Palmer mulls new limits

August 15, 2006

By JOEL DAVIDSON/Frontiersman

PALMER -In an effort to get a handle on growing residential and commercial development on the city's edges, the Palmer City Council will convene at 1 p.m. today for the first of many public meetings to discuss how much land the city needs to annex.

Last month, financial consultant Northern Economics issued a draft report of annexation alternatives the city might consider. The 57-page report outlines five possible areas where Palmer could likely expand.

According to the report, Palmer could systematically grow, gradually incorporating each of five separate phases. If all five areas are annexed, the city would add roughly 5,500 new residents and $450 million in taxable property.

The downside, however, is that property taxes likely need to increase by 1 mill to pay for the expansion, the report says.

City Manager Tom Healy said today's meeting is the first of many. In order to submit a petition for annexation by the end of the year, however, the city council needs to define exactly where it wants Palmer to expand, Healy said

&#8220Within the next 30 days, the council needs to determine the proposed boundary we are considering for the petition,” he explained. &#8220They are not going to make a decision right away, but I want to go over some of the standards and concept with them.”

According to the proposed annexation phases, Palmer could gradually expand south to the Matanuska River, west to just beyond North Trunk Road, and north to Palmer Fishhook. The five areas involved would encompass approximately 26.5 square miles.

Healy was quick to point out that those boundaries are not final.

&#8220Each boundary was set with some logic, but they are not set in stone,” he said. &#8220They were done for study purposes.”

So why does the city need to annex new land? According to the report, Palmer is within the rapid growth area of the Mat-Su Borough, and with growth come pressures to expand the city due to nearby subdivisions, offices and shopping centers.

&#8220There is a need for consistent community development and zoning standards in areas near Palmer,” the annexation report states.

The growth around the city also brings a new scale of commercial development and increased demand for public services, the report states. Those services include fire protection, law enforcement, street maintenance, snow removal and land development policies.

Healy said the city hopes to hire a consultant by next month to help prepare an annexation petition to submit to the Alaska Local Boundary Commission.

Before that, however, there must first be at least one public hearing on the proposed expansion.

If the commission approves the petition, another round of public comments ensues, which the city can then respond to. The boundary commission will compile all comments into a final report that heads to the Legislature for approval.

The whole process could take more than a year to complete, Healy said.

&#8220This is a very public process,” he added. &#8220It is very extensive.”

In reviewing the annexation petition, the boundary commission will consider several major standards that include: the reasonable need for city government in a territory; feasibility of providing annexed areas with essential city services; the compatibility of an annexed area's character with the city's; and the ability

of the annexed area to support an extended city government.

Contact Joel Davidson at

352-2266 or joel.davidson@ frontiersman.com.