Planning commission approves preliminary plat for Lease Cove subdivision after adding access easement condition

The Ketchikan Gateway Borough Planning Commission on March 11 approved a preliminary plat submitted by the Alaska Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to subdivide the Lease Cove / Bat Cove area in George Inlet into roughly 19–20 lots, subject to conditions including road improvements and public access easements. Commissioners adopted Resolution 4487A and inserted an additional requirement for access right-of-way corridors after public testimony raised concerns about existing waterfront owners’ ability to reach Shelter Cove Road.

The plat, filed by the State on Dec. 13, 2024 as case 25002, proposes creation of two blocks separated by Bat Cove, dedication of three rights-of-way including a portion of Shelter Cove Road to the Alaska Department of Transportation (DOT), and a mix of upland lots and one water lot. Planning staff told the commission the site encompasses about 12 acres and currently lacks power, water and sewer; the State will later seek rezoning of the parcel from Future Development to Rural Residential if the subdivision proceeds.

The staff presentation listed the standard conditions for preliminary-plat approval in Title 17 (subdivisions), plus several site-specific items: Bat Cove Road must be built to borough standard; a minimum 10-foot-wide public access easement along rear lot lines was recommended to preserve walking and potential ATV/trail access for adjacent property owners; the DNR was asked to remove utility easements from waterfront lots where there are no utilities; and a waterfront access easement within Block 1 should be located where it is feasible to be developed by property owners.

DNR representative Tim Schilling explained that DOT is in the process of securing the permanent easement for Shelter Cove Road and that DNR’s land-sale program intends to offer lots for settlement. He said DNR had received public comments and that the agency had planned to dedicate pedestrian access along rear lot lines to help preserve connectivity for existing shoreline property owners. The DNR also said it could expand certain public access easements from 25 feet to 50 feet where topography allows to provide better opportunities for switchbacks; however, the east-side pedestrian corridor is steep and likely suitable only for foot access.

Public comment focused on access and future maintenance. Multiple waterfront property owners and regularly visiting cabin owners asked the commission to preserve or plat vehicle-capable access—at least in corridor form—so that future development would not permanently block access from the shoreline to Shelter Cove Road. Several said DNR had, in some ways, informed them in the prior public-comment stage and that some temporary commercial access (a log-transfer facility) had been allowed by the adjacent landowner but that a formal public access and potential boat launch would be preferable.

During deliberations Commissioner Trevor Shaw moved to add a condition requiring additional access rights-of-way as discussed in public testimony; that amendment (condition 12) passed on a recorded roll call. The main motion to adopt Resolution 4487A as amended then passed on roll call vote and the preliminary plat was approved with the staff-recommended conditions plus the added access-easement requirement.

The commission’s approval clears the way for DNR to proceed to the next steps: DNR will continue to work with DOT on the Shelter Cove Road dedication, finalize access easements and submit a concurrent rezone request to rural residential at the time of final plat. Staff noted utilities are not currently present and the borough will consider waivers for water and sewer installation where impractical; road improvements and other borough-standard infrastructure remain conditions prior to final plat.

Planning staff advised the commission that the public testimony and added access requirement should be resolved before final plat. The planning director reminded the body that final platting requires the plat to be “substantially the same” as the preliminary plat but that additional access easements raised at the meeting could be added through the final-plat process.