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Haines Borough Assembly holds rehearing on Campbell heliport permit after recusal votes
Summary
At a March 24, 2026 rehearing, the Haines Borough Assembly considered partiality allegations tied to the Campbell conditional use permit for a heliport, excused Mayor Morphett by 4–1, declined to excuse Assemblymember Mark Smith by 3–2, and heard extended public comment focused on noise, dust and zoning history before appellant George Campbell presented his case.
The Haines Borough Assembly on March 24, 2026 reconvened to rehear the appeal of a conditional use permit for a proposed heliport at AirCat AirPark in the 26‑mile area.
Mayor Tom Morphett opened the quasi‑judicial hearing and the assembly’s attorney and clerk outlined the process, telling members to avoid side discussions of legal issues during testimony and reminding the body that overturning the planning commission would require five votes. The attorney advised the assembly to treat the session as a quasi‑judicial proceeding and to rely on the official record and witness evidence when deliberating.
Before receiving testimony on the underlying merits, the assembly addressed allegations of partiality. A motion to excuse Mayor Morphett from the hearing on grounds of partiality passed on a roll‑call vote, 4–1, and Assemblywoman Cheryl Stickler assumed the chair for the remainder of the proceedings. Later, a separate motion to excuse Assemblymember Mark Smith failed on roll call, 2–3, so Smith remained on the hearing panel.
Residents and neighbors opposing the CUP used the public‑comment portion to raise health, safety and nuisance concerns. Jessica Plockta, who supplied slides and legal citations, told the assembly that prior borough studies and court rulings showed helicopter operations can impose significant noise and other off‑site impacts. "This heliport has failed many of those requirements numerous times," Plockta said, urging the assembly to uphold the planning commission’s denial.
Other speakers described visible hillside slides near the Lutak/Lutax area, questioned whether the location is appropriate for a commercial heliport, and pressed the borough to honor prior zoning compromises for the Mud Bay and Lutak service areas. Several witnesses cited a 2015 noise study and two earlier court cases placed in the meeting packet as relevant precedent.
The appellant, George Campbell, told the assembly that the AirCat AirPark site is in a general‑use zone and argued the code permits a range of activities in that district. "There are no prohibited uses in this district," Campbell said, and he disputed opponents’ characterization of surrounding land use, describing heavy‑equipment yards, sawmills and other existing industrial activity nearby. Campbell also described a dust‑mitigation plan he said had been submitted to the planning commission and told the panel that helicopter operations can be managed to limit off‑site harm.
Campbell and several neighbors also debated procedural questions: Campbell asserted the clerk’s quasi‑judicial memo and prior guidance give appellants the option to defer a hearing if a full board is not available; others emphasized that the assembly must follow code requirements for ex‑parte disclosures and written findings.
The public hearing and presentations concluded with the assembly reserving time for deliberation and findings. The assembly did not take a final vote on the CUP during the March 24 session; it proceeded to receive the appellant’s presentation and public testimony and signaled that written findings and deliberation would follow in accordance with the borough code.
