The City of Kenai will hold a joint work session with members of the city council and other city departments on Oct. 11 to discuss the development of an inaugural land management plan for Kenai. The council approved a citywide approach to land management in 2018.
Kenai City Manager Paul Ostrander wrote in a Sept. 9 memo to the city council that the City of Kenai owns 369 subdivided parcels of land that include wetlands, tidelands and lands “suitable” for commercial, industrial, residential and recreational purposes, among others. In describing the need for the plan, Ostrander wrote that the City of Kenai’s land inventory is one of its “greatest assets.”
“The Land Management Plan is an important tool to spur economic growth and improve the quality of life for Kenai residents and is key to the long-term viability of the City,” Ostrander wrote.
The goals of the plan, which Ostrander said incorporate objectives outlined in the “The City of Kenai Imagine Kenai 2030 Comprehensive Plan,” include providing an inventory of city-owned lands and identifying properties required for a public purpose. Other goals include establishing recommendations for individual parcels and creating a comprehensive reference document establishing procedures for the development of land policies, Ostrander wrote.
Development of land parcels owned by the City of Kenai has been addressed by multiple candidates for Kenai City Council, including at a candidate forum at the Kenai Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center on Wednesday. The council’s scheduling of the work session for Oct. 11 means the city’s two newly elected council members will be able to participate.
The meeting will come as the city explores ways to revitalize the city’s waterfront area from Millennium Square to the city dock. The city council approved $95,000 for a feasibility study for that project during their Sept. 1 meeting.
Wednesday’s Kenai City Council meeting can be viewed on the city’s website at kenai.city.
Reach reporter Ashlyn O’Hara at ashlyn.ohara@peninsulaclarion.com.
