Assembly approves Huna Totem tidelands lease for Auk Landing after hours of testimony and amendments

The Juneau Assembly voted 8–1 on April 7 to authorize the manager to negotiate and execute a tidelands lease with Huna Totem Corporation for the Auk Landing cruise dock and associated uplands development, an applicant-funded project proponents say will disperse summer visitors and create jobs.

The ordinance authorizes CBJ to grant a tidelands lease for land known historically as the Subport (Parcel ATS 3) and related uplands. Assembly member Byron Bryson moved the ordinance; after amendments and debate the motion as amended passed on final roll call with eight votes in favor and one opposed. Mayor Beth Weldon presided; Council Member Hughes Candice cast the lone “no.”

The measure matters because it clears the way for a private, $200 million-plus dock and cultural center project that proponents say will move some cruise ship activity out of downtown, spread motor-coach traffic, and create construction and long-term jobs. Opponents warned that the project could shift pollution, noise and congestion to nearby neighborhoods and urged conditions — notably timely shore-power availability and limits on ship sizes and scheduling — before construction began.

Proponents and tribal leaders made the case for the project during public comment. Bianca Carpanetti, representing Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, said investments like Auk Landing “are not only a matter of social justice but also a strategic move for fostering economic development, cultural preservation, and the well-being of all citizens.” Huna Totem board and shareholders, and other business and construction representatives, described expected year-round jobs and construction employment.

Dock workers and labor representatives emphasized year-round, union-style employment. “These jobs provide year round insurance, health care, and pension,” said Carrie Crocker, who identified herself as a longshore worker and dock foreman.

Opponents raised concerns about air emissions from ships and generators, telecommunications and noise impacts, and whether the city should first complete a broader assessment of whether Juneau should allow additional cruise capacity. Joan Wilkerson, a resident who lives across from the proposed site, said summer ship emissions are already noticed inside residents’ homes and urged postponement until shore-power is assured. “Adding yet another ship pumping more poison into the air right under our windows is not welcome,” she said.

Assembly debate focused on conditions to limit the size of vessels using Huna Totem’s dock, and on mechanisms to keep the city’s own docks subject to the same passenger/ship-size policy. Two key amendments were adopted before final passage: - A nonbinding whereas clause reaffirming the Assembly’s intent that similar lower-berth capacity limits apply to the city’s own docks was added and accepted with no objection. That clause does not itself amend city code but signals the Assembly’s expectation the city will apply consistent limits. - The lower-berth capacity limit in the lease language was adjusted during debate. An amendment to raise the numerical cap from 4,400 to 4,500 lower-berth capacity ships was approved 5–4 in a recorded vote, after which the ordinance as amended received final passage 8–1.

Assembly and staff also addressed shore-power timing. Director of Visitor Industry (Pierce) confirmed lease language requires adequately sized conduit “within 25 feet” of the property line and that ships must be able to plug in “within two years” of the approved schedule in the lease language; she said coordination among CBJ, Huna Totem and the local utility (AEL&P) was ongoing but that the utility-level work is complex and long-lead.

The Assembly also adopted a companion resolution authorizing CBJ to apply to the State for the tidelands. That resolution was approved contingent on passage of the ordinance.

What happens next: the manager is authorized to negotiate and execute the tidelands lease, incorporating the negotiated terms and the amendments passed by the Assembly. The Assembly’s scheduling and ship-limit rules will be used in future dock scheduling; the lease requires participation in the city’s annual scheduling process. The timeline for shore-power to be available depends on utility and infrastructure work outside CBJ control.

Votes at a glance: the ordinance motion (as amended) passed 8–1. The single recorded no vote on final passage came from Council Member Hughes Candice. The Assembly also adopted the contingent resolution to support the City’s tidelands application to the state.

Speakers who testified or were quoted in the record included Huna Totem supporters, labor leaders, neighborhood residents and tribal representatives. The Assembly heard more than a dozen public testimonies and debated the amendments before voting.

Ending note: The Assembly’s approval authorizes the city manager to negotiate lease terms and does not by itself begin construction; required permits, state tidelands acquisition and shore-power agreements remain future steps.