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Eastland Trails project cleared for permitting; 'Eastland Trails' name proposed to reduce location confusion
Summary
Project leads said they are seeking DOT and State Parks permits to start construction on the Eastland Trails; final flagging is complete, groundbreaking is anticipated in September, and Friends of Kachemak Bay will support graded access for a cycling-club construction effort. Board members raised concerns about preserving the park's historic unit name.
The Bay State Park Citizens Advisory Board heard an update on the Eastland Trails project on May 14, with Friends of Kachemak Bay representatives saying they are pursuing a DOT permit and a State Parks special-use permit so construction can proceed once approvals are in hand.
The Friends group representative said final trail flagging is complete and that final mapping is expected this weekend; the group is rebranding the work from the longer Cottonwood Eastland trail name to simply “Eastland Trails” to make the trail location clearer. "Groundbreaking is anticipated to start in September," the representative said.
Board members pressed staff on whether the rebranding would change the historic name of the Cottonwood Eastland park unit. The chair said the historic name is important and asked that the board be consulted; Parks staff clarified the trails are physically in the Eastland unit and that the proposed label is intended to reduce confusion about where the trails are located rather than to rename the park unit itself.
Project logistics discussed at the meeting include a pending DOT permit, a State Parks special-use permit that Friends intend to have in hand before DOT approval so work is not delayed, and construction access arrangements. The Friends group said the Homer Cycling Club will need access via the bottom of Raton Street and that Friends will pay to grade and gravel the lower reach of Raton to accommodate up to about five gravel truck deliveries tied to the cycling-club construction.
The board also asked whether social (informal) trails are included in the Eastland Trails scope; the Friends representative said social trails are not being addressed as part of this project. Members emphasized continued neighborhood coordination and tight site management to reduce impacts during construction. The board did not take a formal vote on project approval during the meeting.
Next steps: Friends and Parks will continue permitting coordination with DOT and complete mapping files; the group expects to begin construction work after permitting is finalized and will return to the board with updates.
