Risky, but bold
- Guest contributor
- 13 hours ago
- 5 min read
By Page Bridges
The people of Juneau need to know the illogicality of the reasoning of the Assembly regarding Telephone Hill. We have obtained a transcript of their Committee of the Whole meeting of Nov. 3, and it is shocking.
I was at the meeting and couldn’t believe my ears. It was a horror show, and we have the written record to prove it. Many of us are still working as hard as possible to save Telephone Hill, not only because Juneau needs its beauty and history, but because the Assembly is so caught up in its “dreams” that it can’t think straight and see that their gamble would almost surely fail.
“It’s risky for sure, but it’s also bold.” That is how the city manager characterized their philosophy. No clear-thinking person would make a serious life-altering decision that was risky without a major reward likely on the horizon. Most would think that “bold” in this situation actually means foolhardy.
Later in the meeting, the deputy mayor ruminated on the obvious precariousness of their plan:
"You know, there's uncertainty, as there is in everything, I guess, should we not find a developer who's able, willing, to do 150 units or something up there, you know, with or without affordability?
"It's not like nothing would be built up there. It's just we'd maybe have to scale back our dreams, and we wouldn't get as many units or the affordability or something. It's not like there would be nothing built up there or, you know, there would still be probably more housing than is there now, but just that's what happens if we have to dial things back."
Juneau architect Sean Boily was involved almost 20 years ago with the CBJ’s development team for the parking garage by Telephone Hill. He told me he applauds the CBJ’s effort to create higher-density housing downtown, but the CBJ needs to proceed with a committed developer as a partner. Otherwise, razing Telephone Hill would be a serious mistake.
He shared with me some written insights regarding why:
"My observation in conversing with a few developers is that the time is wrong specifically for Telephone Hill. It does not seem to be a tempting project for investors, given other more lucrative options of where money can be invested today.
"A combination of factors are working against the project’s success: The requirements that the city is imposing on a developer (stipulated low-income housing percent, for example); The challenging location of construction in our downtown core area with limited site access; the high-risk nature of residential development in terms of rent volatilities tied to small community economy -– do we have sufficient population base supporting sufficient local businesses to give investors confidence in a long-term return; the high costs of construction in Juneau-- material, shipping and labor availability.
"We should give attention to other sites that are more financially viable from a developer standpoint -– I am thinking the 2nd and Franklin site, or the 450 Whittier site (where we were planning to put a City Hall)."
He has proposed an idea similar to one that we have had all along, to add compatible residential buildings to the mix of the historic structures we already have on Telephone Hill:
"Each small renovation or cottage construction project is adding work to our local economy, and at a rate that can be absorbed within our small project contractor base. I am sure an economist can measure the value of that-- the money stays local.
"This more modest approach would be in keeping with the sentiment coming out of the recent elections-– that the city is overstepping on spending without public support."
John Ingalls is a resident of Telephone Hill. He has lived there for 50 years and has offered to buy his wonderful home. He has written profoundly about Telephone Hill. He passed out a letter at the November 3 Committee of the Whole meeting which included these spot-on points:
"I have noticed a shift in what people seek in a vacation. Previously, it was all about glamor, speed, thrills, excitement. This outdated idea is being replaced with online ads describing places as charming, quaint, unique and forgotten by time. Juneau is well-positioned to benefit from this trend. It’s not a good time to demolish its oldest historic neighborhood.
"The development on the back side of Douglas is a game-changer. I suspect it will be more glamorous, safer, cleaner and more exciting than Juneau. The only area where downtown is clearly a winner is its history."
“Demolishing Telephone Hill would reveal a profoundly ugly and depressing sight.” John Ingalls said that in his letter, too. That sad sight would impact us for at least four years, assuming a developer could be found immediately. An earlier city manager told us that large construction projects take at least four years from conception to completion. How would our city hold up with such sad long-term ugliness in its very center?
I need to revisit what the deputy mayor said about dreams: “It's just we'd maybe have to scale back our dreams.”
It is terrifying to hear our deputy mayor explain that dreams are the basis of their unwillingness to confront reality. I had a dream of being a major league baseball player and a dream of being a concert pianist, but I didn’t follow those dreams. Dreams only make sense if they are realistic.
So, we are to lose our beloved green refuge, the only one left downtown, to fulfil our government’s dreams? Dreams that are contradicted by real concerns. That is insane.
Every town has a place of beauty where one can go to relax. Juneau has proven that it cannot have a pocket park due to the homeless epidemic. Telephone Hill is an ideal pocket park for Juneau. The residents have always protected it. Let’s bring them back to live there!
We are in miracle territory now. The city has to wake up, or we have a disaster on our hands. We have had what I call miracles already, resulting in delays in demolition. And we had a miracle the day of our Rally to Save Telephone Hill on Aug. 16. The forecast was for rain, but the weather was great. Also, I had scheduled a "Living and Growing" article for the Empire months before that turned out to be the perfect time to write about the rally and Telephone Hill. The article was important, as were the articles and letters of other people later, because the more people learn about the situation, the more they are angry. The people will never forgive this Assembly if they destroy our beloved, beautiful haven.
The Rev. Gordon Blue of Holy Trinity Church has agreed to lead prayers of blessing at Telephone Hill in December. I will post the date and time on Facebook should people want to attend. I and so many others are so distraught about Telephone Hill that we have to continue to hope and pray and continue working in whatever ways we can.
• Page Bridges is a Juneau resident.
