Haines planners weigh sale, subdivision or timber sale for 1,180 acres at Excursion Inlet

The Haines Borough Planning Commission on Thursday, Nov. 12, takes up what to do with about 1,180 acres of borough land at Excursion Inlet. The meeting agenda lists four possible uses: a residential subdivision, a sale, a future timber sale or keeping the land for a public purpose.

Borough staff is gathering comments from the community and stakeholders, and the commission may send a recommendation to the Haines Borough Assembly. Written comments are due by 5 pm Wednesday, Nov. 11.

The state patents and survey plat for Excursion Inlet South show that much of the land is new to the borough. Three patents cover 1,187.93 acres: 709.39 acres recorded in February 2019, and 439.67 and 38.87 acres recorded June 8 of this year. That means about 478.5 acres were conveyed five months ago under the state's municipal land entitlement, the land the state owes the borough.

The state keeps the oil, gas, minerals and other subsurface resources, and the right to enter the land to develop them. The land carries section line easements and a 50-foot public access easement along navigable and public waters. It borders the Tongass National Forest and takes in Neva Lake, Neva Creek and South Creek.

The borough has looked at selling the Excursion Inlet land before. On June 9, 2020, the Assembly asked the borough manager to look at selling borough land to grow the permanent fund. A presentation at a July 15, 2020, joint Assembly and Planning Commission session listed Excursion Inlet as 1,320 acres in 14 General Use parcels.

That presentation listed as pros more than 1,000 acres to develop, a chance to "really shape a neighborhood" and a significant increase in property tax revenue. The cons were a large undertaking, no services, a remote location, large lots likely needing subdivision and "potential community pushback." It also noted that borough code requires land to be classified for sale, with a use designated, before it can be sold.

The current review of borough land is broader. Lands Department planner Chen Wu reported Nov. 6 that the commission has examined about 830 acres of borough property for classification for sale since June, and the Assembly may act to entitle properties for sale Nov. 18. That report does not mention Excursion Inlet. It says 3,270 acres of the borough's entitlement have been patented, 1,767 acres are approved and about 732 acres remain available for future selection.