Old Access Road in Trapper Creek to be Renamed

An old access road in Trapper Creek is getting a name change.

South Weir Road will become South Strong Farm Road on July 26th, pending Borough approval. An old bulldozer road, it now only leads to the Strong farm. But it was the only access to the once land-locked Weir parcel. 

Steve Strong says the private drive was installed by J.B. Weir in 1958 to access his land behind what was then State-owned land. Strong says he purchased his parcel from the State in 1986. His deed required that the road be left open until equal or better access came available to the Weir land. Bradley Road was built in 1992 and became the better access to the Weir parcel.

At the time, Strong asked the Borough if he needed to vacate the public access, but he was told that it was automatically vacated. Later, Strong received a voter registration card with his address on South Weir Road. He says he thought it was odd since it was an unnamed access for many years. 

Strong says his children petitioned the Mat-Su Borough to officially change the name because it only leads to the Strong farm now. Borough Platting Division Administrative Specialist Kayla Kinneen says name change requests must go through a specific process. The public may comment, but approval comes down to the community. All neighbors with land touching the road are notified and a majority must agree to the name change.

The Strongs are the only owners with land touching this road now so it is likely to be approved in late July.