Unalaska, AK – The City is updating its comprehensive plan for the first time in about 20 years. However the plan does not just set forth how city land and regulations will develop. Doyle Hyett, with the firm that's helping the city develop the plan, said it truly is a comprehensive document that involves all public, private, and nonprofit organizations in the community and incorporates the ideas gathered in the community vision statement.

"In essence, if anyone's seen the vision plan, what they're looking basically at are goals and objectives that people want, and the comprehensive plan will detail that. In other words, if someone wants to get more deeply involved with recycling in the community, for example, which they do, then how do they do that? That's the action steps, so to speak, of what you find in the comprehensive plan. It's taking it to the next level from the vision plan."

The plan focuses on major issues highlighted by the community during workshops and meetings last fall with HyettPalma. Two of the major issues, affordable housing and land development, will be examined in-depth and in conjunction with the Ounalashka Corporation, which is also working with the consultants.

"It would be virtually insane in any planning situation to not deal with the largest landowner in the community. And it would be insane not to deal with the local government that sets the laws and policies. So what we insisted on, and we've had assurance from O.C. and it's been embraced by the city government we're actually under contract with, but the way that we insisted we'd approach this was that O.C. and the planning commission, which we're working through to advise the council, that they sit down at the table from day one."

Hyett said this is the only way to get the process done. "We know it's a sound way to plan, but we think, in this community, it's also a way to avoid conflict in the future. If I want something and you don't know about it, then it's impossible. If you want something and I don't know about, then it's impossible to get it done."

They're also sitting down with other organizations, which are bringing their strategic plans to the table as well. Hyett said they are developing an in-depth, flexible, holistic plan that can be adapted to changing times and conditions but provides a detailed road map for the entire community to work with.

They plan on finishing the comprehensive plan by the end of the year. As they work on it they welcome community input, and it will be discussed at council meetings before it is approved. The process was discussed during a council work session last night and will also encompass the work of a housing specialist. The specialist is collecting information on people's housing concerns through a survey that was put into post office boxes last week. You can also get copies at city hall.

One of the major desires listed in the community vision statement was getting more affordable and reliable air transportation to the island. Hyett said he spoke with representatives from PenAir who said they would look into purchasing larger planes that can bring more people out here for less money if the runway is lengthened to accommodate larger aircraft.

The state's Department of Transportation will host a public scoping meeting focusing on improving the Unalaska airport and potentially lengthening the runway. That open house-style meeting will run from 5 pm to 8 pm on Wednesday, May 5th at the Grand Aleutian with a presentation at 6 pm.