Kodiak Lands Committee directs staff to study housing development at youth baseball field

The Kodiak Island Borough Lands Committee on Monday directed staff to research whether a 16-acre parcel used as a youth baseball facility can be developed for residential housing. Committee member Bo Whiteside proposed the centrally located site, known as Killarney Hills or the Cannonball Field, as a candidate for at least 30 residential lots.

Whiteside said the site has flat terrain, access to utilities, and proximity to local businesses. The borough's 2021 Housing Needs Assessment documented ongoing housing availability and affordability challenges across the borough.

Committee member Zach Johnson said the borough planned to sell the parcel or open it to development in 2018, but the plan did not move forward. Johnson said staff should research how far the 2018 effort progressed and why it stalled. He said the site is not just a practice field. The whole coach pitch league plays all its games there.

Committee member Grahn said the site has served recreation for roughly 25 years and may include several acres of wetlands. She said the parcel was purchased for a hospital site many years ago. Grahn asked staff to identify how much of the 16 acres is wetlands and to verify utility challenges through the public works department. She noted that bedrock at the site could increase development costs.

Whiteside said he is prioritizing the needs of the community over a practice field when there are numerous ball fields teams can practice on. He said the committee will have to consider whether to prioritize housing needs or current use.

Borough manager Amy noted that the borough has a joint-use agreement with the city for the parcel and a separate memorandum of agreement for city storage on the site. Staff will return with a memo addressing the parcel's development history, utility feasibility, wetlands extent, and joint-use agreements. The committee also directed staff to provide historical research on why two parcels on East Rezanof Drive and Sheraton Road were previously considered and did not move forward. The committee did not set a timeline for the staff reports.