Butte residents skeptical of land plan

BUTTE -- Changes are on the way for a master plan for borough lands in the Butte area, after local residents voiced concern about several components of the plan at a meeting last week.

Wednesday marked the first public meeting held to discuss the plan, although it had been a matter of discussion at the Butte Community Council meeting, held a week earlier. Residents used both forums to state their concerns that the plan strayed too far from its original intent, to suggest ways to reserve access to borough and public lands in the area.

One of the most pressing concerns those in attendance had with the plan was that it suggested potential strategies for maintaining the area's character on private land, as well as public land. For example, the plan suggests coordinating with the Alaska Department of Transportation to improve use along the Old Glenn Highway, and further suggests that development along the road be screened. For some residents, those suggestions smacked of zoning, a largely unpopular idea in the area.

"Would you folks like to buy me out, because I'll sell and go somewhere where I'm free," said one area resident, before leaving the meeting.

"It's important that private land not be identified in this," said another.

Those sentiments were backed up by a unanimous vote from the Butte Community Council, requesting an amendment to the plan taking out "all reference that is or could be interpreted as pertaining to private property be removed or altered so that the document only refers to borough or State of Alaska-owned property."

Ken Barber, an area resident who uses the nearby public land regularly, said he's concerned that the plan will be used to bring about land-use controls the community simply isn't interested in.

"I think it's a back way to get zoning in," Barber said. "They all have good intentions, but I think the borough's going to come back and say this is what you wanted … the community uses it just like they did the Knik River bridge, and now that's closed off -- I think we're going to lose it."

Barber, like many others at the meeting, said he'd like to see the private lands out of the asset management plan, but would like to see the borough work with the state to be sure current uses are still available in the future.

Jeff Dillon with Land Design North, who contracted with the Mat-Su Borough to complete the plan, said the land-use suggestions weren't an indication of any future plans for zoning. Chris Beck of Agnew Beck, who worked on the plan with Land Design North, added that the plan was broadened as a result of comments they received outside the plan's original scope.

"One category of our responsibility was what to do with borough land, but we kept getting input regarding trails crossing through borough land and along the Glenn Highway," Beck said, adding that the suggestions pertaining to private land weren't part of a schedule for implementation. "Those thoughts stop here. The only thing we have authority to direct is what happens on borough land."

"We were trying to find some strategies to take that next step and figure out how we can work with DOT and maintain that (use along the Old Glenn Highway)," Dillon said. "Where we can, on borough land, we make suggestions (for future uses). Where we can't do that, we've set out some strategies."

Maintaining existing and future land use for both motorized and non-motorized trail users was another large facet of the discussion. One of the reasons the planning process was started last year was to find strategies to both protect current recreational uses of the public land in the area and to address some of the problems that currently follow those uses. The plan suggests user fees -- an idea several expressed concern over. Beck said one strategy could be to set the area up similarly to local parks, on a pay-to-park plan in which a volunteer is able to live in the area, collect fees, pick up trash and watch over the parked vehicles.

A large component of that plan, several at the meeting pointed out, would be making sure the borough returned the funds collected through parking fees back to the community. Dillon cited the Deshka River steward project currently run through the borough, through which the fees collected are returned to the program.

"You say we have the ability to do that, but there's no guarantee," one resident said.

Beck said a stipulation that user fees collected be returned to the community could be written into the language of the plan and, if supported by the community, could become reality.

Other residents were concerned that the user fees may become simply a way to collect money without any real benefit.

"If you force us to pay, what guarantee do we have that the rules are going to be regulated?" one attendee asked. "We want to know that you, the borough, are going to come out here."

"Make it dead clear," Beck said, "that the community will support this kind of fee structure, only if it is used in this way."

Although this was the only public workshop set up for the plan, Dillon said the plan will be back in the community, likely at the community council's May 12 meeting. Public comments on the plan will be taken until April 1, at which time the plan will be revised to incorporate the comments and suggestions. Copies of the plan are available at the Mat-Su Borough's land management office, as well as at Land Design North in Anchorage. To request a plan, call the borough at 745-9869. Send public comments to Land Design North at 441 W. 5th Ave. Suite 200, Anchorage, AK 99501 or fax to them at (907) 276-5887.

Contact Rindi White at rindi.white@frontiersman.com.