Ketchikan’s borough assembly unanimously approved a Knudson Cove rezone at Monday’s meeting. The rezone will allow the owners to open a wildlife tour and event hosting business on their waterfront property.
The borough’s planning commission had previously recommended against the rezone, saying an unrestricted commercial rezone was too open-ended. In response, the owners agreed to a set of restrictions limiting the property’s uses.
Borough assembly members cited the borough’s future land use map along with what they saw as a long history of commercial activity at the property despite the fact that it was zoned as a low-density residential parcel.
The assembly also gave preliminary approval to a new set of zoning rules for gun ranges in the borough. The restrictions would limit outdoor ranges to parcels zoned heavy industrial and set guidelines for indoor ranges in commercial zones.
The rules would also ban explosive targets, require liability insurance and mandate that the range meet established safety standards. Gun ranges would be approved on a case-by-case basis. The borough’s only current gun range predates the borough’s land use code.
The assembly is scheduled to consider whether to give final approval to the new gun range zoning rules at its Nov. 4 meeting.
Borough Attorney Glenn Brown also gave a presentation on ways to make it easier to collect sales taxes on online purchases. That’s an initiative in collaboration with other local governments and the Alaska Municipal League. The borough may consider joining the effort at its Nov. 4 meeting.
