The City of Kodiak is reviewing an eight-year-old development plan for its property on Near Island, which it acquired from the State of Alaska in 1968. Since the plan hasn’t been dusted off since 2019, some potential projects are stagnant until the council formally decides what it wants to do.
In 2017, engineers with DOWL were hired by the City of Kodiak to put out a plan for developing Near Island. The bridge-connected island is mostly forested and includes a mix of commercial, residential and recreational uses, which includes 3.5 miles of public trails, the Trident Basin Seaplane Base and a quarry. But the city owns the majority of the island.
The Near Island Development Plan lays out three paths: minimal, moderate or maximum development. While the borough backed the minimal route, the city council never picked a path. The Kodiak Island Borough Assembly held public meetings on the plan in 2019 and formally adopted an ordinance that included the minimal development concept.
That hasn’t stopped private entities from wanting to buy and develop land on Near Island. When they want to purchase property, they need to get a conditional use permit from the city.
It’s all piecemeal right now. There’s no clear city goal for future development, or how to balance revenue generation and land conservation.
For example, in October, Brechan Construction asked to buy 10 acres off Alimaq Drive to consolidate its business there. The company specifically wanted the property at Near Island Park Research Subdivision Lot 1A and 2 located at 153 and 101 Trident Way.
At the time, Brechan’s Vice President of Operations Jascha Zbitnoff said the city would lose out on tens of thousands of dollars in business taxes a year if the city didn’t sell.
“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," Zbitnoff told the council in October.
The city council has not formally taken action one way or the other on Brechan’s request.
There are several pending projects on Near Island.
Kodiak is in the midst of the design phase of an approximately $60 million replacement of its biggest harbor, which includes expanding dock space or slips for more boats. Additionally, the city is considering a slight expansion of its quarry, which is adjacent to the harbor on Near Island.
Acting City Manager Josie Bahnke said city staff need direction from the City Council on how to handle them.
“The council has not really made a formalized decision through legislation that gives staff the direction needed to move forward with plan implementation," she said during a Jan. 30 work session.
Despite the potential loss of revenue from Brechan, the council seemed to agree that they want minimal development at Near Island. Councilmember John Whiddon said the development plan involves a lot of public input that clearly favors maintaining the forests and recreational areas.
“And the emphasis was split, but the primary emphasis was on recreational uses and non-industrial use," he stated. "And I think that plan still stands today.”
Other council members like Terry Haines, who is also a KMXT employee, also voiced support for the minimal development option.
Natura Richardson, the new executive director at Island Trails Network, expressed her support for maintaining the current trail system on the island.
“I’m hoping and I’m here to ask the city to perhaps re-engage in an MOA with Island Trails to continue the work that has been done, and for us to pursue a revenue stream to maintain the trails," she said.
Whiddon said that agreement is worth discussing further.
The Kodiak City Council’s next regular meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 13, but a final decision on Brechan’s proposal is not currently on the agenda. There will be a public meeting to update the Near Island Development plan hosted by the council in the near future, but the date and time has not yet been determined.
