Proposal to extend coastal trail is back, in revised form

TO POTTER MARSH: It would continue mostly along coastline.

By ROSEMARY SHINOHARA

Anchorage Daily News

Published: March 16th, 2005

Last Modified: March 16th, 2005 at 03:36 AM

The proposal to extend the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail south from Kincaid Park dropped out of sight more than a year ago. A city official said it will return to public view this year, with an updated route recommendation and environmental report due out in August.

The report will be a revision of one produced in the fall of 2002 amid controversy.

The coastal trail runs 11 miles from downtown to Kincaid. A proposed extension would take it another 13 miles or so, mostly along the coastline, to Potter Marsh.

The draft environmental impact statement projected the cost of the new section at $37 million. The trail was expected to be paid for mostly with federal money, and the project must be approved by the Federal Highway Administration.

Many Anchorage residents support the trail extension.

But opponents have said it would cost too much, would require taking too much private property and would harm wildlife.

Shortly after becoming mayor in 2003, Mark Begich pledged to cut costs and reduce the amount of private property affected. That's still his goal, he said Friday -- and he also wants to make sure it's near the coast as much as possible.

But no decisions have been made yet, said Tim Haugh of Juneau, right-of-way and environmental manager for the highway administration's Alaska Division.

"We're evaluating all the comments" to the draft report, he said.

City project administer Lori Schanche said 2,500 people submitted comments. The criticisms have to be sorted by category, and all substantive ones get a response. They could also prompt a change in the recommendation.

The project team is still reviewing comments, Schanche said.

"By federal law, you have to respond to every one," said Begich. "It's a very time-consuming process."

Haugh said he doesn't know of any major changes yet and doesn't think any will have a significant effect, such as increasing the amount of wetlands crossed by the trail.

He said it's not unusual for a federal environmental impact statement to take as long as this one has.

The trail extension stalled for half a year in 2003. The state had been managing the project, but state officials had decided to turn it over to the city. And the state said there was no money to continue studies.

In December of 2003, the Rasmuson Foundation, a private charitable group, donated more than $450,000 to complete the environmental and route study, and the city was able to begin the work.

If all goes well, Schanche said, the federal government will give the project final approval by December.

Daily News reporter Rosemary Shinohara can be reached at rshinohara@adn.com or 257-4340.