Assembly OKs Meadow Lakes comprehensive plan

October 21, 2005

DARRELL L. BREESE\Frontiersman reporter

PALMER - The Mat-Su Borough Assembly voted unanimously Tuesday night to approve the Meadow Lakes Comprehensive Plan, after nearly three hours of public testimony and nine amendments made by assembly member Betty Vehrs.

&#8220This whole process is an example of how government should work, from the bottom up,” Vehrs said. &#8220It wasn't the politicians dictating policy to the people, but rather, a process that started with the people. After three years of hard work they brought a good plan to us on the assembly for approval. I'm proud to be their representative.

&#8220The plan itself represents what the residents of the Meadow Lakes Area want for their community,” Vehrs continued. &#8220The amendments simply correct some problems with the final draft and adjust the minimum lot size requirement that has caused some tension.”

Before presenting the amendments, Vehrs went to the Meadow Lakes Community Council on Oct. 12 and got its approval of the amendments before presenting them to the assembly.

Half of her amendments removed the requirement of a minimum lot size of 2.5 acres for new residential development in the area, instead replacing it with the borough's minimum lot size of 40,000 square feet - 3,560 square feet shy of an acre.

&#8220My understanding, based on a conversation with the borough attorney, is that the comprehensive plan is a guiding document without specifics,” Vehrs said. &#8220A special-use district is where specifics like lot size and other items can be addressed. Then they will have some teeth that allows for enforcement.”

Vehrs' second group of amendments clarified the difference between Mental Health Trust Authority land and land owned by the state of Alaska.

&#8220It was important for that distinction to be made clear,” Alison Smith, senior resource manager with the Trust, said. &#8220Without the change, our land had the same classification as state land in one portion of Meadow Lakes, and it would have been designated as open space, thus preventing us from developing it in the future.”

With all the technical changes out of the way, the assembly quickly approved the plan, drawing a cheer from the standing-room-only crowd.

&#8220This plan protects the rural lifestyle that we want for our community,” Meadow Lakes resident Mike Janecek said. &#8220This plan is good for us and will help us build our community.”

Happy the plan was approved, Janecek also voiced some disappointment with the change to the minimum lot size.

&#8220This process was both government at its best and at its worst,” he said. &#8220The involvement of the people from the start is impressive, but the hijacking of it at the end of the process is a disgrace. The loudly spoken word from the people in the community is that they wanted 2.5-acre lots. That is what the people wanted, but when it came time for final approval, it was changed.”

For others the plan will preserve the quality of life they have grown accustomed to.

&#8220Small lots and close-quarter living is not the quality of life that I want,” Mike Wolf said. &#8220I hope that in the SPUD we can ensure the larger lots the people wanted, the quality of life we all moved here for.”

Jeri Westbrook hopes the SPUD will preserve the freedoms of living in a rural community she currently enjoys.

&#8220I want to be able to pee off my back porch without having to worry about my neighbors,” Westbrook said. &#8220Without the large lots, we lose those freedoms that attracted us to the Meadow Lakes area in the first place.”

In addition to addressing the size of future lots in the area, the plan offers the community a way to guide the rapid growth taking place throughout its neighborhood, calling for evergreen buffers and large lots that will retain the rustic character found in the community.

The plan also identifies the area along the south side of the Parks Highway near the Pittman Road intersection as the best location for a multi-use town center, which will serve as a place to meet friends and neighbors, have sites for events and community meetings, and other commercial services like a bank, post office, grocery stores and restaurants.

Authors of the plan want to retain the &#8220natural feel” of the community and the natural landscape with several undeveloped &#8220green spaces” along the Parks Highway to separate developed areas, serving as a screen for commercial areas and preventing a sprawl of stores.

Other key issues include controlling effects of uses like sand and gravel mining, and maintaining large areas of open space.

&#8220Meadow Lakes is my home,” Vehrs said, &#8220and I am happy to see this plan finally be adopted. Without the plan, the uncontrolled growth would overtake our community. It is a guide map to our future.”

Contact Darrell L. Breese

at 352-2267 or darrell.breese@ frontiersman.com.