tate restarts historic review of Cowles Street rebuild after adding buried power lines

The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities has started a new historic review of its Cowles Street reconstruction in Fairbanks, after adding buried power lines and a right-of-way purchase to a project that runs past houses dating to the early 1900s.

The Fairbanks North Star Borough Historic Preservation Commission took up the department's request for help Tuesday. Members gave informal comments for borough staff to pass along to the department and took no formal action, according to the borough clerk's action memo.

The department reviewed the project in 2017 and found that no historic properties would be adversely affected, and the state historic preservation officer agreed. Since then, the department has added two pieces of work, according to a Sept. 15 letter from department archaeologist Cori Michel to commission Vice Chair Patricia Peirsol.

Overhead power lines along Cowles Street, Smythe Street and 2nd through 9th avenues would be buried in a trench about 2 feet wide and 6 feet deep. The department would also need to buy right-of-way, with the extent to be determined before it issues its findings.

The additions widen what's called the area of potential effect, where the department looks for historic properties the project could affect. It now covers the street's 87-foot right-of-way from 1st Avenue to just past the East and West Cowles Street intersection, plus stretches of the side streets reaching 90 to 450 feet off Cowles. The department will also consider visual effects.

The area includes 31 sites in the Alaska Heritage Resources Survey, the state's inventory of historic and archaeological sites. Four are on the National Register of Historic Places: the 1904 Falcon Joslin House, the 1916 Mary Lee Davis House, the 1907 Oddfellows Hall and a 1909 log building at 901 1st Ave. The letter lists 11 more as eligible, among them a historic district along Cowles Street. Twelve are listed as not eligible, and four have no determination.

A 2017 survey covered only the original area. The department will hire a consultant to document and evaluate the other structures.

Besides the borough commission, the letter went to the state historic preservation officer, Doyon Ltd., Tanana Chiefs Conference, Denakkanaaga, the City of Fairbanks and the Tanana-Yukon Historical Society.

"The APE will be defined after comments are received from your agency and other consulting parties," Michel wrote, asking for a response within 30 days.