Three bronze bears would come to the Kenai airport under revised landscaping plans for the terminal that include a sculpture garden near the departure entrance.

Members of the Kenai City Council during their meeting last Thursday gave city administration conditional approval to pursue funding opportunities for the sculptures as long as ongoing landscaping work at the Kenai Municipal Airport continues.

Per documents submitted to council members, the sculptures would include a bronze sow and two cubs interacting with a river. The landscaping element of the project would include a dry stream flowing toward the airport’s departure area. The river would include polished river rocks, boulders and driftwood.

“The sculptures and accompanying landscaping capture the essence of the Kenai Peninsula and its wild treasures and beauty,” supporting documents said. “The sculptures consist of a brown bear family (an adult sow and two cubs) caught in still-life poses that play out thousands of times a year on the Kenai Peninsula and many of the places the airport serves.”

Kenai City Manager Terry Eubank told council members during their Oct. 19 meeting that similar sculptures exist in Juneau, of a whale, at the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center, of a moose, and in Kodiak, of a bear. Eubank said it is not expected that the project would be paid for in full by the city’s airport budget.

“This definitely would be much more expensive (than) what was originally envisioned for the terminal landscaping, but I think it really could become a landmark,” Eubank said.

The City of Kenai added $100,000 worth of airport landscaping improvements to its capital improvement plan for fiscal year 2023, which ended on June 30. An additional $15,000 was approved for landscaping work by council members last year. Of the $115,000 approved to date, just over $28,000 has been spent on landscaping design services, which are ongoing.

Eubank said the city still needs to find $40,000 for its existing airport landscaping project, but that there may be some wiggle room depending on the type of vegetation the city brings in.

Interim Airport Manager Mary Bondurant wrote in an Oct. 6 memo to council members that incorporation of a bronze wildlife sculpture into the landscaping project was part of early discussions between the city and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The agency met with airport staff in August to further discuss the proposed sculpture garden and provide drawings, Bondurant said. Further, members of the Kenai Airport Commission unanimously supported the project during their Sept. 14 meeting, she wrote.

If council members support incorporating the sculptures into the landscaping project design, Bondurant wrote, airport administration can start to identify grant funding and form a fundraising committee to purchase the three bronze sculptures, estimated to cost $200,000.

During last Thursday’s meeting, council member Alex Douthit called that price tag “pretty staggering” and said the city should prioritize the completion of its existing landscape project.

“As far as the bronze statutes, I think it’s a great idea (and) I’d love to see it, but I definitely don’t want to cut a $200,000 check for right this second,” Douthit said. “I think looking into possibilities of other funding would be the best way to go … for sure.”

Eubank on Wednesday categorized the council’s response to the proposed sculpture garden as “generally supportive,” with the understanding that those sculptures be paid for with community fundraising or grants. Additionally, the council said landscaping work should continue independently of the sculptures while also including preparation for the display so that no redundant work is done.

A recording of last Thursday’s city council meeting is not available due to a disruption of the Zoom call, however, city council packets and agendas can be found on the city’s website at kenai.city.

Reach reporter Ashlyn O’Hara at ashlyn.ohara@peninsulaclarion.com.