Mat Maid’s demise provides opportunity for Palmer

PALMER — As Alaskans say goodbye to Matanuska Maid, others say hello to opportunity.

Palmer City Council has given the green light to City Manager Bill Allen to begin negotiations with the state Agriculture and Conservation Board for the purchase or lease of the Matanuska Maid property in Palmer. The 3-acre parcel is located near downtown and was Mat Maid’s bottling plant until the state-owned company shut down last month.

Allen said he set the wheels in motion for Palmer to acquire the local Mat Maid property in October, when he sent a Notice of Interest to the state. The city doesn’t have any specific plans for the property yet, but there are plenty of options for a parcel in the city’s core area, he said. For example, the land could provide space for parking, business, green space or a community center.

Although the exact use of the property is still undetermined, Allen said he does know what the first step would be if the city acquires the land.

“The first thing we would do is clean it up,” he said. “It’s a junkyard out there.”

Along with cleaning the area, the city would also have to carry out an environmental assessment to determine the site’s condition, Allen said.

Mayor John Combs said the Matanuska Maid land isn’t just any piece of property.

“It’s a part of the heritage of this community,” Combs said, adding that his father worked at the plant for some time.

Combs said the city has a great chance to restore and maintain the historical integrity of the community.

Tony Pippel, a Palmer city councilman, said some things need to be done to revitalize the area. While many developers might have an interest in the land, they might not have the community’s best interests in mind.

“It’s probably going to take somebody like the city to develop the property in a way that makes sense,” Pippel said.

A sensible use of the land would relate to one or several of the city’s or Borough’s many needs, he said. Some of those needs include a new public safety building, Borough offices and school district headquarters.

“It does have some historical significance, but it’s more about location, location, location,” Pippel said.

With government offices near the property it would be an ideal place for services to expand and still be in one centralized location, Pippel said. The importance of the location also relates to other property surrounding the subject land.

After speaking with some property owners in the area, Pippel said there might be a chance to secure a larger portion of the city block than what would be available from the state.

Contact Chris Gillow at chris.gillow-@frontiersman.com or 352-2284.