Palmer council to decide gravel pit issue

PALMER -- The Palmer City Council will consider rezoning a 40-acre parcel owned by the Alaska State Fair to allow continued industrial use of the site.

The city Planning and Zoning Commission previously turned down the fair's request to change the designation from single family residential use to industrial.

However, the council decided Tuesday to take a look at the issue after nine people spoke in support of the rezone during a public hearing. No one spoke in opposition.

An ordinance calling for the rezone will be placed on the council's Jan. 27 agenda. A public hearing will be held during the Feb. 10 meeting, with the council making a final decision after public testimony is concluded.

The land in question has been used industrially as a gravel pit for 40 years, but was changed to residential when the city of Palmer annexed it in September. Alaska State Fair general manager Joe Lawton told council members Tuesday that a residential zoning designation doesn't make sense given the nature of the terrain, which includes a 20-acre hole that is 80 feet deep.

"It's practical for industrial and always has been," Lawton said.

The fair is particularly interested in the zoning designation because it wants to make a deal involving the land with Anchorage-based Alaska Demolition.

Under the proposal, Alaska Demolition would buy the 40-acre Hamilton Farm across the street from the pit, leaving it in its current undeveloped state. Then Alaska Demolition would trade the Hamilton land to the fair in exchange for the fair's 40 acres currently used as a gravel pit.

Alaska Demolition would use the pit as a place to deposit materials from buildings it tears down -- drywall, concrete, dirt, stumps and other items. When the hole is filled and no longer usable to Alaska Demolition, the company would give the fair first shot at purchasing the 40-acre former gravel pit, said Alaska Demolition general manager Ron Tharaldson.

That way, the fair will eventually have 80 acres of open space to use for whatever needs it has in the future, Tharaldson said, and his company will be able to use the gravel pit site as a "mono-fill" for construction debris.

"It will be nice and clean and usable when we're done with it," he said.

There's economic benefit for the city of Palmer if the deal can be worked out, Tharaldson told council members.

"We are looking to make a substantial contribution to your community," he said.

George Lochner, president of the Alaska State Fair board of directors, was among those who spoke Tuesday to urge council members to consider the change. Lochner said he has toured other state fairs in the Lower 48 to learn what problems they've encountered as they've grown.

"One of the biggest problems they have is space," he said, adding the rezone would help the local fair to have land for future growth.

Mat-Su Miners general manager Pete Christopher also testified in support of the fair's request.

"It's important to preserve open space," he said.

Council members emphasized that agreeing to consider the rezone doesn't mean they are necessarily leaning toward over-riding Planning and Zoning's decision.

"It's clear there's enough interest to consider this," Council Member Tony Pippel said, adding he's heard from some citizens who are concerned about a possible rezone.

"I have some concerns of my own but this certainly warrants a full review by the council," said Council Member John Combs.

City Attorney Jack Snodgrass said during an interview that the Planning and Zoning Commission rejected the fair's request to rezone the land as industrial because members considered that designation too broad. For example, the designation would allow operation of a battery plant at the site, among other uses that might have potentially damaging environmental effects, Snodgrass said.