# Assembly Rejects Resolution Demanding 60 Parking Spots at Basher Trailhead

The Anchorage Assembly voted 5-6 Saturday against a resolution that would have required the administration to increase parking at the Basher Trailhead from 45 to 60 spaces.

The resolution failed after an Assembly member successfully moved to strike a section that would have threatened to withhold funding from any final design that did not demonstrate sufficient parking capacity. That amendment passed 9-2, but the resolution still fell short on final passage.

The debate exposed tensions over who decides how public lands are accessed in Anchorage. The project began with studies showing 80 to 100 parking spaces were needed at the popular Chugach State Park trailhead. Through community input, the administration reduced that to 45 spaces in the 65 percent design, with plans for a potential future expansion of 15 to 20 additional spots.

Assembly Chair Christopher Constant, who introduced the resolution, said the reduction from the original scope felt like a betrayal of the bond voters approved. "The suggestion that this is right-sizing the scope is absolutely missing the mark," Constant said. "60 was the compromise, and now we are at 45, and it came out of nowhere."

Constant estimated the reduction would affect about 120 additional car trips per day, a figure an administration representative said was probably relatively accurate. Constant argued the municipality would not have resources to expand the parking lot 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.

Assembly Member George Martinez countered that the administration followed a legitimate public process. The project team conducted a 30-day survey between the 35 percent and 65 percent design phases, and more than half of respondents called for something smaller than the 35 percent design. "The difference between following a process and then being heavy-handed is the difference between what this resolution is attempting to do in a very heavy-handed way versus recognizing that there was a process and there was a change as a result of the process," Martinez said.

Chief of Staff Suzanne Fleet Green said the administration tried to balance concerns for safety and access across the municipality while improving access to the Chugach. Fleet Green said the design addressed visibility and snow storage concerns raised during the public process. Fleet Green noted the project includes improvements beyond parking, including trail upgrades and wayfinding for other access points along Basher Road.

Assembly Member Kameron Perez-Verdia said the resolution felt like an overstep. "It feels like an overstep of the assembly to weigh itself in at this point in the process, and then also to threaten to not pass if it does not go this way," Perez-Verdia said.

Anchorage Assembly Vice Chair Anna Brawley raised broader questions about equity in public land access. "Who are our public lands for?" Brawley said. "It is troubling to me that everything seems to break down in this town when we say where, and when it has to do with people who do not live in an area who are accessing that area."

Assembly Member Meg Zaletel said allowing small groups to call the shots would alienate residents in other parts of the city. "Allowing small groups to call the shots will fundamentally alienate folks in my district and Midtown who want to understand why folks who do not pay into ARDSA but drive to Costco can also leverage their influence to determine the size of a parking lot that is in their neighborhood," Zaletel said.

Assembly Member Felix Rivera said he had confidence the administration engaged in a thoughtful process but took issue with language in the resolution claiming the project was based on demonstrated demand. "I do not think any of them have fidelity to where we can say it is demonstrated," Rivera said. "We simply do not know exactly what the usage will look like."

Rivera also objected to the resolution attempting to bind future assemblies. "We are effectively trying to tie the hands of members of the body who will not even be here yet, who have not been seated yet, who will ultimately be in the position to make a determination when the contract comes before the body," he said.

Rivera asked about the cost difference between building 60 spots now versus building 45 spots and expanding later. The administration representative said increasing from 45 to 60 would cost $200,000 to $300,000 now, and that starting from scratch to build a 15-space expansion later would likely cost more due to mobilization and other construction factors.

Rivera also asked whether the administration planned to install no parking signs along Basher Road as some community members requested. The administration representative said the traffic department would review whether sections of the road need to remain signed for safety reasons such as speeds, road width, and sight distances.

Rivera said he personally did not see a problem with a larger parking lot but opposed the resolution because it effectively stated the public process did not matter. "This has gone through public process," Rivera said. "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."

Martinez encouraged his colleagues to vote down the resolution, saying the assembly should respect the community feedback process. "I encourage my colleagues to vote this down," Martinez said. "I hope that there are enough nos that we are not bigfooting this project, that we are learning from these projects."

The 65 percent design plans were released March 30, about a week before the bond election. Fleet Green said the survey that informed the design was open for one month.

The project is funded through the Chugach State Park Access Service Area bond that voters approved. Over 32,000 voters supported the bond, which included the Basher Trailhead parking lot along with other trail improvements and wayfinding projects.

The administration will proceed with the 45-space design. The 65 percent design includes planning for a potential future expansion if the parking lot reaches capacity.