Anchorage approves a bigger paved lot at the Basher Trailhead

Anchorage's Planning and Zoning Commission voted unanimously Monday to replace the Basher Trailhead's cramped 16-space gravel lot with a paved 52-space one, ending more than a year of disagreement over how big it should be.

The current lot, the main access point to that stretch of Chugach State Park, routinely overflows onto nearby roads, the city's parks department says. Beyond the added spaces, the plan brings a vault restroom, bike racks, a loading zone and replanting of the old lot. Lighting was cut as too expensive.

The size was the whole fight. The design started at 60 spaces, dropped to 45 after community pushback, then settled at 52. In April, the Assembly voted 5-6 against requiring the full 60. The Basher Community Council has argued a bigger lot could draw more traffic and overdevelop access to the park.

Moving the driveway off its current hilltop would sharply improve sightlines for drivers pulling out, a project specialist said, more than tripling the view to the east. No traffic study was done, and the project's representatives said city traffic officials didn't ask for one.

The lot carries a cost after it's built: the 2026 bond that funds it adds a permanent $70,000 a year to the city's tax cap for maintenance, with snow and trash removal contracted out.

Commissioner Jeff Rahn moved approval with five conditions, including a long-term maintenance plan. "The community spoke through a ballot initiative, and we're much closer to seeing something happen here," he said. Appeals can be filed within seven days, and construction is expected in spring 2027.