The contractor installing utilities and roads at the Alder Top Village (Keishangita.’aan) subdivision shut down work last month after finding a midden — a buried mound of discarded shells, likely from past users of the property.

Multiple findings on the property prompted the temporary pause more than two weeks ago. The area of the shell midden was blocked off within a 100-foot diameter. In another area, workers uncovered old cement footings, which were also cordoned off in the same manner.

A clay utility pipe was later found at the north entrance of the property.

An on-site archaeologist from Sea Level Consulting, based in Sitka and hired by Petersburg-based Rock-N-Road Construction, the borough’s contractor on the job, inspected the locations. The archaeologist determined that the cement footings and clay pipe have no cultural significance, but the shell midden holds some cultural importance.

“We’re waiting to see how to proceed,” Borough Capital Projects Director Amber Al-Haddad said. She noted that approvals are needed from several agencies, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Denali Commission, State Historic Preservation Office, WCA and state archaeologist. “We’re hoping work will resume soon.”

The Denali Commission provided a $300,000 federal grant to help pay for the residential development. The Army Corps permitted the land work, which included some wetlands.

Al-Haddad said the target completion date for the work is Nov. 30. “Right now we’re in a holding pattern,” she said. “We just have to see how everything goes. We’re making sure that we have open communication with everyone at all levels. We’re complying with all regulations and keeping the WCA in the loop. We’re happy to have their support.”

Total development costs for the 20 residential lots will come to a projected $4.1 million, more than double what the borough hopes to recover from selling the lots. Borough officials have long advocated for the sale to make land available for new housing, not to turn a profit.

Al-Haddad said the contractor may request a contract extension due to the work delay.

The 20 lots comprise the first phase of the subdivision; additional parcels could be developed and sold depending on how the initial offerings fare.

The borough is selling the parcels in an online auction through a commercial website that handles the sale of surplus government property and land. Bidding closes Oct. 31 at publicsurplus.com.

The federal government handed the 134-acre property to the borough in 1996. The site previously housed the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs Wrangell Institute Native boarding school from 1931 to 1975, after which buildings were removed and the land underwent an extensive environmental cleanup. Al-Haddad said the cement footings and clay pipes likely date from those former buildings.