Ted Stevens International Airport (ANC) is the largest airport in the state. For those who use the airport frequently, it seems that the construction season never ends and the new Concourse C, which is part of the controversial Terminal Redevelopment project, has been fraught with delays in securing building permits. In fact, construction was delayed for such an extended time period that it has cost the state approximately $33 million and construction is not yet complete. The events that caused the permitting delays in the construction of Concourse C at ANC are not acceptable and must be avoided in future construction.

Because of concerns over the permitting issue and cost implications, Legislative Budget and Audit was requested to review the matter. The audit results clearly show many problems. One problem was that Municipality of Anchorage's plan review engineers lacked the expertise and time for a project with the scope and the size of the airport terminal project. As a result, the process of permitting became onerous and adversarial at times.

In an effort to prevent this type of protracted permitting process from happening again, I have sponsored this legislation. HB 264 exempts state building projects that cost over $1 million from local (municipal and borough) permitting processes. These projects will instead be reviewed by national organizations equipped to handle large projects or local engineers who are certified by these national organizations. It is expected that this legislation will help prevent the time delays and cost overruns that have plagued the state in many building projects.

I encourage your support of this legislation.

ED 1: 04/22/03

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