Anchorage Commission ignores community, votes for Resort Development

By Soren Wuerth

TNews Editor

Voting unanimously, the Anchorage Planning and Zoning commission dismissed on Monday a hard-fought local decision denying Alyeska Resort a housing development it had proposed in Girdwood's undisturbed upper valley. 

The expansion of the Resort into public land is allowed under the nearly 30-year-old Girdwood Area Plan. But a new comprehensive plan ascribes land in the upper valley as "open space", which would disallow development. 

Following years of public discussion, that plan has been sent to the Anchorage Planning Department for approval and is on the docket for discussion by the Planning and Zoning Commission July 15.

Since the 1995 Girdwood Area Plan is still, legally, in force, the Resorts expansion plan meets the criteria for municipal zoning. Meanwhile, the planning department may not approve the new comprehensive plan "in the form it was submitted" regardless, the head of the planning department told the commission. 

The area planned for development adjacent to Alyeska Resort. Voting unanimously, the Anchorage Planning and Zoning commission dismissed on Monday a hard-fought local decision denying Alyeska Resort a housing development it had proposed in Girdwood's undisturbed upper valley. (File photo)

Weeks earlier, Girdwood Land Use Committee voted 22-2 to exclude development of a subdivision between Alyeska Resort and Glacier Creek. The Girdwood Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 to rescind that move, then, days later, reconsidered and voted 3-2 to support the earlier land use decision rejecting Glacier Creek development.

Community members supported other phases of Alyeska's plans, such as increased housing near the hotel, a childcare center, a recreational center, and pool, but many said the intrusion into a popular hiking and cross-country ski area goes too far. 

Comments on the new comprehensive plan overwhelming call for the area the Resort wants to develop to be designated as open space.

But Willam Laurie, a development manager for Pomeroy, has said without about 100 acres of municipal land, Pomeroy Lodging, which owns the resort, can't finance other phases of its master plan.

"Arguably, these are some of the most developable lands in Girdwood right now," Laurie told members of the planning commission. 

Laurie said the plan was "underwritten as one project."

"A lot of what is realized in terms of financial benefit doesn't come until the later phases," Laurie said. "We haven't dealt with what the alternative would be if Glacier Creek wasn't approved, but it would change things."

When asked how Girdwood residents could have priority housing given federal fair housing rules, Laurie said preferential housing is common "everywhere". 

"Essentially this could act as a lottery system when you qualify for the program. That is the furthest phase out. That is, in the best case scenario, five to seven years out from the start of construction," he said. "There would be a lot of legal hoops to jump through, but we're a luxury resort in a very remote town, we're good at figuring things out, we have a lot of time to do it, and there is a lot of precedence from other resort towns in the Lower 48 and in Canada to set up a program like this."

Following Laurie's presentation, Girdwood resident and newly-elected GBOS member Brian Burnett spoke about the conflict between the Pomeroy's goals and the community's goals for the upper valley, saying, "public land should be used for public good." 

He said planning and trail development in the upper valley has been 17 years in the making. 

"That's how the 5K trail was built. Additional trails have been proposed in that land since 2013 and I know the Girdwood Nordic Ski Club has spent considerable money designing trails for that particular land."

Another GBOS member, Mike Edgington, also testified and, like Burnett, said he was speaking as a member of the public and not on behalf of the local board.  

Edgington said the new development would double traffic to the resort, to 800 vehicles per hour. 

"I still think that's within the capacity of the roads, but it is quite a significant increase," Edgington said.

Edgington said approval of Pomeroy's plan would "lock in decisions made 30 years ago for at least the next 10 years," should interpretations of code by the city's planning department be enacted.

Edgington said more than 900 people were actively involved in the recent community plan. 

"We're now in a situation where the proposal is being tied to the 1995 plan and you're literally going to be having a public hearing in less than 50 days on a replacement, a replacement we've been working on for seven or eight years," Edgington said. 

"The Resort [was] aware of these changes, the timing is perhaps very coincidental that it's just a few weeks before the hearing on the comprehensive plan update," he said.

Laurie, speaking later, said disagreement among GBOS members, the board's switched decision, indicates the board "knows [Pomeroy's] intentions are good."

"But it's sometimes tough to see change. We realize the area is wanted for open space by a large amount of the community. But there's also a large amount of the community that needs housing," he said.

Commissioner Greg Strike acknowledged, before voting, the board's vote would be based on an out-dated plan. 

"The two parties aren't talking," Strike said. "... I'm still seeing a direct conflict. We've got a new comprehensive plan. My reluctance in moving forward is I'm inclined to say I want to see a postponement until after we see a [new] comprehensive plan." 

Laurie responded, "what's been proposed by the comp plan is great but what we are working with right now is the current plan."

"Waiting on [the current plan to be approved] could take more time and Girdwood needs housing now with workforce housing and future housing," he said.

Heritage Land Bank, which is the city's manager of the land, supports Pomeroy's subdivision plan in the upper valley, said its director, Tiffany Briggs.

Another commission, Jared Gardner, said, "part of what makes me feel better about resolving that tension is the fact that when we get to phase four, however many years down the road that is, there will be a public process to review the development master plan associated with that."

Despite apprehensions about approving Alyeska Resort's master plan under a 30-year-old Girdwood comprehensive plan, the board voted unanimously in favor.

"This Heritage Land Bank land is all of our land," said Gardner. "...The hope is that [the Glacier Creek] has a future use beyond being locked up by the government like all of the federal and state uses around us."

"It's interesting to watch this parcel be disposed of so seamlessly after watching for years another parcel nearby from Heritage Land Bank go through a rather arduous process," Gardner said, referring to the controversial"Holtan Hills" land disposal passed by the Anchorage Assembly Feb. 23.

"Hundreds of very passionate individuals shared their opinions on housing in Girdwood and I don't see any of them, for the most part, engaged in the process here tonight. So, maybe that's a testament to Pomeroy. I don't know. Maybe it's a fatigue from the argument, or maybe they're just saving their powder for the [Anchorage] Assembly," Gardner said.