Opinion: ‘Girdwood’ missing in Assembly’s view of our Comprehensive Plan

By Brian Burnett

Girdwood Resident

“It is so unfortunate that where once we spent hours agonizing over what trees needed to remain to protect Stumpy’s Trail or Enchanted Forest, we will now be agonizing over whether the road there should be paved or gravel.” – Girdwood Wanderer

Being a part of Anchorage has never been smooth; from 1977 when over 80% of Girdwood did NOT vote in favor to join the Municipality to when Anchorage voters declined to bond a local cemetery that over 80% of Girdwood voters approved to self-fund. However, we have carved out a great place to live and we are in the process of mapping out the future of Girdwood for all of us living here and all of Anchorage that comes here to recreate. Regardless of set backs, we continue to move forward and drive events and actions to be the community we all want to live in. We are now putting forward a new comprehensive plan for our community. We have rolled up our collective sleeves to engage the community in the multi-yearprocess of achieving a vision for G’wood. This effort is no different than Forest Fair, the community playground, GVFD and the fire station, or the Scott & Wesley Gerrish Library. Girdwood works together to build solutions regardless of support from Anchorage.

The Anchorage Assembly recently debated and took action on the complex issues surrounding the Eklutna River. The outcomes were driven by what the public wants; they looked at the direct input and proposed a path forward. Chris Constant stated that they “take seriously our responsibility to make informed decisions that reflect the will of the people”.

Unfortunately, the Anchorage Assembly is not following the same protocol in reviewing and approving the Girdwood Comprehensive Plan

Girdwood Comprehensive Plan (GCP) is a holistic and genuine effort by the residents of Girdwood. The new GCP will replace the 1995 Girdwood Area Plan. Over 40% of our residents have contributed to the GCP; participating in surveys, work sessions, town halls, and publicly noticed meetings. This plan represents a multi-year effort with thousands of hours of volunteer time that produced the GCP - S Version draft being considered by the Anchorage Assembly in January.

The Girdwood Board of Supervisors has resolved that the GCP represents a thoroughly considered and coherent vision from the broad community for how the growth of Girdwood should be managed. The GCP expresses a set of policies, goals and implementation actions consistent with the community vision, a land use plan and our priorities.

The complex issues of envisioning growth & development in Girdwood have challenged us, in a good way, to bring best ideas & practices forward, charting a path, and taking action to enhance our community for decades to come.

The GCP details Girdwood as a livable community with a resort, not merely a "Resort Town". The plan reinforces Girdwood's identity as an outdoor recreation community, shifting from a historically resort-centric perspective to emphasize broader economic diversification and livability for its residents.

• GCP is Pro- Housing: Prioritizes community housing, emphasizing better utilization of existing stock and planning for "low impact" and "mixed impact" residential development.

• GCP is Pro-Economic Development: Aims to expand beyond tourism to include diverse economic opportunities.

• GCP is Pro-Recreation and Tourism: Plans for sustainable development to enhance both local recreation and tourism appeal. The GCP incorporates the approved Girdwood Trails Plan.

• GCP Transportation Goals: Encourages multi-modal connectivity for a more integrated and accessible community.

• GCP Environmental Sustainability Goals: Highlights the local environment as a core economic and cultural asset to be preserved.

• GCP Land Use Planning: Allocates approximately 500 acres for future housing and commercial needs, simplifying zoning categories to integrate mixed-use development.

Photos courtesy of Brian Burnett.

The GCP focuses on shaping the community's future while balancing growth, sustainability, and maintaining its unique character.

Recommendations from the Planning & Zoning Commission, that change land use designations in critical recreation areas conflict with the S Version of the GCP and contrary to public interest, the parcels of public land to the North of the Girdwood Airport (HLB parcel 6-011) and the land South of Timberline Drive. This is public land that the residents of Girdwood have identified for recreational opportunities, not to be commercially developed. Keeping this public land designated for recreational pursuits will act as an economic driver, improve life in the community and be consistent with our identity as an outdoor recreation community.

The approval (by the Planning & Zoning Commission) of the Pomeroy Master Plan for Alyeska Resort has complicated our efforts to get our GCP approved. Pomeroy accelerated their efforts to complete and submit their Plan before P&Z could review our Plan. They beat us to the commission by a couple of weeks allowing the Pomeroy Master Plan to be approvedunder the 1995 Girdwood Area Plan policies, with all parties acknowledging there were direct, substantial conflicts with the GCP.

The GCP was created through extensive community process by GirdwoodResidents. The Pomeroy Alyeska Master Plan was put together by a group that doesn’t even live here; they won’t be raising families here, putting their kids through schools here, or retiring here. Pomeroy is a foreign corporation that exists solely to make money; create value for their shareholders. They may say they have the community’s best interest in mind, but they are in it solely to make money. They claim to have considered community input but they surely don’t listen to our input. If they really wanted community input they would not have fired or pushed out every Alaskan that worked the executive ranks of the Resort. The Alyeska that I grew up with was not only the largest employer in the Girdwood Valley, they were also the largest employer of Girdwood residents. They still are the largest employer in the Girdwood Valley, but they are no longer the largest employer of Girdwood residents. I find it troubling that the Anchorage Assembly and the Planning & Zoning Commission are prioritizing the potential profits of a foreign corporation over the prosperity of our community as envisioned by the residents and business owners of Girdwood

When the GCP went before the Planning & Zoning commission, they switched the designation of parcel 6-011 stating the “property owner has approved development plans & designating it Open Space would be detrimental to the public interest and community welfare of Girdwood.”

• The property owner is the Public. Currently, the parcel remains in HLB inventory. The HLB Advisory Commission voted (Feb. 2024) to hold off on any further action on this land until the GCP has been approved by the Anchorage Assembly.

• It is a developable parcel, but it is the 2nd most expensive, of the 11 parcels, in Girdwood, listed to develop as mentioned in Heritage Land Bank’s report, which ranks it low on suitability for development. In our Comprehensive Plan, we designated expensive parcels as Open Space to accurately focus on more affordable areas for residential development to ensure Girdwood remains a viable community to live and raise a family. That is what is best for our welfare.

• The pulse gondola proposed to run from Glacier Creek Village will be an additional $4 million to $8 million of development costs. How will that impact their ability to sell houses at below market rate?

• Development in Parcel 6-011 will forever negatively impact future trails and recreational opportunities such as Long Trail, Winner Creek, and multi season, multi use trails in & around Girdwood

• The access road into Glacier Creek Village will cut off access to upper valley trails from Moose Meadows.

• The approved Girdwood Trails Plan has this parcel as the nexus of Girdwood’s trail system. This area has the only easy-to-find trailhead parking lot in Girdwood and it is easily accessible forlocals & hotel guests. It includes plans for both the Forest Loop trail and for a trail along Glacier Creek that will create a stunning loop with the popular Winner Creek trail. Parcel 6-011is unique in that it is a dry upland. This is important in that it allows for the development of sustainable all-season multi use trails. Without this parcel as Open Space, there will be no new summer trails built in the upper valley, as the surrounding area is all wetland meadows.

Pomeroy Master Plan details proposed trails (copied from the Girdwood Trails Plan) that they have no intention of building. Pomeroy details a proposed Nordic Center that they have no intention of building. Pomeroy had zero engagement with the community in any aspect of the Girdwood Trails Plan

The proposal put forth by Pomeroy Development for “Affordable Housing” is circumspect, at best. This company has no experience building or managing affordable or income adjusted housing. There is no plan in place (or in the pipeline) for such housing. Pomeroy officials have stated that development in this parcel is at least 5 to 7 years out.

I cannot understand how we will rationalize, in 50 years, why we granted a foreign company, with zero experience, access and development rights to 72 acres of the best land in Girdwood.

This plan is a once per generation opportunity to provide a big picture outlook into how Girdwood can and should develop as a community.

Ultimately, the policy direction of the Girdwood Comprehensive Plan should reflect the will of Girdwood residents. We will bear the financial, social and environmental benifits of the GCP into the future.

(Photos courtesy of Brian Burnett)