WASILLA — The city has outlined 22 projects on its capital improvement to-do list to upgrade facilities and roads, make water and sewer improvements and improve parks and recreation.

City Council recently adopted a pair of 2009 Capital Improvement Program funding requests amounting to about $32.8 million in projects and equipment the city wants to pursue in 2009. The requests are directed at federal and state funding sources.

“I think every item on the list is something we’ve identified as a need,” said Dianne Woodruff, a city council member. “It’s good to see we’re planning for infrastructure now.” Without planning ahead to handle growth, serious problems can arise, Woodruff said. An example can be seen around the Palmer-Wasilla Highway. As the Mat-Su Borough looks into adding an additional travel corridor to relieve congestion along the highway, planners face dealing with an area that has already been surrounded by residential housing.

Under the facilities and equipment portion of the city’s improvement program, the plan outlines five major items it wants to address in 2009. Altogether, funding requested for these items totals about $11 million and includes a new library, police station addition, train station at the airport and Lake Lucille dam restoration.

Archie Giddings, the city’s public works director, said having a new train station at the airport would not only would provide a stop for air-bound rail riders, but also relieve traffic congestion created by the downtown station.

“At some point the railroad is going to have to leave the station [in downtown Wasilla],” Giddings said.

When it comes to roads, the city has outlined four major projects for which it hopes to gain legislative funding. Road projects include improvements at the intersection of Knik-Goose Bay Road and Fern Street, extension of East Susitna Avenue and phase one of both Airport Boulevard and Knik-Goose Bay Traffic Study. The cost of those projects totals just over $3 million.

Giddings said the Borough recently began working on extending Fern Street to Edlund Road. To handle the traffic flow the extension will create, the city plans to add turning lanes, lighting and traffic signals, Giddings said. As a major connection between Knik-Goose Bay, Edlund and Fairview Loop, the extension and road improvements will provide an additional transportation corridor and allow for smooth traffic flow and better response time for emergency services trying to reach the subject areas. Overall, the project will cost about $1.2 million.

Parks and recreation has a few items on the improvement priority list that amount to $425,000. The resolution calls for $200,000 of state funding for a city events marquee sign.

“We’ve always wanted a sign since day one,” said Bruce Urban, recreation and cultural services manager for the city.

If built, the sign would be located at the intersection of South Mack Drive and the Parks Highway, Urban said. The primary use of the electronic sign would be to inform passersby of upcoming events, but isn’t limited to that use. In addition to an event message board, the sign could be used to inform drivers of road conditions as they travel on the Parks Highway.

The parks and recreation funding request also includes $150,000 for land acquisition and $75,000 for stage improvements at the Iditapark Amphitheater.

Federal funding requests include six projects that amount to $13.5 million, according to the council’s resolution. Road projects include widening Lucille Street and extending South Mack Drive. Other projects include expanding the sewer treatment plant and water system. That includes a request for a Vactor truck, a maintenance vehicle used for maintaining sewer systems.

Contact Chris Gillow at chris.gillow@frontiersman.com or 352-2284.