Montana Creek park designation draws debate
A move to designate land around Montana Creek as a "natural park area" drew debate, but no agreement, from Juneau Assembly members on Monday.
Assembly members have spent months discussing the possibility of amending the city's comprehensive plan to turn the Montana Creek corridor in the Mendenhall Valley into a natural park. Members voted down a change at two earlier meetings and forwarded the issue to the Assembly's Lands Committee on Monday for more discussion.
According to the comprehensive plan, a natural park area provides open space, access to water, and "passive and dispersed" recreation opportunities. The Montana Creek corridor now is designated for resource development and as a recreation service park - which allows for active, programmed recreation.
The change to a natural park has been supported by the Juneau Planning Commission, the city's Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee, nearby homeowners and anglers. But some Assembly members have expressed worries the designation would preclude future development.
Some land in the area has been marked for future school expansion, and Assembly member Randy Wanamaker said the natural park designation could limit construction. Assembly and Juneau School Board members are scheduled to discuss that issue next month, he said.
Assembly member Dale Anderson said any proposal for new activity on the river would go through a public process. And he objected to a move to bring up the issue again.
"This has been through the (Assembly) Committee of the Whole twice and voted down," he said. "I'm totally taken back with what's going on here tonight."
Assembly member Marc Wheeler objected to moving the issue to the Lands Committee and promised he would bring the issue to the full Assembly's attention again. Designating the area as a natural park would protect salmon runs and allow trails and picnic sites to be built, he said.
"Basically Montana Creek is a jewel right in our backyard," he said. "It's not Jordan Creek or Duck Creek - we don't have to spend millions of dollars to rehabilitate it."
Joanna Markell can be reached at joannam@juneauempire.com.