Borough clears new charter school bonds for November voter approval; Assembly also votes to repeal mobile home ordinance

The Matanuska Borough Assembly cleared the way last Tuesday for $58.2 million in new general obligation bonds for charter schools to appear on the November municipal election.

However, a vote on $33.3 million in new road bonds for the ballot was put off until the assembly’s Aug. 20 meeting.

In another action that turned out to be controversial, assembly members voted to repeal the borough’s mobile home ordinance, an ordinance put forward by Assemblyman Rob Yundt.

Yundt’s proposal prompted lengthy discussion because while its intent may have been to put a brake on approval of new mobile home parks the final action may have left the door open a crack, assemblyperson Stephanie Nowers said.

Objections voiced during a public hearing focused on the removal of a public hearing requirement for new mobile home parks if one or more are proposed.

In Yundt’s original statement of intent he argued that the existing mobile home park approval that requires a permit and a public hearing acts as an impediment to the development of affordable housing in the borough.

He later clarified his intent during the meeting, saying that he wants to make new mobile home parks, “more difficult” to get approved and not encourage new ones.

But with the mobile home ordinance repealed new trailer developments would still be allowed but only those built on foundations and approved under the borough multi-family ordinance, similar to the way manufactured housing units are allowed.

No one spoke up for mobile home parks in the public hearing but there were strong objections from the North Lakes and Meadow Lakes Community Councils because the change could still lead to new trailer parks but with units built on foundations.

Because multi-family housing units, which trailers built on foundations might qualify as, can be built with approval by borough officials and with no public hearing the public is essentially cut out of the process.

Nowers said the action taken Tuesday night was unclear, with the question of whether mobile home parks will still be allowed under some circumstances muddled.

“What passed just isn’t clear. If we want to ban mobile home parks, we should just say it,” Nowers said.

It’s unclear now, she said.

Nowers said she intends propose a change at the next assembly meeting to ban mobile home parks until a procedure can be developed to involve the public.

“My goal is to allow property owners to have a voice on whether these are allowed,” she said, because they can sometimes degrade local home values.

The vote on the mobile home ordinance repeal Tuesday night was split with only six assembly members present and assemblyperson Bill Gamble absent.

Voting for the repeal were assembly members Yundt, Dmitri Fonov and Ron Bernier. Voting against it were Nowers and assembly members Dee McKee and Tim Hale.

On a split vote Borough Mayor Edna Devries votes to break the tie, and last Tuesday she voted for the repeal, making the final tally 4-3.

On the charter school bonds, new buildings would be financed and constructed for three existing charters schools if borough voters give the okay in November.

These include a new 29,700-square-foot building for Academy Charter School, for $16.4 million, that would allow the school to include 266 students now on a waiting list, expanding its enrollment to 446; a new 29,300-square-foot building for American Charter Academy, allowing it to add 100 students now on a waiting list and grow to an enrollment of 288, and Birchtree Charter School, with a 49,000-square-foot building with a cost of $58.1 million that would allow it to add 133 students from a waiting list to a present enrollment of 400, growing to 530.