Viewpoints
Tourist Destination &
Planning--not just Ketchikan
By Bobbie McCreary
September 04, 2007
Tuesday PM
Win-Win instead of Attack-Attack. From recent postings, Zig
Ziegler provides the concept of a venture capital fund to assist
local start-up businesses. This is an excellent idea that Zig
and others with the financial wherewithal could initiate to support
new entrepreneurs and encourage new business owners to Ketchikan.
Laura Lowell calls for incentives to encourage businesses to
bring variety to our downtown and create year-round employment
and suggests some ideas worth considering. These concepts are
solution oriented.
But wait, Ketchikan is not the only SouthEast Alaska community
addressing this topic. Go to the following web page to read
Chapter 10 of Juneau's newly drafted Comprehensive Plan:
http://www.juneau.org/cddftp/documents/2007DRAFTCompPlan_Chapter10.pdf
Quoting section 10.8.2. "Establish a Visitor-Oriented Retail
Overlay District within a quarter-mile of cruise ship docks within
the Downtown Juneau within which the number, and square footage,
of gift shops primarily selling Tee-shirt and of jewelry stores
should be limited to the absolute number that existed at the
date of the adoption of Plan Policy 10.8. The CBJ Community Development
Department would maintain an account of the number of such businesses
permitted within the overlay district. Any such retail outlay
may change ownership and may move from location to location within
the overlay district, provided that the absolute number and square
footage of the use does not exceed the established limit."
I find it interesting that Juneau is taking the approach of crafting
language in their 300 page Comprehensive Plan to address this
issue. (Wonder if they are being called racist? Probably not...)
Its time for our Borough to step forward and take the lead.
Ketchikan needs a long range comprehensive plan and it needs
leaders in place to make sure it happens.
Bobbie McCreary
Ketchikan, AK
Received September 03, 2007
- Published September 04, 2007
Related Viewpoint:
 Jewelry
Store Initiative Is Dead Wrong By Zig Ziegler - Ketchikan,
AK
About: "Resident of the
Newtown Area (1998) who is interested in win-win solutions from
a comprehensive business planning process for Ketchikan."
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