Fairbanks, AK - The Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly could approve the sale of six acres in the Two Rivers area. The Pleasant Valley Community Association wants to use the land for public recreation.
It’s been nearly two decades since the Borough purchased three acres of land and accepted the donation of three more in Two Rivers for public recreation. Borough Mayor Luke Hopkins is sponsoring an ordinance that would clear the way for Pleasant Valley Community Association to buy all six acres of land.
"There was some limited Parks and Recreation support out there on those properties and that has waned with budget cuts so this was a good solution,” says Hopkins.
There is already a ball field, basketball court and an area for a winter-time hockey rink on the property. Community Association Chairman Wayne Shea has a long list of projects for the park if the land sale is approved. “We need to add a few things to make it more user friendly," says Shea. "Such as outside toilets and I want to build some pavilions and underneath run concrete slabs and have outside picnic tables and we have been given from Fort Greely about one-and-a-half semi loads of playground equipment. We have swings and slides and jungle gyms and all that sort of stuff.”
Shea says a chain-link fenced needs repairs and he’d like fix the cracks in the basketball court. Shea says the park is starting to see more use. He’s seen residents practice their golf game on the property. He says people walk their dogs there. It’s also the location for Two Rivers’ annual Fourth of July celebration.
“I really think Two Rivers is beginning to change its complexity," he says. "It used to be a little more negative end-of-the road thinking but more and more people are moving in and people are seeing the advantage for us to have a park out there.” According to the ordinance, the property will sell for less than fair market valley. Under Pleasant Valley Community Association ownership, at least a portion of it will be tax exempt.