Mayor Withdraws Plans to house 120 buses beside Totem Theatre

The Municipality of Anchorage presented plans to build a transportation facility for 120 school buses next to Totem Theatre’s parking lot. Angry neighbors from Muldoon and Scenic Foothills turned out in droves to oppose the plan at Northeast Community Council Sept. 21. NECC passed a resolution to oppose the plan.

The Anchorage School Board was slated to vote on a resolution in support of it September 25, but a few hours before the meeting started, Mayor Ethan Berkowitz withdrew the plan. He said they will work with the district to find another location. More upset neighbors turned out to testify anyway, “just in case.”

The next meeting regarding the planned development at Tudor and Elmore, where the Anchorage School District’s transportation facility is now, will be at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, September 27, at the Permit Center, 4700 Elmore Road. Making room for development is driving the bus facility from its current location.

The Municipality of Anchorage has chosen not to present the school bus plan that was withdrawn at the Scenic Foothills Community Council meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday, October 5, at Wayland Baptist University. Moving the “bus barn” will still be a discussion topic. We dodged a bullet, but we need to make sure the gun is not loaded and pointed toward Scenic Foothills.