Brechan Construction wants to buy property from the City of Kodiak on Near Island. The company has submitted an application to purchase more than 10 acres off of Trident Way, between Northend Park and the Kodiak Seafood and Marine Science Center, as part of a planned development for the area.
Since the summer of 2023, Brechan Construction has been majority owned by Seldovia Native Association, an Alaska Native village corporation.
Brechan’s properties in Kodiak were divided up at that time, with the current shop on Mill Bay Road, which includes the concrete plant, and its property near the Safeway; being excluded from the sale to the majority owners.
Jascha Zbitnoff is the Vice President of Operations with Brechan and also one of the employee owners alongside Louis Rocheleau. He told the city council during a work session earlier this month [Oct. 8] that the local owners want to consolidate their properties into one lot on Near Island, specifically Near Island Park Research Subdivision Lot 1A and 2 located at 153 and 101 Trident Way.
“The piece that we are talking about is the large piece right across the bridge when you come in [to Near Island], right behind the scale there [off Alimaq Drive]. It goes over to the existing storage yard," Zbitnoff explained.
The roughly ten and a half acre property is also located near popular recreational trails that span the whole coast of Near Island, which is partially forested.
Zbitnoff said the project would be broken into at least three phases with the first involving surveying and getting the land ready to construct a metal office building.
“We'll flatten that area out to make room for our new office and shop structures," he said. "Once we get the area flat and level, get the utilities in, we build a new office building and then also an equipment shop, both of which we’re still without the city's approval.”
Zbitnoff said Brechan’s operations would eventually shift from its current Mill Bay Road location to the new buildings on Near Island. Phase two would involve consolidating equipment storage from Bells Flats area into one lot on Near Island and fence the entire property off, in-between Trident Way and Alimaq Drive.
The details haven’t fully been ironed out yet. But the company also plans to build its own workforce housing during the final phase of the project on this same property that stretches to an existing storage lot on Trident Way. Zbitnoff said this could include a mix of multi-family and single family unit, which would also free up the roughly eight rental units the company currently utilizes to house its workers in the summer.
Zbitnoff emphasized that the new housing would be one of the project’s top benefits, should the city decide to sell the property, along with more revenue for the local municipality.
“If we’re not successful in this venture, we’ll probably be moving our operations out of the city limits and taking them to our different piece of property that’s in the borough," he said. "So that revenue, plus or minus $50,000 to $60,000 a year, would be going away from the city. We would be paying property taxes, continue to pay property tax to the city.”
City Council members were receptive to the proposal – but seemed to side with Councilmember John Whiddon, who recommended the council review its Near Island Development Plan before moving forward with any potential property sale. He points out that the development plan hasn’t been reviewed in about eight years.
“I think the first step, before we do anything, would be to review this plan, see if it’s still a valid plan," Whiddon said. "I’d like to see us get a lot of feedback from the community.”
Council members heard from several members of the public over the proposed development during the work session that same evening on Oct. 8. Kodiak resident and trail enthusiast Sandra West urged the council to think about how this project would change the landscape of the bridge-connected island.
“Consider what is in the best interest of the public. When we talk about housing, I'm hoping that we're talking about sidewalks and a park," West said. "I'm also concerned about coming over to Near Island, and what does it look like when you first land on the island? What’s the view?”
Zbitnoff, with Brechan, said the company hopes to complete the purchase of the land by the end of this year and start phase one of the project next summer. The potential sale will require the city council’s formal approval and vote during an upcoming regular meeting.
