Goose Bay school site OK'd

June 23, 2006

By DARRELL L. BREESE

Frontiersman

PALMER - Mat-Su Borough Assembly members gave their final stamp of approval Tuesday on building a second elementary school on the campus of Goose Bay Elementary, despite objections from the school board and developer Chuck Spinelli.

&#8220We made a commitment to the voters that we would fast track construction of a school in the Knik-Goose Bay area if they approved a bond package in May,” assembly member Betty Vehrs said during Tuesday's assembly meeting. &#8220We have the money, we have the site, now we need to get busy and build the school.”

Not everyone was as enthusiastic as Vehrs. The Mat-Su School Board voted last week 6-1 favoring a site in the Settlers Bay area. Spinelli, who donated the 13-acre parcel in the Settlers Bay subdivision for the school, said he felt betrayed by the borough's actions.

&#8220I responded to a request from the borough to donate land, and don't believe that the borough negotiated with me in good faith,” Spinelli said. &#8220After the bonds passed, they began finding things wrong with the land and started looking for a new location.”

From a December press conference with assembly member Jim Colver celebrating the donation, until the vote Tuesday, Spinelli said he had invested at least $50,000 to prepare the site for final approval. Part of that money went toward platting the parcel and surrounding land with the borough for development.

&#8220I might just leave the platting as it is,” Spinelli said. &#8220Then when the borough wants land for a new school in the future, I will offer to sell it to them for a couple million dollars.”

School board member Pat Purcell reported to the assembly that she has received countless e-mails from residents about the change in site selection.

&#8220Everyone who is communicating with me is saying they voted for the bond because the school was going in Settlers Bay,” Purcell said. &#8220That is not only why they voted yes, for some of them that is why they voted.”

Despite the objection from Spinelli, the school board and the assembly voted unanimously to move forward with the plan to build the new elementary school alongside Goose Bay Elementary, and for the aggressive building schedule which would open the school in October 2007.

&#8220What I heard from the principle at Goose Bay is that a new school was needed as soon as possible,” Borough Mayor Tim Anderson said. &#8220We need to think about the 800 students expected to be at the school next year.

They don't deserve an overcrowded school.”

While siding with the Goose Bay site, assembly member Bill Allen expressed compassion for Spinelli.

&#8220I think we owe Mr. Spinelli an apology,” Allen said. &#8220I'd even be as bold as to suggest that we reimburse him for his out-of-pocket expenses in the process.”

Contact Darrell L. Breese at 325-2267 or at darrell.breese@frontiersman.com.