Wasilla, not all MEA customers, should pay millions in extra costs

Lots of local families have sold their homes and other property over the years to make way for various public works projects. Mostly, we seem to understand the notion of “public good.”

Think of the homeowners along Trunk Road, the Seldon extension and the planned extension of Bogard Road. Dozens and dozens of families were directly impacted in the name of the greater public good.

These are tough shoes to walk in, and we applaud the countless community members who’ve made these sorts of personal sacrifices in the name of progress and the “public good.”

Now comes Matanuska Electric Association’s new power generation station and a project to upgrade lines from the hospital substation coming into Wasilla in order to meet increased demand for electricity in the area.

At a series of meetings this month, ratepayers had the chance to respond to several routes MEA has proposed for these upgraded lines. It’s interesting that the public testimony seemed to overwhelmingly back MEA’s plan to route the lines along the existing Parks Highway corridor coming into Wasilla.

Since the city first raised objections earlier this year, saying the taller poles and beefier lines would harm property values and negatively affect its viewshed, we’ve considered this argument as we’ve driven the Parks Highway through Wasilla.

We’re not sure exactly how MEA’s proposed power poles differ in terms of unsightliness from the dozens of other light and power poles, and communication towers that already line this stretch of highway. But let’s at least be truthful about what’s already along the miles of Parks Highway from its junction with the Glenn Highway all the way through Wasilla — strip malls. Miles and miles of strip malls and other businesses line the edges — often on both sides — of the highway. As views go, this one is notable, but certainly not “scenic.”

MEA says these power lines are necessary to serve the growing commercial and residential base in the Wasilla area — particularly along that same commercial corridor — and extending for miles into the Fairview and Knik communities out Knik-Goose Bay Road.

The route MEA favors, which is also the cheapest, costs about $5 million less than any of the others. What’s the big deal, asks Wasilla Public Works Director Archie Giddings? The cost is negligible, just $5 million on a $265 million project, right?

We think Giddings may be on to something.

If the city wants to protect its viewshed and property values, we are all for it. But it should be city of Wasilla taxpayers — not all MEA’s ratepayers — who pay the tab for the $5 million extra it would cost to ignore the public good and give in to the city of Wasilla’s wishes.