Cascade Point Ferry Terminal harshly criticized by CBJ advisory panel ahead of update about project at Capitol
- Mark Sabbatini
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
DOT officials who back project, AMHS board that has expressed opposition both scheduled to give presentations Thursday to House committee
By Mark Sabbatini
Juneau Independent
Juneau hasn’t taken an official stance on the Cascade Point Ferry Terminal, but an advisory board appears ready to offer city leaders a highly unfavorable assessment of the project.
Members of the Juneau Commission on Sustainability, during a midday meeting Wednesday, echoed widely expressed concerns the proposed project 30 miles north of Juneau will adversely affect state ferry service and that the real intent is to aid a mining company seeking an ore shipping facility at the same site. Criticism was also expressed about the public process, which to date appears rushed and is providing misleading information.
“To me it seems hard to argue that this is going to massively benefit the state when what they mean is this is going to benefit industries friendly to the state, even though those industries do not financially benefit the state very much,” said Marian Call, the commission’s co-chair.
At the same time, Call said she agreed with other commission members who said any statement drafted for presentation to the Juneau Assembly should focus on impacts to the city’s population, infrastructure, environment and quality of life, rather than examining wider implications and impacts. The commission agreed to have the other co-chair, Griffin Plush, draft a memo for consideration at the group’s next meeting.
KTOO reported Wednesday that more than 90% of more than 600 public comments submitted to the state during a three-month period opposed the project. Juneau residents at a DOT open house in November also overwhelmingly expressed opposition to the Cascade Point project.
The long-discussed terminal is being advocated by the Dunleavy administration as part of a revived Juneau Access Project — declared dead by former Gov. Bill Walker in 2017 — with an eye on extending roads linked by shorter ferry routes. The site is on land owned by Goldbelt Inc., which agreed in 2023 to partner with the state on the ferry terminal and also has a cooperative agreement with Grande Portage Resources Ltd. for that company’s proposed ore shipping terminal.
"Development of the ore terminal is not contingent on development of the passenger ferry terminal — it can be developed prior to (and independently of) the passenger ferry facility," Grande Portage stated in a press release last May. "However, having the ferry terminal proceed first is highly advantageous as it would result in the development of infrastructure that will also be necessary for the ore terminal, particularly the new access road and bridge. This reduces the time and cost required for future ore terminal development."
Grande Portage last year also announced exploratory plans for a new Amalga gold mine north of Juneau and south of Cascade Point.
The Dunleavy administration has made several announcements and agreements about the Cascade Point project that have fueled controversy. Among them are a $28.5 million state agreement signed last July for the first phase of work at the site and a $1.3 million agreement with Juneau Hydropower that will pay the company even if the terminal isn’t built.
The municipal governments of Haines and Skagway have expressed opposition to the Cascade Point project, but the Juneau Assembly has refrained from taking a position. Assembly Member Nano Brooks, who participated in Wednesday’s sustainability commission meeting, said the project is more of a state issue than one that deals with matters municipal officials are focusing on.
“What you guys are doing here would kind of be the first initiation of bringing a real discussion to our body,” he said.
An update about the Cascade Point project is scheduled to be presented to the House Finance Committee at 1:30 p.m. Thursday by officials with the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities. A DOT report issued last fall declared the terminal will have offsetting impacts on the Alaska Marine Highway System, but will be a boon to a new mine that ships ore from the site as well as Goldbelt Inc.’s prospects as the property owner.
An advance copy of a presentation to the committee shows 622 public comments about the project were submitted between Oct. 29 and Jan 9 — with 356 of them coming after the original Nov. 28 deadline was extended. The presentation does not include any results, other than noting 58% of responses came from Juneau, 22% from Haines and Skagway, 12% from other Southeast Alaska communities, and the remaining 8% from elsewhere.
Also scheduled to be discussed during Thursday’s meeting is the role of Alaska Marine Highway Operations
Board, whose members have strongly criticized the Cascade Point project. Both DOT and board leaders are scheduled to appear before the committee.
The board was scheduled to hold an in-person meeting Jan. 23, but was changed to virtual and then declared “postponed” by DOT. Wanetta Ayers, the board’s chair, said in an interview last month “we were informed by the (DOT) commissioner they didn’t have the resources to support us” despite her efforts to contact department officials for weeks prior to the scheduled date. She said while DOT has suggested rescheduling the meeting for February, "I know for me that’s not possible" and she is hoping to have an in-person meeting in April.
• Contact Mark Sabbatini at editor@juneauindependent.com or (907) 957-2306.
