Assembly questions high cost of traffic access redesign in school zones, approves naming of Big Lake Rec Center

The Matanuska-Susitna Borough Assembly worked through a to-do list of administrative actions and approvals at the assembly’s meeting Tuesday, Sept. 2.

One item, although eventually approved, raised eyebrows among assembly members. It was to add $790,622 to an existing design contract with Dowl LLC to modify a road turnout at Shaw Elementary School, making what was an approximate $400,000 contract into a $1.2 million contract.

Design contracts are negotiated with professional services firms like Dowl and do not involve hard dollar bids like construction contracts, borough manager Mike Brown explained.

But this was an eye-popping increase that prompted extended discussion the meeting, although the item was eventually approved. What prompted the change was a need to improve access to Shaw, which has about 500 students, and now another school, Birch Tree Charter School, planned to accommodate another 500 students, that will be built at a site adjacent to Shaw.

The traffic improvement plan for Shaw, where there were access problems, was done without considering the burden of a second school at the site. The fault was laid to decisions by a school site selection committee to locate Birch Tree next to an existing school where there are already traffic problems.

On top of that, housing developers are planning three new housing subdivisions on adjacent vacant land tracts. One subdivision planned would have 65 lots; a second would have 17 and a third would have three large lots. The projects are currently in the discussion stage, with no decisions made yet.

Stephanie Nowers, a member of the assembly, said the costly modifications for traffic is a logical outcome of the community’s resistance to planning.

On a more upbeat note, the assembly gave final approval to the naming of the sport and recreation facility newly acquired by the borough as the Big Lake Lions Recreation Center. This was unanimously agreed to by the assembly and it recognized the role of the nonprofit Big Lake Lions Club in developing and operating the recreation center over several years, said Bill Gamble, an assembly member who sponsored the resolution naming the center.

The Big Lake Lions Club raised funds for construction with no state subsidy although there was financing aided by the Alaska Development and Export Authority, the state’s development finance corporation. But this was loan, not a grant, Gamble said.

In other actions, the assembly approved a bid from NC Machinery to purchase a waste handler loader for $195,410; and a contract for $102,025 to the Boutet Company for improvements on North Doubloon Drive; West Cove Drive; West Jolly Roger Drive, and West Captain Kidd Drive

Another contract, for $353,979 to PND Engineers, was approved for professional services related to the Jonesville Shooting Park.

Meanwhile, public hearing is set for September 16 for proposed changes to setback and screening easements in mandatory land-use permits, a transfer of $4.092 million and $521,681 in remaining insurance proceeds from the Mat-Su Central School Construction project to fund a shortfall in state school construction bond debt service reimbursement.

Although there was no action required, the assembly also heard a report from Mat-Su Emergency Services director Ken Barkley on high water conditions and near flooding due to recent heavy rains. At Talkeetna, river waters reached 12.2 feet on stream gauges with 12.5 feet considered a flood stage, but subsided to 8.765 feet as of last Tuesday, Barkley said.

Several streams saw waters high enough to trigger “action” alerts, mainly for public information, but were one level below an actual flood designation. New revetments along the Old Glenn Highway where there was previous flooding held up this year although there was minor erosion, Barkley said.