Responding to strong public outcry at an open house Monday night, the Kodiak area State Parks Citizens Advisory Board agreed to reconsider plans for a parking lot and bus turnaround near the Fort Abercrombie Military History Museum.

But it was unclear how much the board can and is willing to change course this late in the process. Public discussion on the project goes back to 2007, and had been moving toward taking bids for the project in spring 2010.

State Parks Director James King, who flew in from Anchorage for the open house, said the park system would consider public comments in the final stages of the project’s design. But, he did not say how much the project might be reworked at this stage.

“Keep giving us your input,” he told the group. “The most important thing you can tonight is write down your opinions. Are we willing to adjust, to tweak and revaluate? Absolutely.”

More than 100 people attended the open house. Guests took the opportunity to talk to King and three off-island professionals who contributed to the current plans.

The open house was planned as an informal chat between officials and individual community members. It became a long question and answer period, and at times a free-for-all argument.

“Are you getting the impression that the community hates this plan? That it finds it abhorrent?” asked audience-member Bill Oliver.

The audience was overwhelmingly against the project, citing environmental and aesthetic concerns as well as suspicions that the project prioritizes cruise ship visitors over Kodiak residents.

The project would be funded with $1.3 million in revenue from the state $50-head cruise ship tax. It qualifies for cruise ship head tax money because many cruise ship visitors visit to Fort Abercrombie.

Citizen advisory board chair Mike Sirofchuck said the cruise ship head tax is an opportunity for local government to take advantage of traffic from cruise ships, not a mandate from the ships to the community.

“The money for this project is not coming from anyone in this room,” he said. “It’s not coming from state coffers either. So it’s a win-win situation.”

Toward the end of the open house, the event became a brainstorming session for alternatives to the current plan.

Audience members mentioned creating a shuttle system to the museum and making an exit loop out of an unused historical road.

Both are ideas that the board has previously considered, but they included some novel variations like using World War II-era jeeps as shuttles to keep the historic feel of the park experience.

In addition to frustration about the parking lot and bus turnaround, the open house drew a few comments about the end of camping on Miller Point. The campsite would be shut down as part of the project because it covers part of the World War II historical site.

Several high school cross-country athletes expressed concern the project would pave parts of the Fort Abercrombie cross country course.

This proved to be one of the few issues resolved at the meeting. Coach Marcus Dundar said after the open house that the proposed plan would not impact the course as he had feared.

Years in development

The Miller Point project came out of goals established in the Fort Abercrombie State Historical Park Master Plan — a document begun in 2005. The document calls on the park to improve access and decrease congestion at the Military History Museum.

The World War II Ready Ammunition Bunker that houses the museum is now accessed on a dead-end street that requires busses to make a 15-point turn after dropping people at the museum.

District Ranger Kevin Murphy made it clear during the open house that dropping the project and leaving museum access in its current condition is not an option.

Moving forward

Immediately after the open house on Monday, the advisory board held its regular monthly meeting.

New advisory board member Bill Murdock said public concerns expressed at the open house demand a response, even though input arrived late in the planning process.

“This group of people who were here tonight is a vast cross section of the community,” he said. “This was not just an isolated group of people who were concerned about this.”

Sirofchuck agreed the issue needed more attention, but warned the board about ignoring public comments that went into creating the earlier consensus.

“I think it’s important for us to take into account why that board at that time felt that that was an appropriate plan,” said Sirofchuck. “And the plan of going around the bunker (to create an exit route) was immediately rejected.”

The advisory body agreed to keep Miller Point on its agenda in future months. The board discussed forming a subcommittee on the Miller Point issue, but decided to wait until January’s meeting to take definitive action.

State Rep. Alan Austerman — who attended both the meeting and open house — told the board that they should not rush into a decision over concerns about funding because head-tax money is not disappearing very quickly.

“You can come back to me next year for more money and I’ll be there,” he said.

Cruise ship backlash

The discussion about the cruise ship head tax in Kodiak comes amid complaints from the cruise ship industry that the tax and recession economics are combining to make business too difficult in Alaska.

Last week, the Associated Press reported Carnival Lines is pulling two ships out of Alaska waters in 2011 making them the fifth and sixth ship to be rerouted or canceled this year.

The move will not affect Kodiak’s planned schedule in 2010, but will mean the Royal Princess will not bring its 700 passengers and an equal number of crewmembers to Kodiak in 2011, The ship is one of the most important vessels in the 2010 schedule, with eight stops in Kodiak. Carnival operates both Princess and Holland America cruise lines.

Mirror Writer Sam Friedman can be reached via e-mail at sfriedman@kodiakdailymirror.com.