# Assembly Rejects Resolution Demanding 60 Parking Spots at Basher Trailhead

The Anchorage Assembly rejected a resolution Saturday that would have required the administration to increase parking at the Basher Trailhead from 45 to 60 spaces.

The resolution failed 5-6 after debate over whether the assembly should override the administration's community-driven design process. The project was reduced from an originally planned 80 to 100 spots to 45 through public input, but some assembly members argued the reduction shortchanged public access to Chugach State Park.

Assembly Chair Constant said the reduction came after the project reached 65 percent design. "In good faith, we came to the table and the study showed 80 to 100 was what was needed," Constant said. "The suggestion that this is right-sizing the scope is absolutely missing the mark. 60 was the compromise, and now we are at 45."

Constant warned that at 65 percent design, it becomes difficult to make meaningful changes. "That is 100 people a day who may or may not have the right to access," he said.

Dr. Johnson opposed the resolution, saying it would effectively kill the project if the design did not conform to the assembly's preferences. "I have a serious issue with some of the statements in this resolution, which I think, one, make assertions that are not necessarily defensible," Dr. Johnson said. "We say it is based on demonstrated demand. I do not think any of them have fidelity to where we can say it is demonstrated. We simply do not know exactly what the usage will look like."

Dr. Johnson said the resolution would override a thorough public process. "This has gone through a thorough public process. It has led to this conclusion, and now we on the assembly are essentially saying like, well, we are going to assert our authority to override that," he said.

George Martinez said the design change from 35 percent to 65 percent reflected genuine community feedback. "My only retort to constituents with concerns was, follow the process, commit to getting all of your comments in, and if there is a way that because of your comments there is a change, then that is what we will support," Martinez said. "The process has led us to the 65 percent design that is different than the 35 percent design, and I did not think that was possible. Except that the feedback worked and it mattered to a process."

Martinez questioned whether the assembly should override community input without traffic studies to back up the need for more parking. "What are we doing today with respect to overriding a community, the community process that happened without traffic studies in the first place, so that we cannot even go back to the community and inform or educate them on an actual traffic need or engineering study?" he said.

Vice Chair Brawley raised broader questions about who gets to make decisions about public lands. "Who are our public lands for? Period," Brawley said. "I mean, it is troubling to me that, and I understand the arguments, I understand that there is a complex, really dynamic, and network of interests in this town."

Brawley moved to strike a section of the resolution that would have prevented the assembly from appropriating funds unless the final design demonstrated sufficient parking capacity. That amendment passed 9-2.

An administration official said the administration tried to balance safety concerns, community input, and improved access to Chugach State Park. She noted the 65 percent design includes planning for a future expansion if the initial 45 spaces reach capacity.

A project manager said the municipality did not conduct a traffic study on the project. When Brawley estimated the difference between 45 and 60 spaces would generate roughly 120 additional car trips per day, a participant said those numbers were probably relatively accurate.

A participant said the bond was voted on and passed with the expectation of 60 parking spots. Voters approved the Chugach State Park Access Service Area bond in April 2025, which allocated $300,000 for Basher Trailhead design.

The trailhead project on municipal land in Far North Bicentennial Park is designed to improve access to Chugach State Park. Construction is planned for summer 2026. The site currently has barely 16 spaces.

The Anchorage Parks and Recreation Commission approved the 45-space design on April 9, supporting the reduction from 60 spaces in response to community feedback on scale and neighborhood compatibility.

Constant warned that the municipality lacks resources to come back and expand projects later. "We do not have the money to come back and redo projects that we did until 20 or 30 years from now," he said.

The resolution's defeat means the project will proceed under the administration's 45-space plan.