Palmer residents asked to help pay for street work

PALMER — As part of the city’s continuing efforts to pave every street in downtown, and in conjunction with replacing aging water mains, local residents are being tapped to shoulder their share of the cost.

Palmer continues to get state and federal grants to replace steel water mains — some more than 50 years old. Instead of laying gravel back on top of the new pipes, the city wants to lay asphalt and put in sidewalks and street lights.

“With each water main replacement, it’s an opportunity to combine it with paving the street,” said Sara Jansen, special assistant in the city manager’s office. “That way, we only have to rip the streets up once.”

To help pay the cost of paving the streets, the city is proposing a number of local improvement districts. The owners of properties in an LID with frontage on an affected street pay 25 percent of the cost of paving a standard 24-feet wide road. The city is responsible for the other 75 percent, paid for with its own funds and state and federal dollars. Palmer is also responsible for 100 percent of any additional width, sidewalks, street lights or other improvements.

The city is looking at imposing three new LIDs. The first is in the South Gulkana Street area. The second is on a portion of South Bonanza Street. The last is two sections of West Dolphin Avenue and West Caribou Avenue.

The South Gulkana LID has already been approved by the city council. East Cottonwood Avenue will be paved to connect with South Gulkana. Gulkana will be paved south to Dogwood Avenue. East Cedar Avenue and East Dogwood Avenue will both be paved east from Gulkana.

The finished streets will be 40 feet wide with curbs, gutters, sidewalks and streetlights. The property owners will pay a total of $149,999 for the project. The amount owed by each is based on the assessed value of each property. The payment plan consists of equal annual payments spread over three to 20 years, depending on the amount owned by each.

The owners who bear the costs can object. If a petition is signed by the parties responsible for more than 50 percent of the cost, the project is put on hold until a majority of the owners are satisfied, or the council overrides the petition with five of seven votes.

In the South Gulkana LID, the Alaska Department of Natural Resources is the majority land owner by far. Using the assessed value method, it stands to pay more than $127,000.

The city council was scheduled to vote on the other two LIDs at a meeting last week, but the resolutions were tabled after members requested more information, the clerk’s office said.

The South Bonanza LID covers a stretch of the road from East Industrial Way to East Commercial Drive. After completion, the road would be 32 feet wide and have curbs, gutters, a sidewalk on the east side and improved street lights.

The property owners’ contribution would total $70,000. The city is looking at assigning each amount based on assessed square footage.

The other LID tabled at last week’s meeting covers sections of West Dolphin Avenue and West Caribou Avenue from North Alaska Street to North Cobb Street. The paved streets would be 24 feet wide and, again, with gutters, curbs, a sidewalk on one side and improved lighting.

The owners on the two streets would be responsible for $38,000 of the project broken down into equal amounts for each lot.

The city council will take the two LIDs back up at its next meeting on Oct. 27.

Contact Todd L. Disher at todd.disher@frontiersman.com or 352-2252.