By Jonathon Dawe / Wrangell Sentinel
Wrangell officials are trying to calm public worries over possible changes to freight barge and cruise ship facilities.
Borough Manager Mason Villarma said he knows many residents are uneasy about two major issues: moving barge operations to the borough’s 6-Mile mill property and a potential agreement with American Cruise Lines to add a second dock to the downtown waterfront.
He said people have asked why the borough has not released more numbers or cost estimates.
“I’ve heard the criticism that we’re not sharing figures with the community,” he said. “I understand why that concerns people, but there simply aren’t any real numbers yet. There’s nothing concrete to share.”
Villarma said both American Cruise Lines and Alaska Marine Lines are still reviewing their options for the projects and have not submitted formal proposals.
“Right now, American Cruise Lines and Alaska Marine Lines are doing their own analysis,” he said. “They’ll come back to us with proposals. Until we see those, anything we put out would be guesswork. We need to wait and see what they actually offer.”
The borough is looking at possible public-private partnerships to develop the new facilities.
He said some residents have taken current freight rates and tried to predict how much prices might rise under a new setup.
“There are a lot of moving parts, and we’re not going to move forward with anything that harms local residents. Once we have real options and real numbers, we will share them publicly.”
He also noted that the borough has already held several public meetings on the barge issue and possible cruise line project. He said public input has been part of each discussion so far and will continue to be.
To keep that conversation going, the borough plans a town hall meeting at the Nolan Center on Monday, Dec. 15. Villarma said the session will focus on any recommendations American Cruise Lines has submitted to the borough by that time and will give residents a chance to ask questions.
“There’s a lot of analysis still happening for everyone involved,” he said. “We want the public included at every stage.”
While some residents are anxious about what might change, the push to move barge operations did not start with the cruise ship dock. It began earlier this year when an engineering report found that the 47-year-old barge ramp at the downtown freight facility was unsafe.
Engineers reported serious corrosion and structural damage. The borough closed the ramp immediately after receiving the report.
Since then, freight companies have been using a temporary setup at the former downtown mill dock, next to the Marine Service Center. That arrangement is meant to be short term while the borough and barge lines work on a permanent replacement.
In August, the borough and Alaska Marine Lines signed a memorandum of understanding to work together on a plan to move the barge ramp and freight staging area away from the downtown waterfront. The goal is to relocate those operations to borough-owned land at the former mill site about six miles out the road.
On Nov. 4, the planning and zoning commission unanimously recommended that the borough assembly approve a lease application from Alaska Marine Lines for the 6-Mile mill property. That recommendation will go to the assembly for final action.
The current focus, Villarma said, is building a new barge landing at 6-Mile.
Alaska Marine Lines and Samson Tug and Barge share a weekly barge run from Seattle to Southeast Alaska. Freight bound for Wrangell is taken off the main barge in Ketchikan and shifted to a smaller barge for the trip to Wrangell. Any changes in where the barge lands or how freight is handled could affect costs, schedules or both, which is part of what worries residents.
Villarma said those concerns are exactly why the borough wants to move slowly and involve the public.
“We know freight is a lifeline for Wrangell,” he said. “We’re going to look closely at any proposal from the freight companies or American Cruise Lines and make sure the community understands the options before decisions are made.”
He added that another town hall will be scheduled in January and will be specific to the barge lines and freight concerns.
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