Girdwood Area Plan Review Committee
Minutes---Regular Meeting
Meadows Community Hall
July 11, 2006

Call to Order
Chair Tom Yeager called the meeting to order at 7:10 pm.  Kate Sandberg, Secretary, took minutes.  Others in attendance: Kevin McDermott, John Gallup, Deb Essex, Keith Essex, Carolyn Brodin, Shirley Durtschi, Alison Vail, Patty Montague, and Diana Stone Livingston.

Approval of Minutes
The June 8, 2006, minutes were approved and will be posted on the Anchorage Borough Federation of Community Councils web site.

Municipal Support of GAP Review Process
A.  Tom reported that Rosey Fletcher’s discussions with the Municipality have resulted in financial and planning support from the Municipality.  Mary Jane Michael, Executive Director of Office of Economic and Community Development, will fund $2500 for the survey, and Linda Brooks, Municipal Planner, is assigned to help the Committee through the process.   Linda Brooks and Tom Nelson, Director of Planning, will be able to help us in September. Tom Yeager said that Nelson is quite supportive of GAP reevaluation process.

B.  Tom announced that Mayor Begich intends to hold a Girdwood town hall meeting in September. It would be wise to publicize the survey at that meeting and send out the survey after that.

Publicity
John Gallup, GBOS Chair, will write an article for the Turnagain Times about the GAP Revision Committee and its progress.

Community Survey
It was reiterated how important it is to word the 2006 survey as close to the1993 GAP survey as possible.  Tom Yeager has a copy of the 1993 survey that will be the model for the 2006 one. Kate will scan the 1993 survey, and Tom will send it electronically to committee members.

Survey Content
The Committee decided:
•	There will be an explanation at the top of the survey, much like the January 1993 one. The explanation will include the purpose of the survey, directions to filling out only one survey, and where to download a pdf of the survey for other members of the household. 

•	Questions 1-4 will remain the same.  These ask the respondent’s main affiliation to the Girdwood area, workplace, what he or she likes best about Girdwood, and what is the most important problem in Girdwood today.

•	Questions 5-8 will be changed to:
5.  Do you have (circle one) 1) favorable, 2) unfavorable, or 3) mixed feelings about proposals to expand resort development in the upper Girdwood valley? Why?

6.  Do you have (circle one) 1) favorable, 2) unfavorable, or 3) mixed feelings about proposals to expand commercial development in the Girdwood valley? Why?

7. Do you have (circle one) 1) favorable, 2) unfavorable, or 3) mixed feelings about proposals to expand residential development in the Girdwood valley? Why?

8. Do you have (circle one) 1) favorable, 2) unfavorable, or 3) mixed feelings about proposals to expand recreational development in the Girdwood valley? Why?

9.  What are Girdwood’s most important transportation issues?  What should be done to solve these issues?

•	Question 9 of the 1993 survey will become #10, Did you attend Mayor Begich’s Girdwood Town Meeting this fall?

•	Questions 10-12 of the 1993 survey will remain the same and be renumbered to 11-13.

•	A new question 14 added:  How long have you lived either part-time or full-time in the Girdwood valley?
Circle one: Less than one year   1-5    6-10   11-15    16-20   20+

•	There will be a note to attach another sheet for additional responses if necessary.

Survey Process
•	It was decided that:
1.  A return rate in 1993 of 14% is far too low and that every effort should be made to increase the rate of return.

2.  An online survey is too expensive. Deb Essex found that it is approximately $10,000.  However, a pdf of the survey can be posted on the GBOS site.

3.  The Committee wants as many people as possible with ties to the valley to fill out the questionnaire: full-time residents, part-time residents, box holders, property owners, transient renters, future property owners, students and grown children with ties to the valley.

•	Still up for discussion:
1.  Should stacks of surveys be left in places of business, library, and the post office?

2.  Who should analyze the data? Shirley mentioned that UAA’s ISER (Institute for Social and Economic Research) does analysis for communities.

3.  How should we publicize the survey for maximum participation?

Discussion of Chapter 9, Transportation 
Many of the recommendations have been accomplished in this chapter of the Plan.  However, the following items need to be reviewed:
•	Traffic levels on Alyeska Highway and Seward Highway

•	New Girdwood Access Road

•	Traffic Calming on Alyeska Highway

•	Proposed Crow Creek-Alberg Connector

•	Traffic patterns/modes between Alyeska Hotel & possible new resort area

•	Vastly increased airport take-offs and landings, particularly helicopters

•	Maps and tables

Discussion of Chapter 10, Implementation
It was agreed that hardly any of the items on Table 12 Implementation Schedule (page 98) have been accomplished.  The exceptions are the first two items under Zoning, “Revise District Regulations” and “ Revise District Zoning Boundaries.” It was noted that the Municipality created this table, and it might have been too hopeful.  This table needs to be reevaluated.

The section, “Public Lands Disposal,” needs to be revised too.

Determination of Issues for Next Meeting
It was agreed that next meeting’s agenda will focus on John Gallup’s article and revision of the survey draft.  

Other Issues
Tom Yeager commented that he disagrees with the new Municipal timelines for reevaluation of area plans--every 10 years and revisions every 20 years. These seem too long to him.

He also commented that it is time for Assembly members, Shamberg and Birch, to become aware of our activities.  It is assumed that Shamberg will be at the GBOS meeting this month, and John invited Tom to speak then about the committee and its progress. Tom will talk to Shamberg at that time.

Tom also advocated, and the committee agreed, for a community educational component as this Plan is revised. Workshops, presentations, and other mechanisms were mentioned to educate the community on the issues and possible solutions as we make decisions.

Keith Essex resigned as Vice Chair. He will continue to participate as much as possible. John Gallup volunteered to be considered when the subject of a replacement is considered at the next meeting. 

Next Meeting
The next meeting will be Monday, August 14, 7-9 p.m. Kate will try to reserve the Meadows Community Hall.

Meeting was adjourned at 9:00 p.m.