The Ketchikan Gateway Borough Planning Commission voted Nov. 12 to forward its draft 2035 comprehensive plan to the borough assembly with a package of amendments intended to broaden collaboration, strengthen food and housing supports and flag long-range infrastructure studies.

The commissionapproved the final motion (Resolution 45-34a) after a multi-hour review during which Agnew Beck consultant Meg and planning staff walked commissioners through roughly 16 proposed changes. Commissioner Sean Shaw moved the final recommendation, which passed by roll call.

Why it matters: the comprehensive plan sets the boroughpolicy framework for land use, economic development, public facilities and quality-of-life priorities for the next decade. Commissioners said the amendments are meant to keep the draft flexible while calling for coordinated action on childcare, food assistance, broadband and tourism impacts.

Key amendments and changes

- Food planning: The commission added language to support development of community food security and local food-systems planning, and inserted cross-references so food-related actions appear in health and wellness, economic development and public services sections. Meg told the commission she researched differences between "food security" (emergency-oriented) and "food systems" (supply, processing, markets) and recommended the plan be able to address both.

- Health and wellness: New actions encourage collaboration with employers, early-childhood providers and nonprofits to increase access to affordable childcare, and with local health organizations on school- and community-based nutrition and physical-activity programs. Commissioners debated whether to reference specific medical standards; the final wording emphasizes collaboration "in accordance with generally accepted medical standards."

- Tourism and community character: The sustainable tourism theme was revised to acknowledge resident concerns about community character, and the economic development chapter now explicitly records that survey results showed residents value community character.

- Utilities and wastewater: Commission edits removed several specific place-based references while retaining a directive to plan wastewater upgrades and to coordinate long-term wastewater planning across borough municipal systems.

- Long-range infrastructure studies: The commission added actions directing staff to collaborate with state and local partners to periodically evaluate feasibility, costs and community impacts of a bridge or tunnel connection to Gravina Island, and to explore overland connections between Ketchikan, mainland Alaska and Canada. Commissioners framed these as long-range feasibility studies rather than immediate projects.

- Berth electrification: The commission amended a port electrification item to require feasibility studies that include "impacts to existing electrical infrastructure" before recommending shore-power investments for cruise ships.

Public comment and local concerns

Resident Mary Stevenson, who identified herself as a longtime tour operator, urged the commission to place Herring Cove and tourism-management actions more prominently in the plan and to pursue near-term steps such as acquiring parcels, creating parking/boardwalks and pursuing a service-area or other mechanism to manage state-owned road access. "Herring Cove cannot continue the way it is," Stevenson said during public comment, asking the commission to commit to implementation beyond the plan.

"We did some good work here," the chair said after the final vote, thanking staff and the consultant for their preparation.

What happens next

The Planning Commissionforwarded the amended 2035 comprehensive plan to the borough assembly with a recommendation of approval. The assembly must review the draft and may hold its own public hearings; any assembly action will determine next steps for plan adoption and implementation. The planning department will integrate the approved amendments and prepare the packet for assembly consideration.

Speakers quoted in this article are identified from the meeting record and include planning staff and the Agnew Beck consultant. All procedural votes and roll-call results were recorded in the meeting transcript and will accompany the plan packet to the assembly.