Plans to relocate Central Emergency Services Station One in Soldotna are on hold for now. The borough assembly was supposed to vote on an ordinance approving the purchase of property near the intersection of the Sterling and Spur highways at its meeting last week. But that ordinance was withdrawn after the borough was unable to come to terms with one of the property owners.
Borough Land Manager Marcus Mueller says they’re reworking plans to fit the new station in the same general area.
“We had put a proposal together and it looked like it was going to work out, but then it didn’t. So now what we’re doing is talking to a property owner on the other side of where we were looking, which is in the Petco and Walgreens area of Soldotna. This brings us a little bit closer to the brewery. There’s a trail that leads down to Soldotna creek. We’re kind of looking in that area and talking to the property owners there.”
The property was to be paid for with a 10-year, $1.5 million loan from the borough’s capital fund. Mueller says regardless of the location, it will need to serve the area for decades, as the current station has since the 60’s.
“We done a really hard look at what the landscape is around Soldotna, trying to make sure we can find a site that has good soils and the right infrastructure to support emergency support. The area we’re looking at has that. There’s a high-value commercial property out front, and we’re looking at the space behind that.
That would likely give the new station access via the relatively new Homestead Lane and Redoubt Avenue. Mueller says they’re taking the rest of the month of September to work on a purchase agreement, but also listen for other ideas.
“What we’ve done while we have this moment to pause is put our feelers out and let folks know if they have other ideas they would like the site selection committee to consider, now is an opportune time to get ideas to us.”
And you can share your input by emailing the borough lands department at lmweb@kpb.us or by calling 714-2205. The deadline is October 1st.
