INTRODUCTION

At the December 12, 2005 Council meeting, Council member Doug Stark made a motion to amend the FY 2006 Operating Budget by adding $3,000 to survey a 40 acre parcel of BLM land in preparation for acquisition of this parcel by the City. The parcel is located on Skyline Drive immediately adjacent to land owned by the Winn Nature Center. Most of this parcel is very steep and it includes the upper reaches of Bear Canyon. A portion of it is suitable for construction of a new firehall.

The Council approved this amendment and added $3,000 to the budget for this purpose. There was some discussion about the details of this request but the Council’s priority at the time was to stay focused on the overall budget and not get too bogged down on individual line items this small. The Council made it clear that it wanted to discuss this matter further at another time. It asked me to bring this issue back before the Council for discussion and final approval before I spent any money on surveying.

BACKGROUND

The City of Homer and the Kachemak Emergency Service Area Board worked together to improve cooperation and to develop a Fire Department Strategic Plan over a year ago. Council Member Stark served as Chair of the working group/committee. During the development of the strategic plan, the City and KESA agreed that it would be very advantageous to have a joint use fire hall facility on Skyline Drive. A joint use facility would save both parties money and create operational efficiencies. It would allow KESA to provide better service to the rapidly growing areas on East Skyline Drive and Ohlson Mt. Road. It would also help the City provide better service to the newly annexed areas. A strategically located fire hall would improve ISO ratings, lower insurance rates, and improve response times.

The committee spent a great deal of time looking at maps, measuring distances between

existing and proposed fire halls, and checking on the potential availability of land. The

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BLM parcel was selected as the top option because of its strategic location and the fact that the City could acquire it for no cost. The parcel is adjacent to the City Municipal boundary and could be easily annexed if necessary or desirable. This parcel was specifically mentioned in the Strategic Plan as the preferred alternative for a joint use fire hall. The Fire Department Strategic Plan was adopted by the Homer City Council.

The City Manager and Council Member Stark began the process of acquiring this parcel by contacting the appropriate people at DNR and BLM and securing the proper application documents. The first thing the City has to do before BLM can even begin processing its application is survey the land. In its initial letter requesting that the land be transferred to the City, the City stated that it should be transferred under the public use provisions of BLM’s regulations because the parcel was needed for a fire hall. The City also said that it wanted to provide for more active management because the parcel was important to the community for fire, flood, erosion and watershed protection and that it had very high wildlife, habitat, and recreational values.

As this process began to unfold, the City became aware that opposition to the idea of building a fire hall at this location was building. Concerns were voiced by the Winn Nature Center Board, the Center for Alaska Coastal Studies, and a number of local residents. The primary objections included noise, traffic, impacts to wildlife and their travel corridors, impacts to the view-shed, and the concern that activity associated with a fire hall was inconsistent with the purposes of the Nature Center.

One of the primary concerns was that the City would need to acquire a short easement across Winn Nature Center property to access this property. The deed to the property clearly prohibits road building. Although access might be obtained from another direction using a section line easement, that may not be practical from a cost and construction perspective.

The City Manager had several meetings with those who had concerns and explained the need for this project and the City’s motivation for pursuing this parcel. He also conveyed several ideas that Council Member Stark developed that were intended to mitigate the potential impacts of constructing a fire hall at this location. These ideas included locating the access road in an area that would require the shortest possible easement, identifying an exact location for the building that would minimize impacts to the view of the glacier, and suggesting alternatives to a high water tank. These suggestions did not totally alleviate the concerns.

After some further discussion, Mayor Hornaday and I had a meeting with a group of concerned citizens that included a representative of the Winn Nature Center Board, representatives from the Center for Alaska Coastal Studies (they manage the Nature

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Center), and several neighboring residents. When the meeting was over, the Mayor and I

told the participants that we understood their concerns, that neither of us was inclined to move this project forward at this time because of those concerns, and that we would ask for a full Council discussion before taking any further action.

Around the time that this meeting took place, Milli Martin offered to make some of her land available to KESA for a fire station and/or associated facilities. Chief Painter reports that although this may not be ideal from the City’s perspective, it would clearly help to provide better service in that area. The downside from the City’s perspective is that the facility might not be constructed as quickly and it would be farther away from structures within the City limits. If the Council determines that this scenario is not ideal, it has the option of looking for another parcel within the City limits or pushing forward with the BLM land.

RECOMMENDATION

I believe it is advisable to go ahead and survey this parcel and apply for a transfer of title to the City. Even if a fire hall is never built there, I think this parcel still has value for wildlife protection, flood and erosion control, and recreation. The City could deed it to the Winn Nature Center or the Kachemak Land Trust if that is desirable. If the Council is not prepared to make a decision about a firehall at this location, the decision could be deferred until we have more information about KESA’s plans and how that might impact fire protection for City residents on the bluff.

Fiscal Note: 100.1101.5210, City Manager Professional Services, $3,000.00 for Survey.