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Assembly declines to buy 1-acre parcel adjacent to new Gateway Visitor Center after concerns about topography and value
Summary
The assembly rejected a staff recommendation to acquire a 1-acre parcel adjacent to the new Gateway Visitor Center (appraised at $172,000). Staff and CVB representatives framed the purchase as protecting views and enabling trails; some assembly members said the appraisal and topography did not justify the cost and voted the acquisition down unanimously.
The assembly considered Ordinance 26-029, authorizing purchase and classification of a 1-acre parcel near the new Gateway Visitor Center. Casey Ressler, CEO of the Mat-Su Convention and Visitors Bureau, told the assembly the CVB unanimously supported the purchase to protect the visitor experience and enable future trail/recreational development. Staff said the parcel had been appraised at $172,000 through a third-party appraisal and the funds would come from prior land-sale proceeds.
Several assembly members questioned the value relative to topography and lack of road access. "If a building or fence were erected on the adjacent property, it could obstruct the views of the mountains," staff said, but multiple members observed the parcel sits on a bluff with steep drop-offs and limited developable area. After discussion, the assembly voted; the clerk reported the acquisition ordinance failed unanimously.
The assembly asked staff to continue dialogue with the CVB and the landowners about potential alternatives, including lower-priced purchase, donation, or access/land-use arrangements that preserve views and allow public trails without the full acquisition price the appraisal suggested.
No acquisition was approved on March 17.
