Ketchikan borough seeks proposals for Herring Cove neighborhood plan

The Ketchikan Gateway Borough Assembly voted unanimously Tuesday to direct staff to issue a request for proposals, a solicitation inviting planning firms to bid on a Herring Cove neighborhood plan. The move addresses roads, land use and summer visitor crowds after more than a decade of unresolved conflict between residents and the tourism industry.

The neighborhood sits about 8.5 miles south of downtown Ketchikan along South Tongass Highway. Borough planning documents estimate more than 55,000 to 60,000 visitors reach the bear-viewing site each season in roughly 5,000 vehicles. The area has no designated viewing platforms, sidewalks, crosswalks, restrooms or bear-proof trash receptacles.

A 2013 study by the borough, the state and local agencies identified public safety, a lack of vehicle infrastructure and sanitation as the major issues. A 2019 Assembly policy session took up an enforcement and neighborhood plan proposal, and enforcement changes followed that tourism season. A 2023 borough manager's report recorded Assembly direction to proceed with a neighborhood plan and a guest services approach, citing longstanding conflicts between year-round residents and the tourism industry. The plan was once slated for completion in fiscal year 2024.

The borough's 2035 comprehensive plan appendices, dated Dec. 3, 2025, call for an area plan to guide land use, infrastructure improvements and visitor management strategies that balance tourism with resident quality of life, public safety and habitat protection. No cohesive land use or infrastructure plan exists for the area today.

Paula Jurczak says current tourism-management steps remain inadequate. She cites continued bus traffic and unsafe pedestrian behavior.

Herring Cove drew the most Assembly votes in May 2026, when the body ranked it alongside Ward Cove and Newtown/Hopkins Alley for planning focus. The planning director said Herring Cove would likely get early attention, pending scoping, budget and staffing constraints. The scope will define consultants, budgets, engagement plans and technical needs, coordinated with the city and the state Department of Transportation as needed.

Earlier Herring Cove discussions raised using the borough's share of the cruise ship head tax for improvements.