Fishhook Council OKs comprehensive plan at contentious meeting

WASILLA — Acting Fishhook Community Council President Kim Sollien started Thursday’s annual meeting with a warning to the nearly 200 people in the audience that the Alaska State Troopers would be on call, and everyone should mind their manners.

“About three weeks ago, it did get pretty heated in here … and there were a lot of angry voices, and it was intimidating and scary for some people,” Sollien told a still-growing crowd at the Government Peak Chalet that evening. “I did notify the state troopers that we were having this meeting tonight, that people were scared at a former meeting, and just for them to be on alert.”

Sollien added that it was her job as president “to help the meeting move forward, for us to do business and for everyone to feel safe,” in simply being present and in sharing their opinion. After some notes on spending and a thank you from MY House Director Michelle Overstreet — who received a third, $5,000 Community Revenue Sharing grant in four years from the council for the homeless youth center — the council moved on to the hot-button item: the Fishhook Community Comprehensive Plan.

The plan

Acting Mat-Su Borough Planning Services Chief Sara Jansen took the floor first to explain what a comp plan is, what it does, and what it means for the community.

“What you have before you ... reflects specifically the wishes and the things that are important to the Fishhook area. It is not what’s called a special land use district, or SPUD,” she said.

“If the body were to approve the comprehensive plan, there would be no change from today to tomorrow about what you can do on your property. It doesn’t change anything,” Jansen continued. “What it does do is help other agencies know what’s important in your community.”

The Fishhook plan in particular was devised by a 15-person planning team — four of whom currently sit on the community council board — and based on data from a 2014 survey of area residents. Of 1,507 surveys mailed out, 402 responses were received, for a 27 percent return rate — higher than the average annual voter turnout in the Mat-Su Borough.

Those responses yielded five land use goals, which included respect of private property rights, maintaining the rural and scenic look of Fishhook, and protecting cultural resources where possible. Four transportation goals included developing a road grid network and secondary road system to abate traffic on Palmer and Wasilla Fishhook, and siting future schools at least ¼ mile away from those two roads.

Goals for trails and recreation, water resources, emergency preparedness, public facilities and natural community resources are also listed.

The borough has a general comp plan, which Fishhook would be covered by, Jansen said, if the one presented Thursday did not pass.

“When you say no to something, you’re saying yes to something else,” she said, in closing.

Discussion

After a few quick questions from the audience, Sollien opened general discussion. She asked that each person who wanted to speak for the allotted two minutes first state their name, how many comp plan meetings they had attended, and whether or not they had read the plan.

“I don’t think you can make those kinds of qualifications,” one person interrupted.

“Yeah, that’s ridiculous,” another said.

When she asked, ‘why not,’ the first speaker said, “because it’s a form of intimidation.”

The crowd began to murmur louder and louder, until it was ultimately decided that speakers need only state their name and whether they were for or against the plan.

Area resident Alvin Johnston was the first to object to it.

“I totally oppose all of this,” he said. “You open up this box, you’re not gonna get a lid back on it. You give ‘em the go ahead, they’re gonna take it and run.”

After he finished, one person said, “That’s a no, right?” to well-received laughter and applause.

Grouse Ridge resident Cyndi Farrens spoke in favor of the plan, saying she’d worked with planning departments in urban areas like Los Angeles before, and that a comp plan really doesn’t “control” anything the way a formal planning document or SPUD would. But, it would address growing traffic problems, she said.

“Nothing else in the borough plan does this,” Farrens said. “It’s something … we need to have for the safety of our children.”

“We’re not in California,” one man grumbled, before others applauded Farrens.

Sollien stepped in again.

“For a point of order, we’re not having a debate,” she reminded the crowd.

Longtime Edgerton Parks resident and former community council president Byron Williams spoke passionately against the plan. He was even awarded an extra two minutes to speak at the end of discussion — after a woman requested her time be given to him — despite his tendency to get off topic by citing concerns beyond the comp plan.

“I know what we’re trying to push here is something you will not have any control over,” Williams told the crowd from the front room. “The Mat-Su Borough is looking to take over this area, and they’re taking away what little rights you have left.”

Jessica Spracher said she didn’t like all the changes to the Edgerton Parks area over the course of her lifetime, but that development is inevitable so the comp plan is necessary.

Cynthia Hawkins confessed to being uninformed on the subject — as did about 20 others, who raised their hands when she asked who else had only ever been to one or two council meetings — and suggested that the decision be postponed. A collective groan shot that idea down.

Sollien responded by listing the ways that the council endeavored to notify all affected residents, saying that the board members “did our very best” to give proper notice, and Jansen agreed.

The decision

At about 8:15 p.m., after half an hour or so of discussion, Robin Turk moved to stop debate (after, she amended, Williams had had his second two minutes to speak). Following that, Sollien asked all in favor of the plan to stand. Board members Chuck West and Earl Almdale went around the room counting heads, for a total 106 “yes” votes. The total opposed came to 73, after which dozens of people left the room.

But there was still another vote to be held. All board members except for the absent president, Ellery Gibbs, were up for reelection, and two more slots were available for a total of seven. Sollien, West, Almdale, Joe Irvine and Bryan Cherry were reelected, and the remaining positions went to Sheri Musgrave and Shane Turner, who were up against Tim Ivanitskiy, George Strother and Mike McClain.

The Fishhook Community Comprehensive Plan must still be approved by the Mat-Su Borough Planning Commission and the Borough Assembly before it becomes official. To read the most recent draft of the plan, visit www.matsugov.us/plans/fishhook-community-comprehensive-plan