Assembly approves $790,622 design change order for Shaw Elementary intersection; debate centers on roundabout, costs and timeline

Assembly members approved a design change order of $790,622 for the Shaw Elementary turn-lane project after several hours of questioning about cost growth, scope changes and the project timeline.

The change order (AM25-110, change order number 6) will pay consultant fees to produce construction documents for intersection improvements at Wasilla Fishhook Road and Paradise/Foxtrot, including the design of a roundabout, staff said. The assembly approved the change order by voice vote with no recorded objection.

The issue matters because the site already has known traffic constraints at Shaw Elementary and a second nearby school, Birch Tree. Staff said an earlier, smaller project intended as a turn lane would not solve peak-hour congestion once both schools are open, and that a broader design including off-site intersection improvements is required.

Assembly member Dee McKee, who pulled the item for discussion, asked why the project has accumulated several change orders and why the cost for design work has swelled from the original scope. “When I see something that has 6 change orders, I'm thinking, jeez, Louise,” McKee said during the meeting.

Staff replied that the project was originally scoped as a turn lane under TIP 21 but that further analysis showed the turn lane alone would not address the problem. A subsequent traffic study and coordination with the state Department of Transportation (DOT) led engineers to recommend a roundabout as the preferred intersection control. “This change order would add the design fees...to provide those construction documents to put a roundabout at Wasilla Fishhook and Foxtrot Paradise Intersection,” a staff member identified in the record as Tom said.

Mike, a borough staff member who answered technical procurement questions, clarified procurement practice for design services: “When we go out and solicit for architects and engineers or consultants to support design services, we actually don't bid that work out…we do that for construction contracts.” His point was that consulting and engineering services are procured on a qualifications basis and that iterative, added design work is common for projects where the full scope was not defined at the outset.

Assembly discussion focused on three issues: whether an initial, limited improvement (a turn lane) would have helped immediately; whether the borough should have required earlier traffic analysis when siting the second school adjacent to an existing school; and whether approving the change order would expose the borough to further cost increases. The manager and staff warned there are no absolute guarantees against future change orders once the full design and construction phase proceeds.

Staff projected construction would begin in 2027 and extend into 2028 for consultant oversight; the current change order funds design work only, not construction. Assembly member Maxwell Sumner urged care but supported moving forward, saying he would “hate to see us spend a whole bunch of money on a turn lane and then come back in 2 years later, rip it all up while it's brand new, and put in a roundabout.”

Residents and a community council had previously urged faster, more comprehensive roadway improvements. Rod Hansen, representing the North Lakes Community Council, told the assembly the community “strongly supports that work and encourages every effort to advance it aggressively…this intersection is the most critical part of the project for the safety of the parents and children.”

Staff told the assembly there are roughly three proposed subdivisions in the area totaling about 65 lots, plus other smaller plats (one about 17 lots and a few larger lots on a triangle north of the intersection), and that borough staff are meeting with developers and DOT to coordinate access and mitigate impacts. Borough staff said they conduct seasonal traffic counts using a consultant and can gather before-and-after data once improvements are built.

The manager and staff described the change-order approvals as design-only and said construction dollars were being handled through TIP 24 funding that was previously approved; this change order does not appropriate construction funds.

The assembly approved AM25-110 after extended discussion; staff said denying the change order would end design work for the roundabout and leave the intersection unimproved.

Because the work is largely design-focused and iterative, staff warned the assembly there are no absolute guarantees the design contract will not require additional funds later, though the stated goal is to complete analytic and design work that prevents piecemeal fixes.

The borough will continue coordination with DOT, which staff said favors roundabouts on similar corridors, and will collect traffic counts before and after construction to measure effects.

Ending: The design change order clears the way for detailed plans for a roundabout and related pedestrian and circulation work; construction funding and scheduling remain tied to TIP funding and later assembly approvals.