Borough gives Wasilla $8,000 for boat launch

WASILLA — Though the surrounding homeowners didn't much like the plan as originally proposed, the borough assembly hopes giving $8,000 to the city of Wasilla to build a boat launch will help warm frosty relations between the city and the borough.

According to Assemblyman Mark Ewing who sponsored the ordinance, the money would go to putting in a handful of parking spaces at the end of Peck Street with a trail running from there to the lake. It wouldn't be a place to launch motorboats, just to put a canoe or kayak into the lake.

Jean Brown came to the meeting with a letter of opposition she said 25 local residents had signed.

“Mr. Ewing told us that this is the only place available for this sort of launch” she said.

But she said canoes can be put in for free at the Mat-Su Resort or at Newcomb Park next to Pizza Hut. And traffic on Peck Street is heavy, she said, which could lead to problems if a parking area is installed.

“The area is not big enough for cars to turn around and so they would have to back out onto the street,” she said.

Her husband, George Brown, said that there's already a trail there. He should know — he maintains it personally.

“I'd be more than happy to maintain what you've got. It won't cost you a dime,” he said.

Ewing contended the launch is the last public access available to the lake. And it needs to be made available to more of the public.

“Mr. Brown has maintained that trail. But it's not wheelchair accessible,” he said. “Whether or not you approve this tonight, the city's going to build something there.”

Assemblyman Jim Colver brought up the idea of the money maybe helping mend relations between the city and the borough.

“That money would help show we want to work together,” Colver said.

Ewing agreed.

“It's time that we break down the barriers between the city and the borough.”

Assemblywoman Cindy Bettine made a motion to delay the vote, saying she wanted to see what the borough's Parks Department had to say about it.

That motion eventually failed. Ewing said it doesn't matter what the borough thinks — it's city land.

A second motion from Bettine passed. The motion broadened the measure to make the money applicable to access projects on the lake generally, not just to the idea of a launch on Peck Street. Her reasoning, she said, was that maybe if a better spot is out there the city could put the launch in elsewhere.

The measure eventually passed unanimously. Ewing said at the end of the meeting that he'd spoken to the Browns after the vote and they seemed OK with the amendments to the ordinance.

Contact Andrew Wellner at andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com or 352-2270.