Petition would vacate Eek Street; comment by Oct. 20 or lose the right to object

A public street in Eek would become private property under a petition before the state, and no one has said what the ground is wanted for.

The City of Eek and the Alaska Village Electric Cooperative have asked the Department of Natural Resources to vacate a 40-foot right-of-way called Eek Street and merge the lots on either side into two parcels, one for the city and one for the cooperative. The vacated strip would go inside AVEC's parcel, which already holds a cluster of round structures near Tank Farm Road. Under state law, a vacated street doesn't revert to public ground; title splits between the adjoining owners. Neither the petition nor its map explains the purpose.

What the map does show is a townsite crossed by boardwalks, with easements recorded in 2014 and two more drawn on the new plat, plus an alternate route labeled for the land north of the street. What it doesn't show is whether those lines follow the paths people in Eek actually walk. The documents on file don't establish that existing foot access would be preserved.

The state is handling this because Eek, a second-class city in the Bethel area, has no platting authority of its own. Once the state decides, the Eek city council holds a 30-day veto, and silence counts as consent.

The catch for anyone with an objection is the timing. To have any right to challenge the decision later, in a reconsideration or in court, a person has to participate now, either by written comment by 5 pm Oct. 20 or by testifying at a teleconference hearing Oct. 22. Skip that step, and the door to appeal is closed.