Commission approves subdivision, rezone for Native Village tsunami shelter

The Kodiak Island Borough Planning and Zoning Commission voted Wednesday to approve a subdivision and rezoning that will allow the Native Village of Usinki to take ownership of land containing a tsunami shelter structure.

The commission approved a preliminary subdivision of USS 4871 Block 1 Tract C, creating USS 4871 Block 1 Lot 2 Tract C and extending the G Street right-of-way. The commission also approved rezoning the new lot from R-1 single-family residential to PL public use lands district, which permits government offices and other community support uses including tsunami shelters.

Both votes were unanimous, 4-0, with no public testimony and no commission discussion before the votes.

Staff presented a revised plat dated May 14 that addressed right-of-way location issues raised at a May 13 work session. The revised plat and the proposed resolution number were updated accordingly. The revised design places the right-of-way extension on the left side of the new lot rather than stubbing directly into it. That allows the right-of-way to be extended when additional lots are created in the future.

The City of Kodiak signed the subdivision and rezone applications because the Native Village cannot hold title until the lot is created. Staff reported there is an agreement between the city and the Native Village of Usinki under which the city will sell an acre and a half that would encompass the tsunami shelter structure. Once the lot is recorded, the city will transfer ownership to the Native Village.

Approval of the subdivision includes four conditions. Two are standard plat requirements: submission of a closure report and compliance with final plat requirements in borough code. The other two require Assembly approval of the rezone and a zoning compliance permit for the tsunami shelter structure before the final plat can be submitted.

The rezone now moves to the Borough Assembly for final approval. The commission forwarded a recommendation of approval.

Federal guidance defines tsunami vertical evacuation structures as buildings or earthen mounds with sufficient height to elevate evacuees above expected inundation levels and designed to withstand earthquakes and tsunami loads. The International Tsunami Information Center notes such structures are intended for short-term refuge of 12 to 24 hours and are appropriate where timely evacuation to natural high ground is not feasible.

National Weather Service TsunamiReady program definitions explicitly recognize Indian tribal governments and local governments as TsunamiReady communities when they have the authority and ability to adopt tsunami preparedness and evacuation guidelines. That makes the program directly applicable to Alaska Native villages that develop tsunami shelters and evacuation routes.