KMXT 100.1 FM Public Radio in Kodiak, Alaska
Yesterday KMXT told you about the first two items on the Kodiak Island Borough’s state legislative capital improvement projects priority list. The borough assembly narrowed the eight-item list from a pool of 16 projects during its work session on Thursday, with the help of Kodiak’s Representative Alan Austerman and Borough lobbyist Mark Hickey.
Third on the CIP list is a project that would extend Anton Larsen Bay Road to ice free water. Duncan Fields spoke about the project on behalf of Spruce Island Development Corporation, or SIDCO. SIDCO is an organization put together by the corporation, tribe and city of Ouzinkie for community development. He said the desire to extend that road first came up in 1991 with the hope of making the west side of Kodiak, and villages like Ouzinkie and Port Lions, more accessible.
“So the idea is, is that you get some protection form the Northwest coming across Marmot Bay, and also an area where it will be ice free. The objective is initially to put in a road and a boat launch facility in that area. It may expand over time, but that’s the initial objective, is to get road and boat funds and capabilities, and perhaps, depending on funding and opportunity, maybe a float plane landing place for them to come in as well.”
That project has already taken two crucial steps forward. Last year Fields obtained a $450,000 legislative grant for the road extension on behave of SIDCO. Some of that money was put toward aerial surveying of the area, which Fields said is required for a project like this. Fields said those aerial surveys often come with expensive price tags, but the borough had already planned survey flights this summer and the Anton project was able to piggy back off that, significantly reducing the cost.
Fields said there is about $375,000 left from last year’s legislative grant, and the borough is requesting additional $6 million from the state for the next phase of engineering and design.
A different project would straighten the switchbacks on Anton Larsen Bay Road between the Bear Valley Golf Course and ski chalet. The borough estimates that could cost around $5 million, but is asking the state for $500,000 to initiate planning and design work. Austerman suggested the project might cost more than the borough is anticipating, based on similar road work being done near Mayflower Beach.
“Just keep in mind too the dollar value of a place like that switchback, which is as you say, in a canyon, the Mayflower switchback out there was something in the neighborhood of $6 or $7 million. And that’s a fairly straight shot going around the corner and going down. So this is going to be a fairly sizeable project once you get into it I think.”
Number five on the borough’s CIP list is a $500,000 request to look at the feasibility of extending the water and sewer system to Monashka Bay. Borough Manager Bud Cassidy said the hope is it would alleviate issues with septic systems and wells for Monashka Bay residents, and maybe provide incentive for community growth in that area.
“Probably one of the issues is the sewage treatment capacity probably is not the direction to go. That sewer would probably better go the direction of the borough’s landfill and that water treatment plant that we’re doing. City water, now the city does have the capability to supply water to places like Monashka Bay but I think what we’re talking about is a feasibility and some planning and design to give us more information.”
The assembly is hoping to approve its CIP list during Thursday’s regular meeting. Tune in to KMXT tomorrow to hear conversations about the final three projects on the list.
