By and large, Cordovans who participated in the city’s breakwater fill lot input session last week want to maintain the breakwater fill lot for public access.
The city hosted the mug-up session on June 18 to gather input about the lot, which has become a bit of hot button land-use issue in recent weeks. The city also solicited input through a public survey, which closed for responses on Monday.
“I think the council felt like before they make a decision on anything, they just wanted to hear from folks about what they would like to see,” Mayor Kristin Smith said during the June 18 session at the Cordova Center.
The breakwater fill lot – which was created to help break up the north swell wave energy caused by prolonged northerly winds – is a lot with 20,000 square feet of usable space. It’s currently the place Cordovans gather to watch the fishing fleets take off and patronize the food trucks that operate there. In the winter, it’s also a popular spot for Cordovans to watch the Iceworm Festival fireworks, as well as the city’s first holiday lighted boat parade last year.
Many people at the June 18 meeting said they were in favor of a covered picnic area at the site, part of a campaign that has been in the works for weeks. Cordova residents who favor the covered picnic idea gained traction this spring by circulating a petition, which as of last week’s input session had garnered 289 signatures, according to petitioners. Originally, the group said it set out to get 300 signatures.
Some others, however, cited their concerns with the city’s budget for the potential construction and upkeep of a covered space or other built-out public site.
A few participants piggy backed on the city budget concerns, indicating they’d support the city turning the lot into a revenue-maker. The city has received commercial letters of interest for the breakwater fill lot – including from Camtu Alaska Wild Seafoods.
City officials also mentioned a former idea to turn the lot into a hotel and restaurant, which Council Member Wendy Ranney said received a lot of community opposition at the time.
“When a hotel was proposed for that spot there was a real outcry in the community,” Ranney said. “So I think … at this point it was time to revisit what the community was thinking about that space, and see what the general consensus was.”
But even with revenue concerns, the majority of participants during the input session agreed they’d like the city to keep the breakwater fill lot public.
The lot is currently on the city’s 2025 land disposal maps. All city-owned properties are subject to the formal land disposal process, which allows individuals or businesses to lease or purchase them from the municipality.
The city has not issued a formal request for proposals (RFP) for the breakwater fill lot.
Correction: The previous version of this story inaccurately included a Parks & Recreation plan for the breakwater fill trail and misattributed it as a plan for the breakwater fill lot. The two are distinct. It also clarifies that Camtu was interested in the lot in a general sense.
