Council, BED discuss priority projects in Palmer

PALMER — The Palmer Board of Economic Development and City Council held a joint meeting prior to the regular council meeting on August 10 to discuss the past year in work that the BED has put in to produce a resolution of priorities to the council. BED Chair Dusty Silva presented the marketing and areawide plans inside Resolution 21-001, which was unanimously approved by the council at the conclusion of the meeting.

“I’m just excited at the potential opportunities that we already have planned by a consultant and we don’t have to of course follow all of that to a ‘T,’ it just generalized a few of the things that really would be amazing amazing in Palmer if we have funds to dedicate to get started,” said Silva.

The joint meeting of the BED and council entered into a committee on the whole to discuss the resolution. The marketing plan calls for a coordinated social media marketing strategy to brand Palmer as a tourist destination, specifically including additional signage along the Parks Highway and Glenn Highway interchange.

“A 2019 brownfield area wide planning study was conducted for downtown Palmer which outlined improvements that could enhance the connectivity and economic opportunities,” reads Resolution 21-001. “The BED supports implementation of an authentic coordinated destination marketing strategy to further the goals of the city council.”

Among the prioritized projects in the plan, the BED identified additional parking along Colony Way and Valley Way, asked the council to study the feasibility of vehicular connectivity between east and west areas of Palmer, and specified the need for property along the Matanuska Riverbed. The resolution was passed by the BED on July 12 and also included non-motorized pathways between Auklet and the Glenn Highway and other railroad corridor related improvements. The 2019 brownfield study completed by Stantec detailed the potential use of the Matanuska Maid block in downtown Palmer.

“They speak directly about utilizing the railroad corridor for events and or development opportunity locations. That would be with the understanding that the railroad will never come back inside the city limits and that we are walking away from that part of our history and opportunities to bring the railroad back into Palmer,” said Councilman Richard Best. “While I’m intrigued as to kind of this vague discussion, I want to be clear that that is the standpoint that the BED is taking that there is no economic vitality in bringing the railroad back into Palmer.”

Best’s questions were met with skepticism from Silva. Councilwoman Julie Berberich questioned Community Development Director Brad Hanson on the status of the railroad property through Palmer, assuming that any development on railroad property would require previous railroad approval.

“That’s correct. We have many leases with the railroad. The depot is a lease, the skateboard park is a lease, the Shane Woods trail is a lease. We’ve got railroad crossings that are all leases. They use that land as a source of revenue,” said Hanson.

Silva noted that with tracks that are not in use, the BED had discussed potential uses for the space.

“In our discussions we made on the resolution to bring the railroad back and we felt they should be consulted and be part of any discussions so we did not abandon the idea, we just brought it up for discussion,” said BED member Janet Kincaid.

Discussion on how to use the railroad corridor centered around inexpensive, easily removable infrastructure that would foster community engagement.

“I want to make sure to get that on the record of what the intent of the body was when they have those kind of bullet point statements that one could infer one thing, but now that we have kind of the jist of your guys explanations I think that paints a pretty clear picture,” said Best. “There is opportunities for us to engage the community in different ways that you guys are looking to try to facilitate so I appreciate that.”

Both members of the BED and council expressed excitement about the tangible projects that could be developed in Palmer. BED member Lorrie Koppenberg specifically identified signage at the Parks and Glenn Highway interchange as a desired project for 2022.

“Let’s work on that and come back with some ideas and let’s make this happen for 2022. Let’s make that a goal and let’s accomplish that and get that one on the books,” said City Manager John Moosey.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the assembled crowd in the chambers at City Hall gave a standing ovation to outgoing BED Chair Silva, who has spent nearly six years on the board.