Palmer ponders property purchase

Aug. 11, 2006

By JOEL DAVIDSON

Frontiersman

PALMER - They're not sure what to use it for just yet, but Palmer City Council members want to purchase an undeveloped 19.1 acres adjacent to Academy Charter School on the Old Glenn Highway.

On Tuesday, the council agreed to let City Manager Tom Healy negotiate a purchase agreement to buy the property.

Similar to previous meetings, council members kicked around a smorgasbord of possible uses for the land, including a performing arts center, athletic fields, a new public safety building and safer road access to Academy Charter.

Council member Tony Pippel got the ball rolling with an argument in favor of buying the land.

&#8220I believe this property is unique,” he told fellow council members. &#8220It's one of the last opportunities the city has to acquire significant acreage within the city limits of Palmer.”

Pippel said he spoke with the property owners, who said they were willing to sell the land for approximately $850,000.

Pippel said the asking price is likely more than the land's appraised value, but he maintained it was worth the city's investment.

&#8220The value of that land is just going to go up,” he said, adding that Palmer might want to sell a portion of the land to the Mat-Su Borough so it can mitigate parking and traffic congestion near Academy Charter School.

Council member Jim Wood supported the action.

&#8220We need a new public safety building,” he said. &#8220I think that would be a good use of the land.”

Pippel convinced every council member except Brad Hanson to vote in support of the action.

&#8220I really believe that we have a lot of unfinished projects in the city that need money and attention,” Hanson said.

Hanson said purchasing the property without a clear goal for the land was speculative and a bit risky.

&#8220I'd like to see a more defined purpose for the property,” he said. &#8220I'm not going to call it premature. I just think it is early.”

The council voted 5-1, with Hanson opposed, to authorize Healy to negotiate a purchase agreement for the property. Council member Larry Hill was absent.

Final approval of the agreement must come back to the council.

Contact Joel Davidson at

352-2266 or joel.davidson@

frontiersman.com.