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Greetings! Welcome to issue VIII of the Girdwood Inc newsletter! We will cover topics such as the exact language in Girdwood-specific proposition 7, an online survey for housing types supported by the community, an update from Girdwood’s Public Safety Advisory Committee, Department of Transportation’s new project to improve safety on the Seward Highway and information regarding upcoming meet and greet with Anchorage Public Library’s new director Virginia McClure.

PROPOSITION NO. 7

Below you will find the language that is included on the mail-in municipal election ballot due April 4^th.

GIRDWOOD VALLEY SERVICE AREA LOCAL HOUSING AND ECONOMIC STABILITY POWER

This proposition would add to the existing powers of the Girdwood Valley Service Area the power to provide services in support of policies that promote local housing and economic stability. This proposition would not authorize the Girdwood Valley Service Area to levy any additional taxes. Exercise of this new power, if approved, would be paid for by taxes levied under the service area’s current maximum mill rate of 6.0 mills.

Shall this new power be added to the existing powers of the Girdwood Valley Service Area? ​(AO 2022-118, As Amended) Yes Or No.

Looking for housing feedback:

Girdwood Community Land Trust held a Housing Social at the community room on March 11^th. They registered participants and gave them sticky notes to attach to posters of various housing types that the individual would personally support.

Girdwood CLT has created an online version to get as much input as possible. Please take a moment to CLICK HERE and provide your feedback. The results will be shared publicly after April 12^th on their website and Facebook page. Thank you!

Community Spotlight: Public Safety Advisory Committee, Authors: Amanda Sassi, Emily Lewis

Here in Girdwood, public safety is overseen by the Public Safety Advisory Committee. This committee was formed in 2016, with the initial purpose of helping to find the best way to police our community after the Alaska State Troopers left their Girdwood post. The public voted to partner with the Whittier Police Department (WPD), and we signed our first contract for their services.

When that contract expired at the end of 2022, Girdwood Valley Service Area Manager Kyle Kelley and City of Whittier administration worked in conjunction with the Public Safety Advisory Committee to update the contract. A new three-year contract was signed at the end of December by the Municipality of Anchorage (MoA) and the City of Whittier, with an option for two one-year extensions, if agreed upon by both parties at that time.

Our newest member of the Girdwood Public Safety Advisory Committee, Emily Lewis, recently had the opportunity to ride along with one of our Whittier Police officers for an afternoon.

“After getting to spend some time learning about all that policing our community entails, I feel really grateful for our partnership with the Whittier Police Department. Even though Girdwood isn’t the primary residence of most officers, because they spend so much time here, they’re a part of our community and really care about helping to keep us all safe,” said Lewis.

Officers spoke of embracing a community policing model, and shared that they are seeking engagement and participation from the community.

“People often assume that we know something that’s happening in town or residents’ general safety concerns because they were posted on the Girdwood Facebook page, but we don’t monitor Facebook. If there’s anything happening that we should know about, we need people to call it in,” said Officer Hager, who’s been with the WPD since 2014. Residents are encouraged to call 911 or the WPD Non-Emergency Line, 907-382-3223, and to be prepared with detailed descriptions.

“If you see or hear something unusual, call it in. Even if you don’t think a police response is required, they would rather have it on their radar so they’re ready to respond at a later time if needed,” said Lewis.

Dispatch for the WPD is based in Sitka. This recent change came after WPD’s contract with Cordova Police Department for dispatch services expired. A request for proposal was issued for dispatching service and three bids came back. Cordova asked for a substantial increase and Sitka ultimately won the bid. So far, officers have reported a high level of responsiveness from Sitka’s dispatch service, as well as a solid familiarity with the layout of Girdwood, the Seward Highway, and Turnagain Arm communities.

As in the past, any 911 calls placed from the Girdwood valley go first to the Anchorage Police Department dispatch. When you state that you’re needing police assistance in Girdwood, you’ll be patched through to Sitka dispatch, which can then dispatch the Whittier Police Department.

In other public safety related news, Girdwood Valley Service Area Manager Kyle Kelley is working with the Department of Transportation to obtain mobile speed radar signs for use along the Alyeska Highway, hopefully by this summer. The Department of Transportation will also be doing a traffic study sometime in 2023 on the Girdwood roads that tend to see the most speeding.

The Public Safety Advisory Committee’s purpose is to serve as a conduit between the community and law enforcement. Residents are encouraged to share any public safety-related concerns at the committee’s monthly meetings. Public comment can be offered in person, called in, or given virtually. Meetings are typically held at 7pm on the first Monday of each month in the Community Room. Details can be found on the Girdwood Board of Supervisors homepage.

Department of Transportation’s Project: Safer Seward Highway

Governor Dunlevy recently declared the Seward Highway a priority for safety improvements.  The focus will be on the stretch from the end of the divided highway near Bird, to Potters Marsh.  This current “safety corridor” is critical because it has a very high rate of accidents and related casualties.  This new project is called “Safer Seward Highway” and has a website set up at safersewardhighway.com. 

Most important, now is the time for people to get involved and give input on how they think the project should be done.  The goal is an outstanding highway corridor that improves safety while providing important recreation and use features such as a bike corridor, wildlife and scenic viewing, and more trailhead and viewpoint parking.  

The Department of Transportation is drawing together a team of experts from all over the state to explore new design concepts such as tunnels that might have been previously dismissed. This team has been tasked with looking at various design options to improve highway safety, including dividing the north & southbound sections, adding lanes and especially designing a highway that includes many critical recreational and scenic enhancements.  They also must consider the substantial increases in traffic that are forecast well into the future. We will continue to keep Girdwood informed about this important project.

Upcoming meetings:

Library Director Meet and Greet

When: Friday, April 14, 2023, 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM

Where: Scott and Wesley Gerrish (Girdwood) Library

Anchorage Public Library’s new director Virginia McClure is coming to Girdwood! Join her and get to know what your library has in store for you and your community. 

Welcome to Issue VII of Girdwood Inc’s newsletter. With housing as a major need in our community, that will be the main focus of this issue.

Holtan Hills:

On Tuesday February 7^th, the Anchorage Assembly voted 7-5 to “indefinitely postpone” the disposal of the 3 large tracts to CY Investments, more commonly referred to as the Holtan Hills Project. The 3 parcels contained a total of 450 acres. Sixty acres would be removed from the 450-acre tracts and the remainder transferred back to Heritage Land Bank.

This decision came after over a hundred Girdwood residents came to testify on December 6^th and the December 13^th special meeting for continued testimony. It was postponed at the January 10^th Assembly meeting to February 7^th. The indefinite postponement means the item may not come back before the Assembly body, unless it’s been “substantially changed.”

South Townsite:

Girdwood Community Land Trust has been working to secure South Townsite as a potential location. This is the area near the ballfield, and was once platted out as “the squirrel cages.” Meetings were recently held with the watershed department at the Municipality. The discussions raised serious questions as to if this was a viable location to develop. Due to flood plain constraints, building at the convergence of the two waterways (Glacier Creek & California Creek) may be a cause for concern. Any HUD funding is very difficult, if not impossible for getting grant and financing for flood plain areas. Although there is a section of this parcel outside of the 100- and 500-year floodplain (based on the 2009 FEMA maps), old documents discovered in a Girdwood crawlspace dating to 1969 show the entire south townsite under the flood plain. The municipal hydrologist discussed rivers changing course and direction as a common theme, and this section of land may be safe for the time being, but uncertain in the long term.

This means that going up valley to higher elevations is the most realistic and plausible location for long-term community expansion. Given this new information, Girdwood Community Land Trust is still interested in pursuing South Townsite as an area for arts, culture, temporary uses (non-permanent structures, such as yurts) and expansion of park areas.

What is next:

Girdwood needs more housing, especially workforce and affordable housing. Girdwood Inc would like to see a plan come forward that can be supported by our community and incorporates needs which have already been identified as well as thinking about growth into the future and appropriate conservation. Girdwood Community Land Trust, as a Girdwood Inc sponsored organization, has already been working on possible housing solutions. A presentation was given at January’s Land Use Meeting and included in the GBOS packet. Girdwood Inc is in support of Girdwood Community Land Trust’s vision of “community-led, community-owned development.”

Girdwood Community Land Trust is planning a Girdwood Housing Solutions Brainstorm and Social on March 11, 2023. The event begins at 6:00 PM in the Girdwood Community Room. Mocktails and appetizers will be provided. More details are available at www.girdwoodlandtrust.org. Those who are interested in providing input, ideas, suggestions or interested in engaging on Girdwood housing matters are encouraged to attend.

Housing Power for Girdwood Valley Service Area (GVSA) Ballot Measure:

We are approaching the April Anchorage municipal election and ballots will be mailed to voters in late March.  This coming election is especially important to Girdwood because there is an initiative to establish a Girdwood Housing Power within the service area. This ballot item will be for Girdwood voters only.

A little background: Girdwood is unique across Anchorage for managing many of our own local services.  This came about because we are so physically separated from the rest of Anchorage.  Under direction of the elected Girdwood Board of Supervisors (GBOS), we have provided our own Fire, Roads, Parks & Recreation services for decades. In 2015, we voted to add a power to allow GVSA tax dollars to be spent on a Cemetery. Additionally, most of us remember the very close local vote in 2016 to provide police as a power of GVSA after the Alaska State Troopers left.

This Girdwood Housing power would be most like our existing Cemetery power. It provides the Girdwood Valley Service Area (GVSA) the ability to apply for grants, accept funds from other parts of the Municipal government, and use local property taxes to develop specific housing policies. For example, GVSA can hire and direct mountain resort housing experts, rather than through a contract written by other Municipal departments such as Planning. It also allows the GVSA to manage Municipal land, in the same way as Girdwood already manages land for its parks, roads and drainage services.

The upcoming 2023 Anchorage Municipal ballot will also have the typical mix of Assembly, School Board and GBOS elections, bond measures (most of which are not paid for by Girdwood property owners), and several ballot measures including a $25,000 increase in residential property tax exemption.  Municipal vote-by-mail ballots will appear in our PO Boxes in late March.

Girdwood residents numbered over 100 at the Anchorage Assembly meeting of December 6^th. This was despite the blizzard occurring outside and what would become the beginning of 3 storms nicknamed “Snowmageddon.” The range of testifiers spanned a vast demographic from young adults to retirees, service workers to credentialed professionals. The vast majority spoke in favor of development but voiced unease that the Holtan Hills project, as currently envisioned, would help the Girdwood housing crisis. Many residents held signs that said, “Listen to Girdwood” and “Public land should equal public benefit.” The testimony went late into the evening and was postponed to a special meeting regarding this agenda item only.

Just five days prior to the December 6^th public hearing, a new substitute version (or S-version) was put forward for the ordinance, which outlines the disposal of the 3 large tracts. The most substantial change was an addition of a lot to be reserved for Girdwood. It reads, “One multi-family lot to be drawn from HLB’s portion of profits will be designated for future disposal to a Girdwood housing authority, if and only if a housing authority entity is established which can legally receive and own property, and if and only if the housing authority is established within five years of this disposal. Otherwise, the multi-family lot reverts to Heritage Land Bank ownership.” It is important to note that Girdwood does not have a Housing Authority, nor does the Municipality of Anchorage have one.

At the special meeting held December 13^th, hours of testimony continued to express concerns about the project. Examples included questions regarding the fiscal burden the municipality is taking on via the joint venture, developers competing against the municipality, process missteps, lack of affordable housing and proper planning, among others. The meeting went nearly 4 hours long and once again, not even historic snowfall occurring outside would stop Girdwood residents from coming to testify.

In final comments of the Special Meeting Assemblymember Forrest Dunbar stated, “I want to thank the folks that testified today and earlier. Despite the obvious passion that people brought, it was incredibly respectful and substantive public testimony. One of the best I’ve encountered on this body and in almost seven years. I really appreciate the specifics that a number of folks in the community came forward with.” Dunbar has since resigned from the Anchorage Assembly and is now representing District J, East Anchorage in the State Senate. He has since been replaced by Assemblymember Joey Sweet.

On December 20^th, a new substitute S-1 version was introduced by Assemblymember Meg Zaletel. In reference to the community lot (1 lot out of 52 lots), the ordinance had been amended to: “At least one multi-family lot for the development of at least 8 units to be drawn from HLB’s portion of profits will be designated for future disposal to a Girdwood housing trust or non-profit entity for the purposes of developing community housing for residents, if and only if a housing trust or entity is established which can legally receive and own property, and if and only if the housing trust or entity is established within five years of the recording of the plat for Phase I of Holtan Hills Subdivision entitlements being complete on the parcels. Otherwise, the multi-family lot reverts to Heritage Land Bank ownership;”

Anchorage Assemblymembers came to Girdwood for an in-person and hybrid worksession held at the Gerrish Library Community Room on January 6^th. Girdwood Board of Supervisors Mike Edgington and Jennifer Wingard explained the concerns regarding the project, disposal, and the S-1. Emma Kramer represented the Holtan Hills Housing Advisory Committee. Ms. Zaletel asked questions about the community lot to Adam Trombley, Mayor Bronson’s Chief of Staff and lead for the Holtan Hills project. It was clarified that the community lot would only be transferred to a local entity if Phase I produced a profit and not until all other lots had been sold. Chris Constant encouraged the transfer to be noted on the title, rather than only in the ordinance. Even though no participation from the public was allowed at the worksession, many Girdwood residents attended and listened in on the discussion.

At the January 10^th Assembly Meeting, the agenda item was postponed until February 7^th. This meeting marked Assemblymember Jamie Allard’s last meeting, as she moves to represent District 23 Eagle River in the State House. Her seat has since been filled by Assemblymember Robin Dern.

On January 16^th, Girdwood Board of Supervisors passed a Resolution stating “WHEREAS, in its current unamended form GBOS determined by a vote of 5-0 that the S-1 does not provide adequate guarantees that the core needs for community housing in Girdwood will be advanced by this project;” and requested the disposal “be postponed until adoption of the 2023 updated Girdwood Area Plan.”

With two new Assemblymembers becoming appointed in the last month, we encourage those to reach out to Mr. Joey Sweet and Ms. Robin Dern, who may have missed out on hearing the Girdwood community testify, or previous emails sent out.

Girdwood Inc continues to follow this historic land disposal and will continue to provide updates, summaries, and links to more information on our website. Additional links and videos below.

January 6, 2023​​ – Worksession No. 3 re Holtan Hills, AO 2022-103 Competitive Disposal of HLB Parcels to CY Investments

• ​AO 2022-103(S)​
• AO 2022-103(S-1)
• 2022-103(S-1) -​ FA 1
• A​M 30-2023
• HH Powerpoint 23.01​.06

Girdwood Inc Newsletter – Issue V

Welcome to Issue V of the Girdwood Inc Newsletter! We would like to express thanks to the many members of the community who sent in letters of support for the Girdwood Workforce Childcare Project to assembly. We are very excited that these efforts have merited a $1.6 million dollar grant from the Municipality of Anchorage’s American Rescue Plan Act funds. Our assembly members, Suzanne LaFrance and Randy Sulte together brought an amendment for $100,000 of the funds to be made available right away for predevelopment work. The remaining $1.5 million will require a match. We will continue to pursue the goal of developing a new and safe childcare facility in the Girdwood valley. If you are interested in donating toward the building, please reach out to Girdwood Inc or Little Bears Playhouse at the information below. If any family, foundation or corporate sponsor brings a $1 million+ donation, they will be given naming rights for the building, which will be a legacy staple in the community for decades to come. We look forward to bringing you additional information on this project as it progresses.

Community Champion: Joan Lower

Joan Lower has called Girdwood home since 1979. She is currently the Little Bears Playhouse President and has served on the board since her children were Little Bears themselves, in the early 90s.

Joan earned a B.S. in Elementary Education from Louisiana State University and a Master of Education from University of New Orleans. She married her husband Jim in 1980 and together raised 3 children in Girdwood. Joan taught for several years in New Orleans and Anchorage before teaching for 31 years at Girdwood School Elementary. The last 21 years were spent as Girdwood’s Kindergarten teacher.

Joan works as the Event Coordinator for Our Lady of the Snows, where she books and manages weddings, receptions, and more. She enjoys working in her flower garden and her 2 pet pigeons, one of whom loves to photobomb zoom meetings.

It has always been her dream to see Little Bears Playhouse operate out of a modern, state-of-the-art building, with ample space to accommodate the need for childcare and early childhood education in our community. “Thanks to the efforts of many community members, that dream is in reach!”

Holtan Hills: Holtan Hills continues to be the largest matter facing our community. The Girdwood Board of Supervisors’ Holtan Hills Housing Advisory Committee (HHHAC) has held regular meetings in hopes of negotiating a development which can help address some of Girdwood’s needs and concerns regarding the project.

The HHHAC meetings have resulted in two important documents. One, is a list of concerns and questions discussed at previous meetings or written comments. The questions submitted to Girdwood Inc from the July 19^th Assembly Member Listening Session were included and provided to the committee and relevant entity to respond. The committee has also created a document with specific requests to amend the development agreement. The committee intends to meet with developers and Heritage Land Bank on September 21^st at 4:00 PM to discuss their response to these requests.

The following day, September 22, Heritage Land Bank has the disposal under “Proposed Action Items and Public Hearings” on their agenda. “HLBAC Resolution 2022-09: A resolution recommending approval of the competitive disposal of portions of HLB Parcels 6-011, 6-016, and 6-017, legally described as Tract I Prince Addition Alyeska Subdivision (Plat 87-131)(PID 075-311-04-000), Tract B Girdwood Elementary School Subdivision (Plat 85-38)(PID 075-031-32-000), and Tract 9A Section 9 Township 10 North Range 2 East (Plat 73-220)(PID 075-041-31-000), to CY Investments as described in the Development Agreement between the developer and the Municipality of Anchorage dated April 29, 2022, and amend the HLB 2021 Annual Work Program.”

“Community members are strongly urged to provide testimony. Anyone wishing to provide public testimony via telephone or Teams must email hlb@anchorageak.gov by 5:00 pm the day before the meeting. Please provide your name, phone number, and agenda item number/title for which you wish to provide testimony. The subject line should read “HLBAC Testimony.” All members of the public shall be muted until called on to testify.”

You can participate in person or online. If you are unable to attend, but want to express your thoughts to the HLB staff and commissioners, you can send an email to hlb@anchorageak.gov before Friday 9/16/2022 5:00 PM and ask that it is included in the commissioner’s packet.

These next few months will be very important to the future of this project. Before land can be disposed of, it will be voted on by the Heritage Land Bank Advisory Committee and must be approved by a positive vote at Anchorage Assembly. Make sure to follow Girdwood Inc Facebook page and website for important dates and meetings regarding this project.

Community Spotlight: A message from Gerrish Library and Community Room Boosters

“Girdwood is grappling with many issues right now and Gerrish Library is no exception. Recently Jamie White, Gerrish’s librarian and branch manager, took a position in Washington creating a vacancy. It came to our attention that the municipality intends to fill that position without meeting established standards and minimum requirements of a Master of Library Science degree (MLS). The position will be downgraded to more entry level requirements (BA and some experience). The Gerrish Library Boosters strongly oppose this move.

To the administration, an MLS means money, and the downgrade of Gerrish library manager is a money-saving move. For us, we see this as a threat to the vitality of the library and the community.

The library is a public manifestation and demonstration of what a local government can do. It is here for all of us. For most of us in Girdwood, the library is the center, the heart and soul of the community. It is dynamic and interactive. Our librarians are a pathway and funnel of knowledge, commitment, and services that help us thrive and enrich us. A librarian with an MLS brings this knowledge to the job.

We wish to keep Gerrish Library dynamic. Using the library is the best way to support the library. And providing a professional and qualified librarian is the best way Gerrish Library can serve the community.”

We hope you have been enjoying our newsletters and find them helpful in keeping the community informed on important matters. Until next time!

Donate toward Girdwood Workforce Childcare Project Building
Girdwood Inc: PO Box 1102 Girdwood, AK 99587
Email: girdwoodinc99587@gmail.com
Little Bears Playhouse: PO Box 350 Girdwood, AK 99587
littlebearsplayhouse@gmail.com

Attend HLB Meeting Online: (MUST SIGN UP IN ADVANCE TO SPEAK BEFORE 9/21/2022 AT 5:00 PM – SEE DETAILS ABOVE)

To join via Microsoft Teams click this link to enter the meeting.

To join via telephone call 907-519-0237 and use conference ID 958 050 080#

Or join in-person at the Permit & Development Center, Training Room, 4700 Elmore Road, Anchorage, Alaska 99507