2006-15

CITY RELEASES COASTAL TRAIL EIS

Public hearing and open house slated for March 1

After 8 years of study, planning, and public discussion, the South Coastal Trail Extension Project Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) was released today by the Municipality of Anchorage. An open house and public hearing on the final FEIS are scheduled for March 1 at the Egan Center in Anchorage.

The FEIS includes a recommended route for extending the existing Tony Knowles Coastal Trail south from Kincaid Park to Potter Marsh along the Seward Highway. Following the public hearing on March 1, the Federal Highway Administration is expected to issue a Record of Decision (ROD) on whether the project will move forward by the end of the month.

"Since taking over this project two years ago, we have reduced the impact on private property by nearly 50 percent and brought down the cost by a similar amount," Mayor Begich said. "As the community continues to discuss whether to extend the trail, this document gives us a route and brings closure to a planning process that began 8 years ago."

Through discussions and meetings with property owners and many agencies, the Begich administration has reduced the number of properties potentially impacted by a trail extension from 179 to 98. The cost has been reduced from $36 million to $23 million.

"This fulfills my commitment to lower the costs, reduce the impact on private property, and protect wildlife habitats and wetlands while keeping the route principally on the coast," Begich said.

The 1,100 page document and maps are available for public review at the Municipal Clerk's Office, the front counter of Project Management and Engineering (PM&E) at 4700 S. Bragaw St., and all municipal libraries. The MOA has produced 2,000 CDs for public distribution, available at the clerk's office, PM&E, and at the offices of HDR Engineering at 2525 C Street. The FEIS is also on the web at http://home.gci.net/~southtrail/documents.htm.