As most of you know by now, Anchorage's ability to keep the Coastal Trail extension moving forward is threatened on a number of fronts. The information provided below is courtesy of the Alaska Center for the Environment. I hope you can attend some or all of the events that are planned over the next few weeks. Although a show of force will help at each event, the most important one to attend is the Assembly meeting on Tuesday, Nov 8. This will be our opportunity to speak to the Assembly before they adopt the Parks Plan. This is also the meeting where we expect Dan Sullivan to try to pull the Coastal Trail out of the Parks Plan.
Besides the information provided below, you might want to take a look at the Talking Points contained in the attachment to this message. Furthermore, a complete copy of the Parks Plan can be obtained by going to the following web site:
Please take the time to attend as many of these events as you can. Thanks for the support.........Mike Jens
As you may know, Anchorage's Long Range Transportation Plan went before the Assembly last week. It was a plan three years in the making, involving over 30 public meetings and detailed work by our best transportation planning professionals. However, eight members of the Anchorage Assembly, led by midtown representative Dan Coffey and west side rep Dan Sullivan, saw fit to call a rare special meeting on Monday night to re-write the plan.
They removed several references to "aesthetics" and even language calling for Anchorage to "develop an attractive and efficient transportation network", attacked the plan's modest goals for improvements to the bus system, delayed needed roadwork at Lake Otis and Tudor for seven years, and struck language supporting the coastal trail extension.
They also added several major new road projects to the plan, without public review or input. To illustrate the helter-skelter manner in which projects were considered, a proposal to build a $110M expressway linking Boniface with the airport was approved on Monday, only to be sheepishly withdrawn on Tuesday when they learned that the road would require demolition of 70 houses and affect 30 businesses- including the home of Assembly member Dick Traini.
If left unchallenged, the Assembly may be emboldened to take a similar approach to other important policies due before them soon, including the Parks Plan (set for consideration next Tuesday).
Citizens will gather at Lake Otis and Tudor- the most visible project affected by the Assembly- to protest these actions. A good crowd is important to get the attention of the media and the Assembly, so please join them to send a clear message that you won‚t stand for this disregard for the public.
Teamster Hall, 520 East 34th Avenue
Allan Tesche and Janice Shamberg of the Anchorage Assembly will speak and field questions on the Long Range Transportation Plan at a community meeting.
The transportation plan will undergo a final review for approval by the AMATS policy board- a group of state and local officials that has the final word on the plan. That meeting is from 1-3PM this Thursday the 3rd, on the 8th floor of City Hall, and is your last chance to speak up on the plan.
Parks Plan public hearing at the Anchorage Assembly, Assembly Chambers, Loussac Library. The city has also been working on a similar plan for the future of Anchorage parks and open spaces. Like the Transportation Plan, Anchorage citizens, community groups and public officials have been working on this plan for several years and the plan has wide support from the community. Please plan on attending in support of the Parks Plan, so that the Assembly does not gut it like they did with the Transportation Plan.