The Kenai City Council on Dec. 3 unanimously approved a resolution authorizing the city to execute a $200,000 quitclaim deed with the Kenai Native Association (KNA) to acquire the right-of-way under Wildwood Drive and adjacent rights of way needed for a planned rehabilitation project.

City Manager Terry Eubank explained that the travel lane pavement under Wildwood Drive is inside city limits but the underlying right-of-way was deeded to the Kenai Native Association under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA). He said DOT traffic counters showed roughly 80% of traffic on Wildwood Drive was related to the nearby Wildwood Correctional Facility and that the state has identified funding and would consider incorporating the Wildwood paving into a planned Spur Highway Phase 2 contractor schedule.

Eubank said the $200,000 will purchase all rights in the affected right-of-way (including Cook Inlet Drive across the highway to the bluff) using funds already appropriated for the project. He told council the city has an earlier appraisal from about 2011–2012 estimating the value at roughly $395,000; the proposed quitclaim price is materially lower than that prior estimate. The administration said DOT will not commit resources to paving until the city secures the right-of-way.

Council members discussed estimated paving costs (city engineering had earlier estimated a full reconstruction at about $1.1 million; a mill-and-repave approach was discussed as lower cost), cost-sharing possibilities with the state, and the need for clear deed exhibits. The mayor and several council members expressed support; with no objections, the council adopted Resolution 2025-67 by unanimous consent.

The resolution’s approval authorizes staff to record the quitclaim deed and proceed with right-of-way acquisition steps; council did not vote on a separate paving contract at the Dec. 3 meeting.