The Port of Ketchikan. (City of Ketchikan image)
The Ketchikan City Council will hear a presentation Thursday from engineering consultants Moffatt & Nichol about cruise berth and uplands expansion.
The city is looking at ways to accommodate larger ships that will start arriving in Alaska waters this year. In addition to adjusting berths so that those bigger ships can tie up at the dock, the city is considering how to plan for additional pedestrian and vehicle traffic.
Thursday’s presentation will follow two public meetings on Wednesday, scheduled to gather input from local residents.
Port and Harbors Director Steve Corporon writes in a memo that more public meetings are planned when expansion designs for Berths 1 and 2 are further along. Those are scheduled for Feb. 14th. He plans to have a final report with recommendations by early April.
Also Thursday, the council will consider an ordinance in first reading that would allow the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show to build a seawall to protect against erosion in Thomas Basin. In exchange, the City of Ketchikan would get an easement so it could move forward with completing a waterfront promenade.
Thursday’s meeting starts at 7 p.m. in city council chambers. Public comment will be heard at the start of the meeting.
