City nears deal for gravel pit reclamation

PALMER -- Local residents and others backing the proposed rezoning of 40 acres of Alaska State Fair land to allow reclamation of a gravel pit must wait two more weeks for official word from the city.

The Palmer City Council listened to three hours of testimony on the issue Tuesday night but couldn't hammer out an acceptable ordinance. So council members postponed a final decision on the request until their Feb. 24 meeting, while more than hinting that the state fair and its business partner will get the result they want.

"I know you're disappointed in how it came out, but you will be less disappointed in two weeks," Council Member Tony Pippel said.

"This is a good thing," Mayor Jim Cooper said. "We will make this happen."

The state fair is seeking an ordinance changing the acreage's zoning from residential to industrial. Much of the land in question has been used for a gravel pit for decades, but was classified residential when the city of Palmer annexed it last year.

The fair wants the new designation so it can make a deal with Alaska Demolition of Anchorage. Under the proposal, Alaska Demolition would buy the 40-acre Hamilton Farms across the street from the pit, leaving the farm in its current state. Then Alaska Demolition would trade the Hamilton land to the fair in exchange for the fair's 40 acres containing the gravel pit.

Alaska Demolition would use the pit as a site to deposit drywall, concrete and other materials from buildings that are torn down. In addition, it will excavate and sell some of the gravel from the site. After an estimated seven years, company officials said Tuesday, the pit will be entirely filled and suitable for recreational uses.

At that point, Alaska Demolition officials said, the company will give the fair first shot at purchasing the 40-acre former gravel pit. That would give the fair 80 acres of open space for future expansion, something that state fair general manger Joe Lawton and board members have said is vital.

Much of the discussion during Tuesday's public hearing centered on whether there would be any detrimental effects -- especially to groundwater -- from the proposed "mono-fill" of construction debris. Most who spoke favored the project.

"There will be no hazardous material allowed in that pit," Lawton said.

Alaska Demolition general manager Ron Tharaldson added, "All the safeguards are there. No matter what we do it will make that site better."

State fair board member Bonnie Allen called the current gravel pit an "unsightly liability" to the city because of possible injury to children.

Company owner Justin Green of Eagle River said the firm has done similar projects at Fort Wainwright and the Municipality of Anchorage.

The pit would not be lined before it is filled with debris, but lining is not required by the state or federal governments, company officials said.

However, nearby resident David Hendrickson said his neighbor's well is considerably less than 500 feet from the pit -- a stipulation Alaska Demolition spokesmen said was required.

"The groundwater issue is one we ought to look at very closely," Hendrickson said.

Sharon Jones, who said she is buying a home in nearby Majestic Hills, said she is "very concerned about industrial zoning" and its effects on groundwater. Bob Mauldin of Eagle River, who also said he's buying property in the area, echoed Jones' words.

But Richard Stryker, a Valley resident who operates a gravel pit, said the reclamation effort will benefit the city, the state fair and the entire community.

"They're taking care of a problem, mitigating a problem that exists, and are creating jobs," Stryker said.

Council members generally expressed support for the project and the resulting reclamation of the land. However, they were troubled by zoning the land industrial because that would open it up to lots of uses beyond what Alaska Demolition proposes. Some members wondered what would happened if Alaska Demolition sold the property to another firm years from now.

The council voted to direct city staff to meet with state fair personnel, who have petitioned for the rezone, before the Feb. 24 meeting to find "a set of conditions that will meet the goals of the petitioner and the city."