Girdwood Area Plan Review Committee
Minutes---Regular Meeting
Meadows Community Hall
February 20, 2007

Call to Order
Chair Tom Yeager called the meeting to order at 7:05 pm.  Kate Sandberg, Secretary, took minutes.  Others in attendance: Deb Essex, Terry Mercurio, Carolyn Brodin, Phil Livingston, Diana Livingston, Larry Daniels, John Gallup, and Cathy Frost.

Approval of Minutes
The minutes from January 22, 2007, were approved without modification.

Report from the Chair
Tom reported that
·	The Girdwood 20/20 Banquet was a very successful and well attended event. John Byrne and Lisa Murkowski both spoke.  At the event, Mary Jane Michael, MOA Executive Director of Economic and Community Development, said that the Master Plan for the upper valley is on hold while the new Resort owners gather information and formulate their own plans.

·	During a side bar conversation after her speech, Mary Jane Michael also indicated that there should be some way to better coordinate the many plans and studies of Girdwood currently being done.  This will be discussed in more detail later in the meeting.

·	The GAP Survey of Girdwood property owners and mailbox holders is out. 

·	Robin Ward, HLB Director, has resigned to join CIRI.  A replacement for Robin has not yet been announced

Community Survey
A. Survey Results—The MOA Planning Department has mailed the GAP survey.  In order to replicate the methodology of the 1993 Survey, only one Survey per household was mailed. Concern was expressed that the envelope was not clearly marked as the “Girdwood Survey” and that some people may not open it and respond. 

The survey return deadline is March 15.  John mentioned that a 10% return or better (100+) will be a good return. Linda Brooks of Planning has made arrangements for tabulation of the Survey. Kate will ask Tom Nelson, MOA Director of Planning, if we can keep the raw surveys that are returned and tabulated. She will also ask Tom to attend the next GAP meeting.

The GAP Committee likes the survey format, and the answers should complement well the Girdwood 20/20 survey. Patterns should emerge when both are analyzed.

B.  Coordination of Planning Efforts—There are numerous MOA studies and plans about Girdwood’s future.  The Master Plan for the Upper Girdwood Valley is on hold until Alyeska Resort Management Company (ARMCO) publishes its Master Plan for Resort development this coming September. This plan will then go out for community feedback. 

The MOA plans and studies fall under Mary Jane Michael’s office and should be reflected in the Girdwood Area Plan Review.  Coordination appears necessary.

C.  Future Functions—Members agreed that a Girdwood-wide public meeting to announce the survey results and to listen to ARMCO leaders would be wise. It is expected that Resort management would be able to address their process for creating their Master Plan., not necessarily what the plan will contain.  Questions/answers would follow.  An April meeting is planned.

D.  GAP Rewrite—If necessary, it is presumed that MOA Planning Department will rewrite sections of the GAP.  These rewrites will be based, in part, on survey results and changed circumstances from 1993.  Based on previous comments from Mayor Begich, it   is expected he will be supportive of this effort.

Date for Next Meeting
Next meeting’s date will be announced after the survey results have been tabulated. Kate will ask Tom Nelson and Linda Brooks to attend.

Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at approximately 8:30 pm.