Plan for Anchorage airport development near Raspberry Road draws neighborhood questions

A proposed $500 million airport expansion project is generating conversation in Anchorage’s Sand Lake neighborhood.

The proposed South Park project would involve construction of 14 “hardstands,” or jet parking spaces, a large maintenance hangar and fueling facilities, plus add parking, on vacant airport land north of Raspberry Road near Kincaid Park.

A company owned by C Change Group, an investment group helmed by Russell Read, the former chief investment officer of the Alaska Permanent Fund, is seeking to lease land owned by the airport to develop the project.

A public notice about the project went out Nov. 10.

Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport manager Jim Szczesniak says the project would add space sheltered from the weather for aircraft repair and maintenance as well as make it more efficient for goods to be transferred between aircraft — all supporting a burgeoning cargo business driven by the rise of e-commerce.

All that would help cement Anchorage’s place as a rising star in the world of international air traffic, he said. There are four other projects in various stages of development to expand Anchorage’s cargo offerings, he said.

“Our customers can literally fly away,” Szczesniak said. “We are trying to add facilities at the airport that enhance what you can do in Anchorage.”

Sand Lake-area residents have questions about the proposed development.

A newly formed Facebook group called “Ted Stevens Airport Mega Development” catalogs information about the project, as well as residents’ concerns about the project: that it is too big, that it would degrade the neighborhood and natural character of the area.

Ed Kornfield — the founder of the Facebook group — lives on Tanaina Drive, one of a few streets directly across Raspberry Road from the planned development. He said the only evidence that the project was in the works was a small sign “the size of a lost dog flyer” on the fence. He said he was staggered to learn the size of the development, and wanted to spread the word to his neighbors.

“There’s a lot of distrust with the way (the airport) brought it out,” he said.

At a special meeting of the Sand Lake Community Council convened exclusively to discuss the proposed project Monday night, more than 90 people attended, said community council president Parker Haymans. The meeting lasted more than three hours, and was the most attended community meeting he’s witnessed.

“Within our community council, this would be the largest of any development project since maybe shutting down the Sand Lake gravel pit and building the new housing developments,” Haymans said. That happened over a decade ago.

Attendees submitted more than 40 questions, about the size and scope of the project and the potential impacts on air, noise and light pollution in the area — particularly in the neighborhoods nearest the development, including Lowell Circle, Serenity Drive and Tanaina Drive.

“We’re not against development and sustainable jobs and diversifying from oil, but let’s do it in conjunction with the community that’s across the street,” said Kornfield, who has lived in the neighborhood for 30 years.

The Nordic Skiing Association of Anchorage has also brought members’ attention to the project located near Kincaid Park, whose trail system is heavily used year round. The project would all be built on land currently inaccessible to the public and would not directly impact current trail systems, said Szczesniak.

The developers say the project would inject hundreds of jobs into an ailing Anchorage economy and help the city maximize its geographic good fortune in sitting at an international air crossroads.

The construction project, which would take years, would employ 150 people, said John Tichotsky, a former head economist for the state of Alaska who is a managing partner of the investment group seeking the lease. A further 220 long-term jobs running the cargo and fuel services would remain, he said.

The project would “enhance the value and services of the airport,” Tichotsky said.

The developers are interested in hearing feedback from the community and have already set aside an early plan to route vehicle access to the site from Raspberry Road because of neighborhood feedback, he said.

“I see the airport and recreation as really compatible,” Tichotsky said. “I know folks are concerned about the noise, that’s a real thing, but we can create a buffer and address those issues.”

After the public comment period ends, the developers and airport would negotiate a lease if the project moves forward, said Szczesniak. That could take up to six months, followed by a design and permitting process, then an up to two-year construction timeline, according to the C Change Group.

Public comments on the proposed project are open until Jan. 15.