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Nordic Ski Club wins commission backing for Birch Hill donor wall, art installation
Summary
The Parks and Recreation Commission voted 8-0 to recommend mayoral approval of a donor recognition wall, history displays and a 4-by-8-foot commissioned woodblock carving by Fairbanks artist Sarah Tabbert for the Birch Hill Recreation Area, to be donated and largely funded by the Nordic Ski Club of Fairbanks.
The Parks and Recreation Commission recommended approval to the borough mayor on March 17 of a donor recognition wall, a historical display and an art installation at the Birch Hill Recreation Area, the commission said. The motion passed on a roll-call vote of 8-0.
The application was presented by Thad Keener, who identified himself as executive director of the Nordic Ski Club of Fairbanks and said the club is donating an artwork by Sarah Tabbert and raising funds for donor recognition panels and a history display. "Birch Hill is a gem for the Nordic skiing community," Keener told the commission, and he said the club has groomed and maintained the trails and supported facility construction for decades.
The commission packet and staff review cite borough code 228040 (plaques, memorials and naming) and the borough sponsorship policy 15.01 as the review framework. Parks and Recreation staff said they had consulted Public Works about mounting, ADA clearance and protrusion limits for art installed in a stairwell; staff offered to participate in mounting or to supervise the artist's installation to ensure it meets borough standards.
Commissioners heard that the planned centerpiece is a painted woodblock carving about 4 feet by 8 feet to be mounted in the stairwell and visible from multiple levels, with donor snowflake panels on the adjacent wall. Keener and other speakers described efforts to balance donor recognition with artistic integrity and sightlines: "We're moving more towards making a map. Because we want people to go, That's your snowflake," he said.
Commissioners asked about cost and ongoing borough expenses. The club told the commission it has raised roughly half of a stated fundraising goal and expects donations of $1,000 or more to be recognized on the donor display; the artist's fee was described by supporters as about $22,000 and as a significant in-kind contribution from the artist. Parks staff said the artwork and recognition elements will be provided at no cost to Parks and Recreation and that Public Works will coordinate finishing and mounting to avoid changes to the building fabric.
The commission approved a motion "to recommend to the Borough Mayor approval of the application for the donor wall and history wall and artwork at Birch Hill Recreation Area submitted by the Nordic Ski Club of Fairbanks." The motion was moved and seconded and passed by roll call, recorded as 8 yes, 0 no.
The commission and supporters described the project as part of a broader fundraising campaign; speakers said the club seeks to establish a permanent fund to support Birch Hill operations and programs. Staff recommended approval to the mayor because the proposal meets the borough plaque/memorial code, follows the sponsorship policy, and the installation can be removed if future conditions require it.
The mayor will receive the commission's recommendation; the commission does not make the final decision on naming or sponsorships under FNSB code 228040.
