BALL FIELDS AND BICENTENNIAL PARK - WHERE'S THE COMPROMISE?

Paul Bauer, Jr.
Anchorage, AK
Dec. 11, 2002

Ball fields that will take up over ten acres of land will go into the four thousand plus acre Bicentennial Park, but with a blanket restriction on future development of the park. This blanket restriction updates the Master Plan for the park without any public meetings or input.

Yesterdays Assembly votes to place ball fields in Bicentennial Park was long overdue. However, the no-development ordinance of the park that went with it to settle this issue robbed the voting public their right to put the ball fields in the park without restrictions.

The Assembly did not support the ball field issue over a year ago, now voted on the matter anyway.

The so-called Techse/Traini compromise did nothing for the majority of citizens who wanted the ball fields in the park and nothing more. The end is that extreme environmentalist and other anti-development groups received the best deal. NO development in any portion of the park.

The Mayors veto of this proposal will allow the wishes of over 10,000 voters to place this matter on the April ballot. The win situation for the majority of the pubic in support of ball fields will be that the Assembly could override the Mayor, and the Assembly is left holding the issue that they are anti-development, and do not support the majority of its residents. If the Mayorıs veto stands, the public votes, ball fields go in the park and no development restrictions for the park.

This issue is not over until ball fields go in the park without any future restrictions or compromises. The issue was resolved over a year ago when the city conducted an expensive study and recommended the park as the best place for the ball fields. The Assembly made this issue of what it is today.

I do not see placing a ten-acre ball field in a park a compromise to a 4000-acre restriction.

Paul Bauer
East Anchorage