Chugiak Council opposes greater housing density

CHUGIAK — The Heritage Land Bank (HLB) approved a plan Dec. 8, adding higher density housing provisions to the Carol Creek land use plan, amid opposition from the Chugiak Community Council(CCC) and Rep. Dan Saddler on their behalf.

The new plan, an update from the original 2010 land use plan, would zone a parcel above and around the Harry McDonald Center as CE R3 and CE R2M with allowances for higher density developments than the prior 2010 plan. It was not, however, the plan that had been presented at the October Chugiak Eagle River Advisory Board.

Chugiak resident Sandra Quimby knew something was up when she compared handouts received at a Chugiak Eagle River Advisory meeting in October with newer handouts from the HLB meeting on Nov. 10. The density numbers on the two handouts were different.

Chugiak Community Council (CCC) President, Maria Rentz, called a Dec. 1 special meeting asking HLB to clarify what happened.

“Some of the council members felt that there was a discrepancy from what was presented to the councils and what actually went to the HLB advisory commission for approval,“ said Rentz.

HLB sent Chris Beck and Tanya Iden from Agnew: Beck, the company contracted by HLB to draw the plan, to meet with the CCC. Rentz asked them to explain the progression from the 2010 plan, which had community involvement and support, to the newest plan in front of HLB noting the 2016 plan presented to the council earlier was different than what had been presented in November for HLB approval.

“It is not fair to woo the community with an impression that something is going to be like the this then put in a proposal that looks different,” Rentz said in opening remarks to a standing room only crowd.

Iden shared a visual presentation of maps, density numbers and explained what drove the higher residential counts. She had been part of the contract team that worked with the public to develop a site-specific plan for the area in 2010. “Many of you were also engaged in that process,” she said, noting members in the room who had been involved six years ago in the development of the 2010 plan.

According to Iden, HLB asked Agnew: Beck to revisit and update the plan after AWWU sought to purchase a section of land to build a reservoir near the high elevations of the 92-acre parcel. In addition, other parcels that had been part of the plan had sold and Title 21 had since been adopted. Iden also said the Mayor Berkowitz had directed HLB to review all of their holdings in the municipality to see how land could be opened up or dedicated to help create more affordable housing.

Beck cited a 2012 study by the Anchorage Economic Development Commission showing a widening gap between housing costs and incomes. The HLB saw the Carol Creek plan as an opportunity to provide fair market housing close to shopping, schools and recreation.

The process for the 2016 included sending postcards in March 2016 to 525 residents who lived within 750 feet of the site notifying them of a public workshop. According to Agnew::Beck, approximately 30 people attended. Presentations were later made to Birchwood, Chugiak and Eagle River Valley community councils and in October a draft plan was released. It was that plan that was shared at the October Advisory meeting.

But the plan the HLB started to vote on Nov. 10 was not the same plan that had been presented a month earlier. Members of the council attended the meeting and pointed this out and the HLB stopped the vote for approval, postponing the vote to the Dec. 8 meeting.

It was this new plan, referred to an “alternative proposal” that had been modified to meet concerns HLB had heard over the course of their public meetings.

However, Chugiak council members said they had not received, nor had the opportunity to comment on the alternative plan. Iden’s visuals showed that the density was lowered in a couple of parcels in the revised proposal from 268-537 units to 201–378 units.

The council riddled the team with questions at the special meeting. Sandra Quimby’s answer to the differing numbers came in a apology from Iden, the lower numbers had been calculated on net rather than gross area in error. She said the numbers should always be designated on gross.

Beck said the construction of the AWWU reservoir could drive the cost of the infrastructure, but that would be up to ten years out. However, the AWWU reservoir and water lines are considered independent of the Carol Creek plan.

Rentz challenged the transparency of the process and said she would be working to reopen the hearing process.

Representative Saddler was concerned with the “fast and looseness with the numbers” and urged the HLB to not approve the 2016 plans without public hearing. CCC Board member, Randy McCain, reminded the presenters that Chapter 10 of Title 21 was in place “to preserve our rural lifestyle.”

Darrel Parks lives off Fish Hatchery Road and worries about traffic. “Nothing in this plan addresses the traffic.”

“We live in an area where we have the rule that is one or at most a duplex… 7 to 10 is not low density,“ said Kay Abrahms. She was part of the group that helped work out the details of the 2010 plan. “Doesn’t anybody listen to us? We went through all of this,” she said. “We compromised. We heard it all. We all talked it out. And here we are again.”

Kimi Donnelly attended the Nov. 10 HLB meeting. “ I felt so unprepared,” she told the room. Soon Donnelly became a researcher and started posting information about the Carol Creek Plan on her site, www.PODIX.net. She recorded meetings, uploaded documents and invited the crowd to visit the site for more information. “I’m a researcher and I’m not a very good public speaker, but this got me involved,” she shared.

The CCC unanimously voted to present a resolution rejecting HLB’s 2016-16 and 16s plans in front of the HLB. The statement includes assurances that the council supports the AWWU reservoir as submitted by AWWU.

Rep. Saddler (R) Eagle River, also sent a resolution asking the HLB to hold their approval until the public process is restored to the issue.

HLB approved the alternate plan, 2016-16S at their Dec. 8 meeting. Agnew::Beck sent a follow-up letter to community members who attended the meetings noting that the HLB received the CCC resolution opposing the plan. The plan now goes to a public hearing with the Planning and Zoning Commission, likely scheduled in winter or spring of 2017 per Agnew::Beck.

The website for the project is www.hlbcarolcreek.com. Public comments and questions may be sent to comments@hlbcarolcreekplan.com.