The Beautification Commission and Parks and Recreation Commission held a joint work session on July 14, 2026, at 6:00 PM in the City Council Chambers to discuss a proposed boardwalk at Duck Flats. The meeting focused on exploring the concept, identifying challenges, and defining next steps for the project.
Time, but there's there's a multitude of life happening in there. Um we feel that um that our commission feels that parks and rec is is the best partnership for us to start, um, but not ending there. This project really should include a lot of um a lot of shareholders that um that should have skin in the game, both with um planning funding. You guys have probably had to do the maintaining, let's face it. Um, but all of those things, you know, are what we need to start looking at going forward as we start building an actual concept. Um I think Potter's Marsh is a great example of a successful um project, just like on a much bigger scale. Um it's interesting to note that um it's owned by um Department of Fishing Game and maintained, but surrounding it, and you guys might are certainly aware of uh the Great Land Trust. I remember it in the news a few years ago when they were really pushing to get that property around the board block, owned and put into you know public trust kind of land or conservation. Um I think I'm not sure they're even finished with that, be frank. But they part that that property was owned by or another telecom company. Anyway, they they've had to purchase it, and um, so they have this massive, wonderful um refuge. Um I don't think we have to worry so much about that with this kind of project and this area because it's already it's already gone through um oh and I meant to look at this up, Elise. But we have I think it was when Dave Dingle was the city manager. We have a coastal management plan that it that addresses this whole area and beyond. But um, I'm not sure where that is, and I should have looked it up before I came. Um it was it's been in the back of my mind, but you know, going forward, that's the kind of stuff we're gonna have to find out about is permitted it takes um beyond you know where we want to put it and the the scope of the project. Um at any rate, um that's any other commissioners have anything to add to that. Um so we're here to talk to you about guys about our love of this idea, and if you'd be interested in working on it with us, yes. Yeah, that is the point. I mean, I grew up out of Anchorage, and I remember going on those little little boardwalk throughout and seeing all the birds as kids, and it was just like the coolest thing in the world, and it brings a lot of tourism as well out there. And we would see people just it was always busy, you know, growing up with that was also like the 90s, um, not to age me, but so it's all and even continuously when I lived in Gerd, but it was always kind of one of those things, it was always like, Oh, you gotta go do this boardwalk, and I mean, I think it's a great idea, and I think it'll take the pressure off of people you know, parking on the side of the road and having like traffic hazards right there, so people can just go and park somewhere and then walk the boardwalk type of area. So I I'm I'm generally curious. I think I've got a lot more questions at this point, just being unfamiliar with the conversation where it's been. I know this has been kicked around for a while. I first heard Jeremy Talbot mentioned this probably five plus years ago when he got here, and realized that Stan was trying to run with this years ago too. Um my mind jumped to Potter's Marsh is being a obvious comparison, but um yeah, and a real Broadway just kind of brings up other questions about waterfront in this area. Um, I'll point fingers of the Sea Otter RV park. I think a renewed release just got renewed out there for Wilson Brothers, but like what's the long-term plan with that? I mean, that's to me seems like the prime piece of property, and I just question like for talking about waterfront and visitors and viewing things like you know, you see where I'm going with that question, just just kind of like what are other assets and what are other options, and um, and then I don't know anything about permitting and construction in wetlands, but I work with those agencies enough to there's a process there, as everybody realizes. I I don't know how smooth and how quick that would go. Some of that's just kind of depends on workload of administrations and ideas, and maybe it's no big deal, maybe that's the next 10 years of somebody's life, you know, and you never really even get there. Um then uh, you know, again, this kind of question of other assets. Um, I'm thinking about the trail out to Shoot Bay, for example, or not shoop, the Gold Creek Trail. Um, you know, that's also got some marshy kind of wetlands on it too. I haven't really been impressed with some of the trail construction out there. I'll try to interface with our group and just ask some questions. I haven't really quite gotten answers. But but yeah, if you're talking about boardwalks and muddy areas and getting people out to see things, maybe you kind of steer money towards something we already have. Um it's not duck flats, but I think there's a need there, and I think it would serve a niche. Um anyway, I'll probably have some more thoughts, but I'm gonna quit talking for the time being. So I feel like a lot of people don't go to shoot because they don't know what's there. A lot of tourism, cruise ships and stuff. They don't go to shoot because they don't know it's it's there really unless they look at the map. But when you drive into Valdi is if you see a boardwalk, it's like driving by Potter's Marshall. If you see something, you're like, oh, let's stop. Let's check this out, you know. And obviously, some of the questions I have is the winter weather, how is that going to affect the boarding, you know, the the posts that are keeping the boards up, um, the different tides because we get some pretty good tides over in that area. And so, which I think Potter's Lawrence is a great area because they have I mean, I think that Gridwood area gets a 35 foot um tide pool area. So those are just my only two things. But um, I feel like people are gonna see when they come into town, especially if it's something new and they're like, oh, pull over, let's go check this out.