Petersburg residents, businesses and harbor officials debate proposed dock partnership with American Cruise Lines

At a Petersburg Borough town hall meeting, residents, business owners, harbor staff and borough officials heard more detail about a proposal from American Cruise Lines to add a small gangway and float at the end of Dock Street to serve its vessels and other small boats.

Proponents at the meeting said the proposal could help Petersburg’s shoulder season and support local businesses. Jim Floyd, general manager and CEO of Hammer Recon and former president of the Petersburg Chamber of Commerce, said, “we rely on tourism to carry us through the lean months, the shoulder months,” and described American Cruise Lines customers as “good customers for Petersburg.” Madeline Valentine, co‑owner of Viking Travel, and several retail and tour operators said seasonal visitor dollars keep shops and services open year‑round.

American Cruise Lines representative Kristen Mara described the company’s model as focused on smaller vessels and U.S. jobs: “All of our vessels … are 200 passengers or fewer. We believe that is the right size for the kinds of communities where we like to call.” Mara said the company proposes building a small float, gangway and pilings and that the finished float would be a borough facility. An American Cruise Lines spokesperson later said the outer slip and float would be owned by the borough and that the company would propose payments and a 60‑year lease so the borough could bank revenue for maintenance and replacement.

Harbor operations, public safety and control of waterfront space were central concerns. Aaron Hankins, Petersburg Borough emergency services director, urged clearer protocols for medical callouts, ship plans and coordinated communications, and recounted a case in which responders were removed from a vessel while treating a seriously ill patient. “If they’re going to request services like that, I mean, better be sure we’re transporting them for actual emergent care,” Hankins said. Gloria Ann Wallen, the borough harbor master, emphasized local experience in harbor management and said the harbor department plans for longevity and deferred maintenance when designing float systems.

Speakers who work on or live near the waterfront raised mixed views. Several commercial fishermen and charter operators said they support controlled, small‑ship calls to diversify the local economy and provide jobs for younger residents; Craig Curtis and Brandon Ware said the small‑ship business has helped them stay and provide for their families. Others urged caution. Casey Knight, a harbor board member speaking personally, said he would prefer the borough not be “strongly in favor or strongly against” until an exhaustive long‑term financial calculation of costs and benefits is produced: “Until someone shows the work, I cannot say we…can answer the question whether the borough should be in favor.”

Community members repeatedly raised the proposed 60‑year lease length and long‑term maintenance funding as negotiation priorities. Cynthia Matheson, vice president of Lee’s Clothing, said she was concerned about “losing control of such prime space on our waterfront and the length of the 60 year lease.” Attendees urged that any agreement protect harbor users’ access (including Coast Guard moorings), create local economic benefit for businesses and require local hiring and services where feasible.

Several speakers cited passenger figures and historical context. Jim Floyd said American Cruise Line had proposed calls for 170‑passenger boats and noted Petersburg’s cruise‑passenger peak year (2006) of about 17,000 visitors and “less than 10,000” visitors last year. Chamber of Commerce president Sarah Holmgren read a chamber resolution (Resolution 2025) supporting borough efforts to negotiate construction of a new float; the chamber’s resolution was circulated to the assembly and meeting attendees.

Process and next steps: borough staff said the American Cruise Lines application has been sent to the planning commission for a public hearing and that the project remains in negotiation. The company representative said the float would remain a borough facility, that scheduling of calls would be subject to borough control, and that other small cruise vessels could use the slip with borough permission. No formal vote or assembly action was taken at the town hall.

The discussion highlighted three consistent threads for future negotiation: (1) the borough’s desire to retain control of waterfront assets and scheduling; (2) the need for clear, written financial commitments to fund maintenance, replacement and any borough contribution (several speakers referenced a possible borough share and the borough’s recent budget shortfall); and (3) operational protocols for EMS, harbor access and safety when ships are in port. Planning commission public hearings and continued assembly negotiation were the next procedural steps mentioned by borough staff.

The town hall did not produce a formal decision; assembly members said they would continue negotiations and bring financial details and a final concept back to the public and to the planning commission for review.