Cities gain in bridge debate

WASILLA — An effort by the cities of Houston and Wasilla to stop changes to Anchorage’s transportation plans regarding the Knik Arm Bridge has succeeded.

Houston Mayor Roger Purcell said the suit the cities filed in Anchorage Superior Court to stop the group Anchorage Metropolitan Area Transportation Solutions from moving the bridge from its short-range plan to its long-range plan was decided in their favor.

“It was real civil. It was pretty fair and I don’t think anybody had any harsh words,” Purcell said of a Tuesday hearing at which the matter was decided. “They agreed to rescind their decision so it’s back on the short term.”

Purcell and Wasilla Mayor Verne Rupright argued that the bridge, though originating in Anchorage, lands in the Valley and thus has major impacts for their cities. They took issue with the AMATS decision, saying they should have been notified of the impending change. Knik Arm Bridge and Toll Authority was also a party in the lawsuit.

Purcell said Wednesday the agreement isn’t fully official quite yet. Lawyers on both sides are hammering out the exact wording of the agreement.

“I take (Anchorage) Mayor (Dan) Sullivan and them all at their words that they’re going to do what they said they’re going to do,” Purcell said.

The four-page agreement, which was being drafted Tuesday as court convened and as of Thursday hadn’t been signed by all the parties, gives in on just about every point the Valley cities raised but allows AMATS to rescind the change without admitting wrongdoing.

“Nothing in this agreement shall be deemed an admission of liability, illegality, impropriety, breach of contract or responsibility by the parties to this agreement,” it states.

Richard Payne, who represented Houston and Wasilla at the hearings since his firm, Denali Law Group, is contracted to both cities, said the change in the transportation plan hasn’t technically been rescinded yet.

“It gives the AMATS board 60 days to rescind,” he said of the agreement. If the board doesn’t rescind the decision, “the lawsuit won’t go away.”

AMATS also has to rescind other changes it made to the bridge plan, most notably board demands for railroad tracks and a pedestrian walkway on the bridge.

Once the changes are rescinded, the agreement states, the board will have to give 30 days notice to Houston and Wasilla if it decides to revisit the issue.

Payne said the lawsuit started losing steam on Anchorage’s end in recent days, pointing to online court records showing that the city had recently been giving in on bits and pieces of the suit.

Really, he couldn’t have been happier with the outcome. The Valley cities got exactly what they’d been seeking. And he got a chance to take a big state organization to court, an experience he said was a blast.

“I would’ve done it for free,” he said.

State Sen. Linda Menard, who chimed in as the suit reached court to express her support for the Valley cities, said in a prepared statement that she, too, was happy with the outcome.

“This is an important construction project for Alaska, and Alaskans deserve to see its timely completion,” the senator said in a press release.

Purcell was also happy. He counts himself a long-time advocate of the bridge, saying he’s testified at Anchorage meetings in the past on the topic. The Houston City Council also supports the project, the mayor said.

Recently, he said, “Our city council did another resolution in favor of the bridge, asking Gov. Parnell to step forward and endorse it.”

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