On March 4, Councilman Brian Gabriel cast the deciding vote against the proposal to build a gazebo in Kenai’s ‘Field of Dreams.’ Not to be deterred, Beautification Committee Chair Lisa Gabriel presented the request to the City Council again last night, this time with a $12,000 discount.
Kenai Mayor Pat Porter said the reduction from $20,000 to $8,400 came mostly in the form of a donation…
Porter: “We actually have had the Navarre family who had some leftover nice lumber that they’re willing to donate for the lumber portion of the construction.”
The proposal was approved by all but three Councilors last night: Councilors Molloy, Marquis, and Bookey.
Molloy: Well it was a very simple beautiful field of flowers and the way it was attracted people to just come there, it was spontaneous. I feel that we didn’t need to add to that by a gazebo or other things to start making it into a destination because it already is a destination in the simple form it is and that’s how people were enjoying it.”
Councilor Marquis agreed that the best way to ‘cheapen’ the simple beauty of the field is to spend more money on it.
Mayor Pat Porter and the Beautification Committee argued that the field needs investment and protection so the flowers reach full maturity and reseed themselves.
The field cost $6,300 to plant. Reseeding would cost $1,000 for seed, plus labor.