The Juneau Assembly voted 7-2 to rezone land around Honsinger Pond also known as a “Field of Fireweed” near the airport for industrial use. Public outcry over blooming fireweed and bird habitat had helped scuttled previous efforts to rezone the land.
After hearing comments from nature lovers and off-roading advocates, Assemblywoman Debbie White noted that owner Spike Bicknell had been denied permission to rezone it on two previous occasions.
“It’s about time that this Assembly have a backbone and allow a private property owner to develop their property and not give in to — I’m not even going to use the words,” she said.
Bicknell has also applied for a permit for a motocross park on the site. Opposition came from skeptical Assembly members Loren Jones and Jesse Kiehl who said the current zoning would already allow a motocross park.
“I’m deeply confused at the idea of a motocross or an off-road bike track as the reason we have to rezone it because the current zoning allows the permit for that on exactly the same terms that the new zone would,” Kiehl said. “So that — that can’t be it.”
Deputy Mayor Jerry Nankervis said future plans for the property weren’t the issue being discussed.
“I don’t know what Spike Bicknell is going to do with this property, I don’t know what he’s going to do — it’s private property,” Nankervis said. “There’s a conditional use permit requirement if he wants to do something with it, he’s going to be back before the Planning Commission to discuss that and discuss the merits of that.”
The 26 acres will now be zoned industrial, a move that the Planning Commission ruled in January is consistent with the city’s long-term plan. An application for a motocross park remains incomplete and would have to go before the Planning Commission before moving forward.
Landowner Spike Bicknell was present at the meeting but didn’t speak.
