Palmer seniors get $50K for center

A 250,000-square-foot facility and 30-unit residential structure are proposed

March 5, 2006

DAWN DE BUSK\Frontiersman reporter

PALMER - Ann Marie Leuenberger, who worked as an activities therapist at the Palmer Pioneers' Home in the 1970s, remembers a time when the building now known as the Colony Inn served as Palmer's senior center.

Now, Leuenberger says, seniors gather at the Palmer Senior Citizens' Center, but over the last five years, the number of people who eat lunch and socialize there has started to strain the facility's ability to continue to serve them all. &#8220I am chairman of the bingo games, and the room gets really full then,” she said of the two dining rooms split by a kitchen that often barely accommodate the lunches, membership meetings, and holiday functions held there. &#8220It's a wonderful place for people to visit people their own age, and many more seniors are moving here. It's a popular place to retire.”

The Palmer City Council on Tuesday took a step toward addressing this issue by unanimously approving a $50,000 grant to help with preconstruction costs of a proposed 250,000-square-foot senior center and a 30-unit, three-story residential-living structure designed for senior housing, to be situated on two parcels of undeveloped land the nonprofit owns along S. Chugach Street in Palmer - a 7.5-acre property and a narrow 3-acre piece of property. The grant will also illustrate financial backing to other potential funding sources, such as the state lawmakers and V. Kann Rasmussen Foundation, according to the center's general counsel, Gabriel Layman.

Palmer City Council member Tony Pippel made a statement that almost foreshadowed the decision, which was made after council discussion came full circle: at first, offering financial support, then, attaching strings to the money and finally, offering the grant with complete faith.

&#8220We have lots of seniors and will have more. Seniors are good for the community. Mr. Layman's job is to give us a compassionate speech to convince us. We are already convinced. ‘Have big eyes and shoot for the moon' would be my advice,” Pippel said.

Last year, the center served 25,000 sit-down lunches at its facility and delivered 29,500 meals to seniors from Sutton to Wasilla, according to Layman. About 640 senior citizens aged between 55 and 90-plus years old lived in the Valley in 2000, according to the U.S. census taken that year. That number continues to rise at a more rapid pace of about 20 percent each year, Layman said.

Although council member Jim Wood agreed a new center would be a good investment, he cautioned the council that the $5 million project could be risky, ending up with no facility and the city losing the $50,000.

&#8220This project hinges on other grants and sources of funding. If the project doesn't occur in four or five years, the money would be returned. For some reason, things go awry, the money should be returned,” Wood said.

Council members and Mayor John Combs toyed with the idea of attaching a date of construction completion to the grant, or a stipulation that would prohibit the money from being used unless Alaska lawmakers gave the center the $3.2 million it had requested - something Layman has said in the past that he doubts will happen this fiscal year.

As the question of repayment arose, some seniors in the audience began to shake their heads.

City Manager Tom Healy said such restraints would put the center at a disadvantage. He also said he had never heard of grants being repaid because of belated construction, and that grant repayment occurs in the case of misappropriated funds.

Layman was asked to approach the microphone. He said the ability to use the money as soon as possible for preconstruction activities would benefit the center's completion.

&#8220The money would draw the attention of the Rasmussen fund - that we're a serious contender,” he said.

Layman also addressed some council members' fears that the public's money would be squandered, by explaining that not knowing from year to year how much funding will be available has created a budget-cautious company.

&#8220We are about as risk-adverse as you can get,” he said.

Pippel agreed that the risks were low. &#8220They own the property. If they don't get the funding this cycle, they won't lose it. They can use this money for design and legal work,” he said.

Wood made one more attempt to allow the city to recoup the grant, but his amendment to have the center repay the money if a new facility is not built in five years failed when no one seconded the motion.

When the council voted to award the money, instant applause arose from the audience.

&#8220I knew they would be changing their minds. I could tell,” said senior Jean Chapman. &#8220They're all good Palmerites. Plus, they want our old building,” she laughed.

A statement by council member Ken Erbey summed up the change of tone that occurred during the almost 40-minute discussion of this issue. &#8220Today's seniors are yesterday's colonists. Without the colonists, where would we be? Give them the grant,” he said.

Contact Dawn De Busk at

352-2252 or dawn.debusk@

frontiersman.com.