While the mainland is making headway on a recreational trail that would connect Seward to Fairbanks, Kodiak Island is applying to fund its own short trail project.
The Kodiak Short Trail would connect the Bells Flats area all the way up to Abercrombie State Park. It would follow 11.7 miles along the island’s road system as an alternative to Rezanof Drive.
The project is being spearheaded by the Island Trails Network, a non-profit focused on recreation around Kodiak. Currently the organization is in the process of applying for a federal grant with the Active Transportation Infrastructure Investment Program, or ATIIP, to help pay for the trail. But the nonprofit needs matching funds from the Kodiak City Council in order to do so.
Sandra West, a trail enthusiast and one of the founders of Connecting Community in Kodiak, which is partnering with Island Trails Network, most recently asked the council for its support on June 13 during the most recent city council meeting.
“We’re trying to build an active transportation, quiet, no motorcycles path from here to Bell’s Flats. We’re starting by asking for a federal grant, which will give us about 30% of the planning [costs],” West explained.
The federal ATIIP grant would cover $1.25 million of the short trail planning costs.
The group is specifically asking the council for $251,378, or 20% of the total, to meet the match requirement for the grant application. The council wouldn't have to contribute any funds unless Island Trails Network is awarded the federal grant though.
West said that would be the only financial obligation required of the city; maintenance and upkeep would be separate.
“Maintenance is always a major issue. It’s the cost and the responsibility," West said. "And it’s pretty exciting, because as I was reading through the narrative that we’re drafting, the maintenance issue is included in part of this application plan to create an interagency group to work on this.”
The council is slated to vote on a resolution to award the matching funds on June 27, during its next regular meeting. Then Island Trails Network will have to wait months before finding out if they will receive federal grant funding from ATIIP or not.
