The Anchorage Assembly voted unanimously Tuesday night to name a new soccer stadium at Kincaid Park after Conoco Phillips, a major contributor to financing park improvements.
At issue during a brief Assembly debate was a resolution that called for naming the 2,000-seat soccer stadium, which is part of a $10 million program of sports facilities and improvements at Kincaid, "The Conoco Phillips Stadium and Field." The resolution cites the $500,000 contribution the corporation made to the Kincaid Park improvements.
David Parish, chairman of the nonprofit Kincaid Project Group, called the Assembly vote a "big step forward" to paying for Kincaid improvements. Before the vote, in arguing in support of the resolution, Parish said Conoco Phillips has been "very generous with donations of employees' time, cash contributions, in-kind contributions" on park projects.
"We need to be encouraging more contributors to come forward and contribute to this thing," Parish said.
A public hearing on the issue drew limited comment. Only two members of the public stepped forward.
One of them, Jed Whittaker, said it was "highly inappropriate" to name a facility after a "major political player in this state. ... We can do better than this."
Whittaker urged that the city conduct a contest among school kids to come up with a name, but nobody took up the suggestion.
Later, while discussing the issue among themselves, the Assembly rejected an amendment to the resolution, suggested by Assemblyman Mike Gutierrez, that the naming of the stadium be limited to 15 years. After that time, the name could be renegotiated, he said.
The amendment, however, was defeated 7-3, with only Assemblywomen Elvi Gray-Jackson and Harriet Drummond joining Gutierrez in support of it.
Find Terry Carr online at adn.com/contact/tcarr or call 257-4582.
By TERRY CARR
tcarr@adn.com