What you need to know:
- The Mat-Su Borough Assembly unanimously opposed the state’s proposed transfer of nearly 20,000 acres near Houston to AIDEA, saying major industrial projects should instead be directed to Point MacKenzie or the West Susitna area.
- The transfer remains undecided. If approved, the plan would allow industrial and energy development, including logistics, manufacturing and data center projects near Houston. *The Assembly’s resolution asks the state to pursue such development elsewhere.
- The proposed transfer has drawn broader scrutiny and opposition. More than 2,000 people submitted comments, a legislative attorney raised legal questions, state senators stated concerns about oversight, and community groups in Houston, Willow and Meadow Lakes have opposed the proposal or the transfer process.
PALMER — The Matanuska-Susitna Borough Assembly this week formally opposed a state plan to transfer nearly 20,000 acres of recreation land near Houston to Alaska’s development agency and called for potential development projects to instead be located at Point MacKenzie or in the West Susitna area.
The Assembly unanimously approved the resolution during a regular meeting Tuesday.
The state Department of Natural Resources proposed the transfer last month. It would give 30 square miles of land abutting Houston, Willow and Meadow Lakes to the state-run Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority for projects that could include a “multi-use industrial and energy development district,” such as a logistics hub, “advanced manufacturing pads” and “scalable data centers,” according to the proposal…