Replacement of a mechanic’s shop roof, study of placing traffic signals at the intersection of Kalifornsky Beach Road and Arena Avenue and a variety of improvements to roads and parks are among Soldotna’s capital project priorities for the coming legislative session, adopted via unanimous consent during the city council’s meeting last week.
A resolution establishing the city’s priorities was included on the Jan. 8 consent agenda and adopted with little discussion. Council member Jordan Chilson on Jan. 9 gave a detailed report on the items to the Soldotna Parks and Recreation Advisory Board.
“These are things from our five-year capital improvement plan that we identify is worth pursuing for federal and state funding,” he said.
Chief among them is replacement of the roof over the city’s mechanic shop, estimated to cost $1.2 million. Next, the city is asking for nearly $1 million to conduct a “signalization study” at the intersection of Kalifornsky Beach Road and Arena Avenue — in front of the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex and Soldotna Field House.
“We’ve had long-term interest in getting a lit intersection put in front of the sports center,” Chilson said. “Before we can do that, we have to do a signalization study to, basically, justify the need. Which is, from my perspective, kind of frustrating, because we all know that we need it.”
Other projects describe requests for $250,000 for safety improvements to the Sterling Highway and Birch Street intersection, which sees considerable foot-traffic stemming from events at Soldotna Creek Park, and $250,000 for improvements to Memorial Park.
Design work for an expansion of the sports complex conference rooms, which Chilson described as building out a new conference space between the complex and the field house, is expected to cost $690,000.
The priorities document also describes two “pending priorities from 2024,” which have previously been included in congressional designated spending bills by Sen. Lisa Murkowski. Those describe nearly $4 million for Marydale Avenue and $900,000 for update to Soldotna’s Well C.
“Those are about $5 million in funding items that were approved for funding through congressional directed spending by Murkowski’s office,” Chilson said. “They’re kind of tied up in limbo right now with the federal budget process, but we’re hoping to see those come through.”
The full text of the legislative priorities resolution, as well as Soldotna’s five-year capital improvement plan adopted in June, can be found at soldotna.org.
Reach reporter Jake Dye at jacob.dye@peninsulaclarion.com.
