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Upgrade of King Salmon Seasonal/Transient Housing Facilities
Katmai National Park & Preserve » Upgrade of King Salmon Seasonal/Transient Housing Facilities » Document List
The National Park Service (NPS) is considering facility improvements at the developed administrative site of the Katmai National Park and Preserve (KATM) which is located outside the park in King Salmon, Alaska. This site is located approximately 500 feet south of the King Salmon Airport. The proposed project involves removal of three aged, seasonal/transient housing trailers and replacement with a new 10-bedroom dormitory.
The existing trailers, one double-wide unit and two single-wide units, were acquired as surplus property from another federal agency in the mid-1980s and are estimated to be 30 years old. Together, these trailers account for 10 of the 15 bedrooms available in King Salmon for seasonal/transient employees, volunteers and official visitors. With this project, there would be no net gain or loss in the number of bedrooms.
The site of the new dormitory is currently occupied by the southern end of the existing double-wide trailer. The double-wide trailer would be removed before dormitory construction would commence. The two single-wide trailers would remain in use for the 2004 summer field season until dormitory completion. All three trailers would be completely removed from the site, including associated utilities such as fuel tanks and overhead electrical service. Existing underground utilities, such as heating hot water, would be disconnected and abandoned in place. New utility work to the new dormitory would include providing water, sewer, power and fuel service. Wooden walkways would be placed to connect with existing walkways and provide access to the dormitory.
The purpose of this proposed project is to (1) remove inadequate, substandard housing from the park housing inventory and (2) replace it with energy efficient, standard quality housing that requires less maintenance and satisfies regulatory health and safety requirements.
The proposed improvements are needed for several reasons. The trailers are now past their useful lives and are in a very poor and rapidly deteriorating condition. Roofs leak in all three trailers in several different places, windows are rotting out of their frames, and interior furnishings are dated and severely worn. Current NPS life safety requirements are unmet, particularly with respect to egress, fire sprinkler protection and smoke detection. Annual maintenance and repair costs are escalating. Costs for heating are very high because of the lack of adequate insulation. Occupants experience unsafe, unsanitary living conditions, inadequate storage and poor lighting. Within the next year or so, unless major rehabilitation is undertaken, these trailers would need to be rated as uninhabitable.
Given the seasonal and transient nature of the tenancies in these quarters, and the fact that they are most heavily used in the summer months, private sector lease options are unavailable. A recurring possibility exists for limited surplus housing at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) complex about 1.5 miles west of the NPS King Salmon office, but this housing is only available for long-term, year-round occupancy. Further, since seasonal/transient staff and official visitors do not typically have personal vehicles, transportation would be a problem.
Seasonal park staff, working in King Salmon and in the park backcountry, are currently housed in the three trailers, as are transient staff, volunteers and official visitors. Without readily available housing with adequate standards, these staff positions would need to be eliminated. This would severely compromise the ability of the park to protect resources and park visitors and maintain facilities.
NEPA Coordinator
Katmai National Park and Preserve
P.O. Box 7
King Salmon, AK 99613
(907) 246-2145
The existing trailers, one double-wide unit and two single-wide units, were acquired as surplus property from another federal agency in the mid-1980s and are estimated to be 30 years old. Together, these trailers account for 10 of the 15 bedrooms available in King Salmon for seasonal/transient employees, volunteers and official visitors. With this project, there would be no net gain or loss in the number of bedrooms.
The site of the new dormitory is currently occupied by the southern end of the existing double-wide trailer. The double-wide trailer would be removed before dormitory construction would commence. The two single-wide trailers would remain in use for the 2004 summer field season until dormitory completion. All three trailers would be completely removed from the site, including associated utilities such as fuel tanks and overhead electrical service. Existing underground utilities, such as heating hot water, would be disconnected and abandoned in place. New utility work to the new dormitory would include providing water, sewer, power and fuel service. Wooden walkways would be placed to connect with existing walkways and provide access to the dormitory.
The purpose of this proposed project is to (1) remove inadequate, substandard housing from the park housing inventory and (2) replace it with energy efficient, standard quality housing that requires less maintenance and satisfies regulatory health and safety requirements.
The proposed improvements are needed for several reasons. The trailers are now past their useful lives and are in a very poor and rapidly deteriorating condition. Roofs leak in all three trailers in several different places, windows are rotting out of their frames, and interior furnishings are dated and severely worn. Current NPS life safety requirements are unmet, particularly with respect to egress, fire sprinkler protection and smoke detection. Annual maintenance and repair costs are escalating. Costs for heating are very high because of the lack of adequate insulation. Occupants experience unsafe, unsanitary living conditions, inadequate storage and poor lighting. Within the next year or so, unless major rehabilitation is undertaken, these trailers would need to be rated as uninhabitable.
Given the seasonal and transient nature of the tenancies in these quarters, and the fact that they are most heavily used in the summer months, private sector lease options are unavailable. A recurring possibility exists for limited surplus housing at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) complex about 1.5 miles west of the NPS King Salmon office, but this housing is only available for long-term, year-round occupancy. Further, since seasonal/transient staff and official visitors do not typically have personal vehicles, transportation would be a problem.
Seasonal park staff, working in King Salmon and in the park backcountry, are currently housed in the three trailers, as are transient staff, volunteers and official visitors. Without readily available housing with adequate standards, these staff positions would need to be eliminated. This would severely compromise the ability of the park to protect resources and park visitors and maintain facilities.
Contact Information
Helen LonsNEPA Coordinator
Katmai National Park and Preserve
P.O. Box 7
King Salmon, AK 99613
(907) 246-2145