‘Southwest Futures’ town site planning meetings set for next week

MAT-SU — A pair of community meetings are planned Jan. 8 and Jan. 9 to discuss the Mat-Su Borough’s Southwest Futures project. The borough has hired a consulting team to develop a vision for the southwestern portion of the borough reflecting a potential Knik Arm Crossing.

The borough tasked the team with creating a market-driven vision for the year 2060 that forecasts denser populations than might otherwise exist if a bridge were not constructed. The “denser population” would be located in six “town sites” that would have water and sewer systems similar to those in Palmer and Wasilla. The town sites would feature new housing suitable for a workforce employed at future Pt. Mackenzie businesses, in Anchorage and throughout the Mat-Su Borough.

All of the about 450 households that already exist within the town-site areas were invited to the meetings.

Both of the remaining meetings are from 6:30 to 8 p.m. On Jan. 8, the meeting is at Knik Elementary School Library, 6350 Hollywood Rd., Wasilla. And on Jan. 9, the meeting is at the Big Lake Public Library, 3140 S. Big Lake Rd., Big Lake.

For more information, email questions to project coordinator Shannon Bingham at binghams@earthnet.net, or call (303) 877-7557.