I am of two minds regarding the question of leasing Alaska Railroad land to the McCarreys. At first thought, it seems a shame to stall a project like the bike trail extension which would be valued by so many Anchorage bikers. However, one must ask if the delay of this future project will cause any present hardship to those who wish its completion. On the other hand, is it fair to a homeowner for their property to be thrown open to public exposure — and to see the lifestyle for which they planned and worked for years be disrupted to satisfy a relatively small segment of our city’s population? If the proposed trail extension affected the property of Reps. Zack Fields and Alyse Galvin, or Sens. Elvi Gray-Jackson and Löki Gale-Tobin and Assemblyman Dan Volland, who publicly oppose granting the lease, I wonder if their reactions would be different.
Let’s work on an alternate route — the trail system has served the biking public well for years; it can wait until the planners find a route that doesn’t impinge on the privacy rights of home and property owners.
— Don Neal
Anchorage
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