Shooting range won’t get borough land

MAT-SU — After months of searching for an appropriate parcel of land to develop a youth shooting range, the Mat-Su Borough Assembly has decided not to sell its property for such use.

Instead, they have decided to transfer $150,000 previously reserved for refurbishment of the Dorothy Swanda Jones Building — the assembly’s main meeting place — to the Alaska Scholastic Clay Target Program for purchase of a shooting site. The money can be used to buy land within the borough, but not borough owned land.

As such, program director Neil Moss has withdrawn the group’s application to purchase borough land at less-than-fair market value. The group had applied most recently to purchase a borough-owned parcel near Seldon and Church roads, but withdrew its request for borough land a May 21 letter.

“We have greatly appreciated … the Mayor’s Office, the Manager’s Office, and the Land Development Division, as well as members of the Borough Assembly, for all their hard work and dedication to help locate an appropriate piece of property for a clay target facility for our youth shooters,” Moss wrote in a letter to the borough May 21.

Last October, Moss submitted an application on behalf of the program to purchase two borough tax parcels adjacent to Purinton Parkway in Big Lake for $17,720 (a tenth of its fair market value). In January, the ordinance detailing the potential deal between the borough and the nonprofit went before the public. Most attendees who gave testimony supported the organization and the idea of the range, but many said “not in that location.” The assembly then tabled the discussion tentatively for June, giving the borough and the youth group time to identify other parcels of land suitable for a shotgun range.

Finding none, the assembly met on the issue last week, earlier than originally planned, and came up with an alternative solution.

Borough Deputy Mayor Ron Arvin, who had been in support of developing a youth shooting range on the suggested parcels, complimented Assemblyman Vern Halter on this solution at Wednesday’s public meeting.

“I really appreciate Vern Halter for thinking outside the box on how to get to the bright spot at the end of the tunnel for the youth shooting club,” Arvin said.

Not that finding the solution was a completely smooth process.

“I’ve found myself very frustrated at times because I think it’s such an easy thing to do, right? Give a piece of dirt to some kids. But it wasn’t easy, and this new approach … does nothing but good (for) a certain sector of youth,” Arvin said.

Though the assembly voted 6-1 in favor of the fund transfer, it has not yet been finalized. Borough Mayor Larry DeVilbiss still needs to sign the check to the Alaska Scholastic Clay Target Program, but has thus far been favorable toward the program and the shooting range proposal, Moss said.

And any land or funding the borough could provide to benefit the program would be welcome, he said.

“It’s money well spent and it’s in the borough’s best interest to invest in the youth of the community,” Moss said. “Shotgun sports in Alaska are growing by leaps and bounds.”

For now, the middle and high school students of the Alaska Scholastic Clay Target Program will continue to practice at Birchwood Shooting Park in Chugiak in preparation for the state championship there June 11-13.

Contact Caitlin Skvorc at 352-2266 or caitlin.skvorc@frontiersman.com.