Palmer paving planned

By STEVE KADEL-Frontiersman reporter

PALMER -- Property owners along Eagle Avenue from the Glenn Highway to Alaska Railroad right of way would be assessed for part of the paving costs under a proposed local improvement district.

The project calls for a 24-foot paved residential street with curbs and gutters on the current dirt road. The estimated price tag for that work is about $519,000 -- of which the city would pay 75 percent and property owners 25 percent.

The city will pay all costs for sidewalks, curb ramps, traffic marking symbols, street lights and storm sewer improvements. The project's total cost is about $654,000 with a state grant providing $200,000 of that amount.

A public hearing on the proposed LID is scheduled for the Palmer City Council's March 23 meeting. City Manager Tom Healy said all affected property owners will receive notice of the proposal before then.

He said a 75-25 split for road, curb and gutter costs is a ratio the city established in the past for major local roads which tend to be used by the public at large rather than just the people who live there, such as those near the Palmer post office.

The area within the proposed LID includes 38 lots and 28 owners, including two lots owned by Matanuska Telephone Association. The properties have a total assessment of $2,690,600 and an average assessment of $129,704, according to figures from the city.

There are several possible ways to calculate how much of the 25 percent cost that property owners would pay, Healy said. It could be divided according to the amount of each lot's front footage, the relative assessed values of the properties, square footage of lots or the number of lots in the district. Calculations also might take into account a combination of those, he added.

Healy believes the upgrade will be welcomed by most property owners.

"We've heard concerns in the past about how the costs are split up, and we've heard the concerns of some who are on fixed incomes," he said. "But overall the benefit is a good one."

Contact Steve Kadel at steve.kadel@frontiersman.com.