Houston/Willow off prison site list

PALMER— The Houston/Willow-Zero Lake site was dropped from the list of potential prison sites yesterday. Three sites for the MAT-SU Prison are still under consideration.

Multiple risk factors and "fatal flaws" for the site were what convinced the Prison Site Selection Committee Monday to remove Houston from further consideration. Wetlands, permit delays, footprint constraints, an unproven water source, and costly site development are the development obstacles that removed Houston/Willow from the list.

The proposed Houston/Willow location n covers 600 acres, seemingly adequate for the required 160 usable acres for the prison project. However, the site has significant wetlands, which made finding suitable grounds for the footprint difficult. Only one access route would be available into the prison from the Parks Highway. Two access routes are preferred for emergencies. The route would be two to three miles long, adding to the construction costs compared to other sites. It also would cross wetlands. Because of the wetlands, federal permits will be needed, which can take up to one year to obtain. Any delay to the project is significant and could be considered a fatal flaw because of increasing construction costs and inflation, which could total as much as $25 million a year.

The wetlands and other terrain may also compromise the configuration of the prison footprint and the required "clear zones" for security.

Whereas existing domestic water resources reasonably adjacent to the other three potential sites are documented, no such data could be located for the Houston/Willow site. The proposed prison site will need to provide approximately 250,000 gallons per day on average.

Most critically, the projected site development costs for the Houston/Willow Site were approximately double the costs for each of the other three sites or almost 25 percent of the total estimated cost of the project. Those figures will be released next week. Paying double the site development costs would reduce the size of the facility.

The public in the Houston/Willow area gave mixed comments on the project. Many residents opposed it. The Houston City Council and other community leaders support the prison. However, the risk factors and fatal flaws were substantial enough to require that the site be removed.

Representatives from the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation, the Alaska Dept. of Corrections and the Matanuska-Susitna Borough are members on the Site Selection Committee.

The Committee met with contractors Monday and gathered more technical, engineering, and scientific information on the remaining proposed sites. The remaining proposed sites are: Sutton-Glenn Highway Mile 58 (Site 7), Point MacKenzie-Alsop Road (Site 12), and South Palmer (Site 14).

Additional detailed information from contractors will be presented at a Site Selection Committee meeting on Dec. 1. The Committee will prioritize the three remaining sites by comparing that information as well as considering the host of public comments from testimony, letters, comment forms, and emails. The public comment period on the proposed sites closes on Wed. Nov. 29. The Committee will release its preference and an alternative after its Dec. 1 meeting.

The recommendation for the preferred site will be presented to the MAT-SU Borough Planning Commission at a special public hearing Dec. 11, at 6:30 p.m. The meeting will be at Swanson Elementary School, 609 N. Gulkana Street in Palmer. The Planning Commission will consider all the site information as well as previous public comment and new testimony at the hearing. (The Commission and Assembly will receive all the public comment on the project.) Then the Commission will make a recommendation to the Borough Assembly.

The Assembly will hold a public hearing on the project and could make a final decision on Jan. 16 at 7 p.m. The meeting location is yet to be determined.

For more information on all the sites and the site selection process please find the MAT-SU Prison Project link on the MAT-SU Borough's Web site: www.matsugov.us

For general information contact Public Affairs Manager Patty Sullivan at (907) 745-9577 or Community Development Director Ron Swanson at (907) 745-9631.