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Commission appoints Jenny Campbell to FAST technical committee; committee updates on EV chargers and Chena Riverwalk costs
Summary
The Planning Commission unanimously appointed Commissioner Jenny Campbell to the FAST Planning Technical Committee and heard a technical‑committee update on federal grant nominations for EV chargers at multiple public sites and a Chena Riverwalk design with cost estimates approaching $7 million.
The Planning Commission on Feb. 10 voted unanimously to appoint Commissioner Jenny Campbell as its representative to the Fairbanks Area Surface Transportation (FAST) Planning Technical Committee.
Several commissioners spoke in favor of Campbell’s nomination, citing her technical background and readiness to represent the commission’s interests. The nomination was moved and seconded and passed by roll call vote 8–0.
The commission then heard a report from the FAST Planning Technical Committee. Staff and committee representatives described a federal‑highway transportation grant program that could fund EV charging infrastructure; nominations included several public properties for level‑2 charging (Noel Wien Library, North Pole Library, Carlson Center, Pioneer Park) and some sites that proposed level‑3 chargers. Staff noted tradeoffs: level‑3 chargers are faster but more expensive and can require transformer upgrades; level‑2 chargers are slower but increase accessibility for a wider range of vehicles. Staff said the federal grant could cover electricity costs for up to five years and that ownership and long‑term maintenance would be assigned to facility owners via maintenance agreements following grant requirements.
The committee also reported a major update on the Chena Riverwalk project — a pedestrian path along the north bank of the Chena River — and said recent cost estimates are close to $7,000,000. Committee members discussed alternatives such as a lower‑cost adjacent shoulder or sidewalk versus a full elevated riverwalk; final funding decisions will be made by the policy board.
Staff requested commissioners’ feedback on charger siting and on balancing grant funds between widely accessible level‑2 chargers and fewer level‑3 fast chargers. The committee described the current approach as a phased deployment, prioritizing publicly nominated properties in phase one and considering privately owned sites in a later phase.
