Blueprint Downtown Area Plan

Steering Committee

At its public hearing on October 23, 2018, the CBJ Planning Commission approved 13 people for the Blueprint Downtown Steering Committee. The Blueprint team would like to thank all those that applied to be on the Steering Committee – it was a difficult task to select those chosen out of the many excellent applications. Committee Members are:

Betsy Brenneman, Kirby Day, Daniel Glidmann, Michael Heumann, Laura Martinson, Iris Matthews, Karena Perry, Jill Ramiel, Patty Ware, Ricardo Worl, Tahlia Gerger, Student Representative, Nathaniel Dye, Planning Commission Liaison, Former Member Wayne Jensen, Former Member Meilani Schijvens, Former Student Representative Lily Otsea, Former Chair Christine Woll

Steering Committee Meeting Minutes

Kick Off Meeting, December 12, 2018

Steering Committee Meeting, January 17, 2019

Steering Committee Meeting, April 3, 2019

Steering Committee Meeting, April 25, 2019

Steering Committee Meeting, May 16, 2019

Steering Committee Meeting, June 6, 2019

Steering Committee Meeting, June 27, 2019

Steering Committee Meeting, July 18, 2019

Steering Committee Meeting, August 8, 2019

Steering Committee Meeting, August 28, 2019

Steering Committee Meeting, October 10, 2019

Steering Committee Meeting, December 12, 2019 (Draft)

Steering Committee Meeting, January 9, 2020 (Draft)

Steering Committee Meeting, January 22, 2020

Steering Committee Meeting, January 30, 2020

Steering Committee Meeting, February 20, 2020

Steering Committee Meeting, March 12, 2020

Steering Committee Meeting, June 11, 2020

Steering Committee Meeting, July 16, 2020

Steering Committee Meeting, August 13, 2020

Steering Committee Meeting, August 27, 2020

Steering Committee Meeting, September 17, 2020

Steering Committee Meeting, October 29, 2020

Steering Committee Meeting, November 19, 2020

Steering Committee Meeting, December 16, 2020

Steering Committee Meeting, December 30, 2020

Steering Committee Meeting, January 30, 2021 (Draft)

Steering Committee Meeting, February 17, 2021

Steering Committee Meeting, February 25, 2021

Steering Committee Meeting, March 18, 2021 (Draft)

Steering Committee Meeting, April 1, 2021

Steering Committee Meeting, April 15, 2021

Steering Committee Meeting, May 6, 2021

Steering Committee Meeting, July 8, 2021

Steering Committee Meeting, July 15, 2021

Steering Committee Meeting, September 2, 2021 (Draft)

Steering Committee Meeting, October 7, 2021 (Draft)

Steering Committee Meeting, November 11, 2022 (Draft)

Steering Committee Meeting, December 22, 2022 (Draft)

Steering Committee Meeting, January 5, 2023 (Draft)

Media

KTOO Article on 1st Walking Tours, January 15, 2019

Juneau Afternoon Radio Show, November 26, 2018

Final Blueprint Downtown Visioning Report

Blueprint Downtown Visioning Process

The City and Borough of Juneau’s Blueprint Downtown area plan will establish the community’s 20-year vision, goals, priorities, and action strategies to guide downtown development into the future.

Work on Blueprint Downtown started in mid-2018 and is scheduled for completion in 2020. The first stage of Blueprint Downtown was completed in February 2019 by a consultant team. This first component established an overall community vision for Blueprint Downtown, which then will inform details of the broader area plan as it is completed.

This vision document builds upon existing plans, augmented with substantial new public input. The goal was to identify a general vision for how downtown Juneau should grow and develop, with detailed backup materials to identify the range of concerns and input.

The completed vision summarizes planning results into nine focus areas that cover the range of issues. Each identifies vision priorities, as well as strategies for cultivating opportunities and addressing challenges, ensuring that downtown Juneau continues to be a place to live, work, visit, and play.

Consultants

Many thanks to the consultant team, who helped us through the project visioning process for our downtown community. They are not only a wonderful group of professionals, but also Juneau citizens who are invested in bringing out the very best for our town. It was a real pleasure working with you all.

MRV Architects
Sheinberg Associates
Lucid Reverie Creative Design

1. Who created the Blueprint Downtown area plan?
The Blueprint Downtown plan was created by the Planning Commission-appointed Steering Committee, through an extensive community engagement process. For more information, see Chapter 1: Introduction.

2. What is an area plan?
Area plans are long-term planning documents designed to provide guidance to decision-makers on development, resource allocation, and project priorities. These plans are generally limited to a specific area, like Downtown or Lemon Creek, and span for 10-20 years. If adopted, area plans become part of the City & Borough of Juneau’s (CBJ) Comprehensive Plan (Comp Plan).

3. What if the area plan recommendations are not the same as the Comp Plan?
When an area plan is adopted by Ordinance (in other words, part of the city’s Code) it becomes an addition to the Comp Plan. CBJ departments, the Planning Commission, and the Assembly can refer to the newer, often more detailed information found in the area plan to help with decisions. If there is a conflict between the Comp Plan and an area plan, the newer document takes precedence.

4. What if the area plan that is adopted into the Comp Plan conflicts with parts of the Land Use Code?
If an area plan that is adopted by Ordinance into the Comp Plan contains recommendations or actions that conflict with existing Code, the existing Code takes precedence. For more information see Title 49, Article II.

5. How does Blueprint Downtown interact with other plans?
The Blueprint Downtown Steering Committee reviewed 35 other plans and studies that speak to downtown Juneau and incorporated relevant elements into the Blueprint Downtown Plan. For more information, see Chapter 1: Introduction.