Court Denies State's Motion in Comsat Quarry Case

The court case for the Comsat Quarry site is closed. 

In late April, the State of Alaska filed for reconsideration after the Alaska Superior Court agreed with Comsat Area Lakes and Land Alliance, or CALLA, regarding the Talkeetna quarry site. The Court denied the State’s motion for reconsideration this week. 

CALLA is a group of residents and organizations who began a fight in 2021 against the State-owned Comsat Quarry site. In May 2022, the case was filed with the State Court. The entire case focuses on a narrow piece of the State Constitution referring to public notice of land disposals and how those notices will be conducted. 

The State argues that the sales of materials contracts were not disposals and so did not qualify for the public notice requirement. Instead, the State says the initial reclassification of the land to a materials site in 2012 is the only public notice needed.

CALLA attorneys argue that the individual sales are disposals and the public should be able to weigh in.

The Court rejected the State’s argument and denied a motion for reconsideration. 

According to CALLA attorney Geoff Parker, the Court has not issued a final judgement yet. The State might decide to appeal at that time. However, he says, the Court is not on a strict timeline to issue that judgement. 

Public notice will be required for each sale moving forward at the Comsat Quarry site. The quarry remains under Alaska Department of Natural Resources management, but it is unclear what its future may be.