KMXT 100.1 FM Public Radio in Kodiak, Alaska
Casey Kelly/KMXT
Some members of the Kodiak Island Borough Assembly say the time is now for the borough to sell off some of the excess undeveloped property it owns. But others say not so fast. KMXT’s Casey Kelly reports.
Assemblyman Tom Abell says the borough should hold a property sale to get rid of some of the land that it owns, getting it into private hands so it can start generating property tax revenue.
(Abell 1 :32s “…some more property on the market.”)
Close to town Abell says there’s land around Monashka Bay that the borough should consider selling. But he says it should also look to get rid of some of the remote property that it’s holding onto.
(Abell 2 :22s “…second homes is a big thing.”)
But Assemblywoman Chris Lynch says she wants to see the borough proceed cautiously with land sales.
(Lynch 1 :15s “…should appease any immediate need.”)
Lynch says there’s already a lot of private land for sale around the island, so the best thing for the assembly to do is to be slow and selective in putting borough property on the market, rather than holding a fire sale.
(Lynch 2 :20s “…releasing properties more responsibly.”)
Associated Island Brokers Owner Bob Brodie says he’s been waiting for years for the borough to put property on the market.
(Brodie 1 :32s “…all the road and utility costs.”)
Brodie says an influx of borough-owned property on the market would likely have little affect on the current real estate market around Kodiak in terms of price. But he says it could help spread development in town.
(Brodie 2 :31s “…be an asset to the community.”)
Both Lynch and Abell say there’s no looming resolution or ordinance authorizing a property sale at this point, but it’s something the assembly will continue to consider.
I’m Casey Kelly.
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