The Soldotna City Council voted to support the efforts of the Kenai Peninsula Peace Crane Garden Trails to secure grant funding after postponing the vote from the previous City Council meeting. Kenai Peninsula Peace Crane Garden Trails is a non-profit organization that aims to promote mental health and educational opportunities through community activities, gardens and trails. The organization had an agreement with the Kenai Peninsula Borough to establish the scope of physical trails and garden facilities and their locations, along with the means and methods by which they will develop, manage, and maintain those trails and facilities. The agreement further established that the trail facilities shall be open to the general public.
Councilwoman Pamela Parker, “Once we learned a little more about who owns the land, the process that the organization went through with the Borough to get this phase approved, the designs and plans that they have for future phases, the outreach that they already have done either through presentations at the Borough, presentations with the rotary organizations, newspaper articles, etc., my thought process shifted with this. Yes, I still understand why community members that live right there in that neighborhood are frustrated. They were not directly involved in this process the entire time. However, I do believe that the organization has a really solid plan. I think they know what they want to do with this land and I think that it’s going to be a fantastic trail system when it’s done. I know that we are discussing particularly the merits of supporting their application for this grant. I will say, however, though that I hope the organization has really taken to heart the feedback that they have received from the community and I sincerely hope that we are not in this same situation months and years down the road.”
Soldotna stated that the proposed park and trail system is consistent with the Recreation and Trails Master Plan to provide recreational opportunities, to expand and activate facilities and connections to meet the growing interests and needs, and to provide neighborhood parks for the recreation needs of Soldotna residents.
Resolution 2021-015 unanimously passed in support of the grant funding.