Voices are key to maintaining a public process

Can a project follow all of the rules and still fail to be right?

Anchorage Media Group dotted its Is and crossed its Ts, following the Mat-Su Borough’s permitting process for its proposed radio transmission tower. The company met all 22 criteria laid out by the Borough. Still, its permit is being denied by the Mat-Su Borough Planning Commission. Is this fair?

It seems that while the 199-foot tower, which would broadcast 50,000 watts, would meet all of the Borough criteria, it fails to meet standards set by the Lazy Mountain Community Council’s comprehensive plan, which has been a document in progress since 2004.

In essence, Anchorage Media Group got approval from Big Brother, but it didn’t win over the favor of those who are really affected by the tower — its potential neighbors on Lazy Mountain.

Jim Sykes, president of the Lazy Mountain Community Council, and other potential tower neighbors have criticized Anchorage Media Group, which operates six radio stations in Anchorage, for coming to the council and community at large toward the end of the process, instead of at the beginning. Area residents have said they felt “shafted” by the process.

Anchorage Media Group’s general manager Dennis Bookey seemed surprised by the reaction and the company has met with the community council on several occasions. He expected some opposition, as is normal, but not the storm of criticism and opposition the proposed Lazy Mountain tower has received from those who live there. Bookey maintains the site of the tower, in the foothills north of Lazy Mountain — behind a bluff, on farmland — was chosen to allow the tower to be as unobtrusive as possible. He said the site selection was mindful of expected concerns of the community.

For his part, Sykes says most in the community are not opposed to the business or a second FM station in the Valley, just the tower location.

If all this is true and the affected parties can set their hard feelings aside, it would seem there is a way to site a new FM tower in the area. If Anchorage Media Group is willing to go back to the community council and get its input, and if the residents are willing to tolerate a limited intrusion into their beautiful Alaska view, the Valley could find itself with one more spot on the dial for local events, sports, news and, of course, music. Working with Anchorage Media Group to find the best possible site would show the community council is fair-minded and not simply a group of NIMBYs.

The word is compromise.

Sometimes regulations and rules fail to take into account the people they are designed to serve. That’s where the public process comes in. It may be cumbersome at times and fraught with difficulties, but we wouldn’t change it for a process that ignores the voice of the people.