Dock/Orp Peninsula. Assembly member Hanson said some elements of the plan "are probably not up to date," adding that phase sequencing and some high‑cost items will need reexamination.
The board discussed which plan elements should be carried forward and which to drop. Hanson noted the community and mayor do not support adding a fifth berth or further extending the Ferry Peninsula at this time. Chair Lavoie suggested maintaining a record of concepts that were discussed but set aside so the document can remain a living reference if future conditions change.
Port Director Jennings said key next steps should include identifying priority items—dredging was repeatedly named as a top priority—and scoping the update so staff can pursue an RFP if the board decides to hire a consultant to revise the plan. Jennings also reviewed which portions of the original phasing remain: "we have, completed phase 1 in its entirety, phase 2 a in its entirety, 2 b remains," and noted elements such as a sheet pile wall were evaluated but found financially prohibitive during earlier ore dock work.
The board agreed the updated plan should acknowledge completed projects and changed circumstances, and that public outreach (open houses and broader community input) will be part of the update. Board members instructed staff to coordinate with the municipal clerk to schedule the longer work session and to gather the informing documents in advance.
What happens next: staff will propose dates and materials for a public work session in April to reconvene the discussion and identify the short list of priorities for an updated master plan.
