Assembly approves lease to give Friends group control of Newby Park in North Pole

Assemblymember Wilson sponsored an ordinance that the Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly passed unanimously on July 24, 2025, to lease roughly 75 acres at Newby Park to the Friends of the North Pole Park and Recreation Complex. The lease gives the volunteer group exclusive long-term use of borough-owned land identified as Tract B 1 A (Newby Park) and includes a substitute that waives a competitive leasing provision in borough code so the administration can negotiate a sole-source lease with the Friends group. Why it matters: Newby Park supporters and borough officials said the 75-acre site is the closest thing to a large community park for North Pole and the Badger Road area; volunteers have maintained and used parts of the parcel for years. Supporters said a borough-administered lease will let the Friends group fund and build parking, fields and other infrastructure while the property remains publicly…