KMXT 100.1 FM Public Radio in Kodiak, Alaska
The State of Alaska would like to have a dedicated ferry dock for the Tustumena and the Kennicott.
The City of Kodiak would gladly have the state own a dedicated ferry dock since all the city’s docks are busy and crowded as it is.
Unfortunately, there’s no place to put a new state-owned dedicated ferry dock-and even if there was there’s not enough money to build one.
So, as KMXT’s Maggie Wall reports, the plan for the so-called new ferry dock is to leave the ferries where they are and upgrade the dock the Tustumena’s using now.
— (New Ferry Dock 2:32 "Finding a home…not be easily accomplished. SOC.")
Finding a home for the ferries that service Kodiak has not been an easy task.
In April the city directed the state to put the new ferry dock on Marine Way between the fuel dock and East Point Cannery. The plan was to take out the dilapidated Channel Transient Float and replace it with a new ferry dock.
The plan has changed since then.
The story of the new ferry dock is a long one. It actually dates back decades, but we’ll pick it up in 2006 when the state received funding in an earmark for a new dedicated ferry terminal. In other words the state would own the facility, they’d have their own ferry office building, and the Tustumena and the Kennicott would come and go out of there.
The plan at the time was to put the terminal and dock on Near Island. On paper, it looked like the perfect place for a dedicated ferry terminal.
Kirk Miller is the manager of the marine design group for the Alaska Department of Transportation in Juneau. He reviewed options with the Kodiak City Council during last night’s work session:
— (Kirk Miller :35 "What happened is…more affordable.")
Affordable is the key here. There’s roughly $7 million available for building the new ferry dock. Putting a ferry dock in place of the Channel Transient Float would cost in the range of $15 to $20 million.
They considered Lash Dock, but ruled that out-in part because of costs.
Miller said the best option for the money available is to convert Pier 1, which is the current ferry dock. That would mean the Kennicott would continue to use Pier 2-City Dock, the ferry system wouldn’t have all their Kodiak operations combined into one dedicated dock and building.
Harbormaster Marty Owen questioned the wisdom of expanding onto a decades old dock.
So, the city council last night directed Miller to come back with a plan that replaces much of the old ferry dock and that will cost only about $7 million.
That task-like that of finding a home for the ferries-will not be easily accomplished.
I’m Maggie Wall.
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