KMXT 100.1 FM Public Radio in Kodiak, Alaska
The City of Kodiak is looking for a place to build a new fire station in town and they think they’ve found it. But there’s a lot of work to do before they break ground.
At a Borough Assembly meeting earlier this month, Kodiak City Manager Mike Tvenge told the Assembly that the city has its sights set on a piece of property owned by the borough.
“One location that meets all requirements is the property currently owned by the Kodiak Island Borough, which fronts East Rezanof Dr. and Egan Way.”
That plot of land sits next to Kodiak High School and KMXT studios, and according to Tvenge fits the criteria for an effective city fire department.
“The current average response time in the city is 5 minutes or less…The city has evaluated the size and easement restrictions on the property. And is requesting the assembly to authorize the city to investigate the potential to build a community fire and ambulance station that serves our residents and provides mutual aid to Bayside, Women’s Bay volunteer fire departments.”
Currently, Providence Hospital is leasing a couple of buildings on that land that house Providence Kodiak Island Counseling Center.
But these buildings are slated for demolition.
Brian Meissner, principal architect at ECI Alaska, hired by the city to investigate locations for a new fire station, expressed concerns about the state of the buildings.
“Because of the vintage of those buildings they most certainly have they most possibly have asbestos containing material and lead paint and other things.”
Dave Conrad, Director of Engineering and Facilities for the Kodiak Island Borough, said in an email to KMXT that due to the age and condition of the buildings, they must be torn down. In addition to asbestos and lead paint, they have inferior fire alarms and no sprinkler systems. The facilities are not “remotely energy efficient and costs to upgrade would be very expensive.”
Conrad also noted that with a facility of this age, there are normally concerns regarding contaminated soil.
The buildings were originally built more than 50 years ago as dorms for students from remote areas to attend Kodiak schools.
So what will happen to the Counseling Center? Carlie Franz, spokesperson for Providence in Kodiak, said they’re not sure yet.
“Right now we’re looking at a lot of different options…We’re doing a lot of background work right now to find a good location.”
The Counseling Center offers a wide array of behavioral health services, including case management for chronically mentally ill patients and Safe Harbor, an outpatient substance abuse treatment program.
“This is a very important service to our community. And we want to ensure that wherever we end up establishing as the new facility to care for this population is appropriate.”
Even if a new fire station is not ultimately built there, those buildings will eventually come down. But no one is sure when that will happen, or when Counseling services will be relocating.
“We do not have a specific timeline, but we are proactively looking right now.”
But what they do know is that the Counseling Center is not leaving Kodiak.
“We do not have any intentions on stopping these services. They are very important for our community. Our goal is to continue providing these services.”
