Palins dream: Opening up the country

Two years ago, when Wasilla was the apparent winner in the lawsuit the city filed against Gary Lundgren, Mayor Sarah Palin read a part of the ruling at a city council meeting and said the land acquisition would "open up the west side of Wasilla."

There is a certain inevitability to the extension of South Church Road across the railroad tracks to Mack Road. In fact, the plan goes back further than both the lawsuit and the Palin administration.

"This administration can't take credit for brain-childing it," Palin said of the plan. She credited the late Jack Felton, a Wasilla public works director, for having the Church-to-Mack plans "on-the-shelf" even before she came into office.

The biggest reason for the extension is to provide a north-south corridor on the West side of town, but over the years a variety of ideas about what else should be built in the area have been discussed. An Industrial park, air cargo facilities with ramps to the airport runways, a new hospital, and tourist-oriented businesses and recreational trails have all been suggested. There is also money set aside for a trailhead for trails into the Susitna Valley. Both the Iditarod and the Iron Dog have run through the area and could start from there in the future.

The current plan is to build the city-funded sports arena there, which Palin called the "anchor tenant" for the area. Contractors have already started to do soil testing and surveying chosen for the arena.

In court documents from city's lawsuit, the city claims to have spent $95,000 to clean up an old dump in the South Church right-of-way and another $585,000 in construction and design for the road.

The city and Lundgren's agents have met more than once to try and reach a settlement to clear up title to the land, but recent developments in the lawsuit haven't triggered new negotiations.

"There hasn't been an additional settlement conference," Wasilla deputy administrator Cramer said.

But plans for the road construction are on-going. Wasilla officials lobbied in Washington D.C. for $3 million toward construction, according to Cramer. Palin said that the airport access made the road particularly appealing for U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens. The road will also get $1.2 million from the state if voters pass a state-wide bond package in November.

The city obtained right-of-way during its initial negotiations with the Nature Conservancy, and it's likely the right-of-way easement will remain in place regardless of who ultimately wins the lawsuit.

Palin said she is frustrated by the slow progress in the lawsuit, but she remains enthusiastic about the road building plan.

"I haven't heard any argument against this. In fact, I don't see the negative in this, especially since we're dealing with a north-south corridor," she said.