Home, sweet home?

Subdivision plan riles neighbors

August 30, 2005

MARY AMES\Frontiersman reporter

MAT-SU - Concerned neighbors around the proposed Shadowood subdivision aim to show up at the Mat-Su Borough Assembly chambers Thursday morning and wait all day to have a say, if that's what it takes.

Since the first notices arrived in some folks' mailboxes on July 5, defeating congestion has been a full-time job for some.

"This has dominated most of our time for weeks," said Karl Lund. "My wife is taking a day off work to attend."

The proposed Shadowoods Valley subdivision, with plans for 195 homes to be built in an area of less than 60 acres, has neighbors signing petitions, writing letters to the editor and planning strategies for its defeat.

Most of the lots would be about 10,000 square feet, but a few would be 7,200 square feet. One acre, by comparison, is equal to 43,560 square feet.

"The hardest part is getting the word out," said Dianne Woodruff, who lives next to the proposed subdivision. "I was one of the lucky ones who got a notice. The borough notifies anyone within 600 feet of a proposed subdivision.

"We don't know how many families will be there, only the number of lots. It's not just Shadowood, if we don't get some rules in place."

Shadowoods LLC, owner of the plat in question, is in compliance with current borough code for minimum lot size, but the neighbors believe Wasilla city codes, which call for larger lots, should prevail in the area bordered by West Graybark and North Elkhorn drives and North Lucille Street.

Wasilla city planner Sandra Garley was out of the office Monday, and no one else in the office would comment on the development.

Kenneth Duffus, owner of Shadowoods LLC and KND Investments, did not return a phone call requesting an interview. KND Investments builds condominiums and townhouses.

Some of those condo sites prompted the city of Anchorage to change its development rules in response to overcrowding and limited access for emergency response vehicles.

"The streets in Shadowood have to be to city of Wasilla standard," Woodruff said. "That means two off-street parking places for every unit. But what about when you have a baby shower? Where are all those people going to park?"

James Brass carried a petition around to his neighbors. Once signed, it will be sent to both the borough and the city of Wasilla.

"We want them to resubmit the application and have it go to present codes," said Brass, referring to the discrepancy with Wasilla's larger lot size requirement.

Petitions and written statements need to be submitted to the borough by Wednesday afternoon to be included in Thursday's meeting.

Lund opened his notice of plat consideration from the borough on July 5.

When he saw the map, he knew he would have to find out more about the proposal that would change the area he has lived in since 1987.

"This thing has happened so fast, a lot of our neighbors didn't even know," Lund said. "What if this high-density housing turns into a slum?"

Contact Mary Ames at 352-2284 or mary.ames@frontiersman.com.