Hillside District Plan Workshop Series I

The first workshop series of the Hillside District Plan was a great success. We extend our thanks to the nearly 250 people who came to the workshops to learn more about the Plan and to express their views about the future of the Hillside.

Workshop Mailer (1,139 KB)

Workshop Presentation (798 KB)

Workshop Summary (141 KB)

Next Steps

Much was learned at the workshops about important Hillside issues and community goals. Here are some highlights:

Land Use

• Maintain the rural character of the upper Hillside and define the specific qualities that create this character.
• Recognize the diversity of the Hillside District. For example, while both areas will be addressed in the Hillside plan, upper Potter Valley is very different from the developed areas along Lake Otis.
• Better define the infrastructure needs associated with existing development and expected growth. Ensure needed infrastructure is in place prior to new growth.
• Improve the process for reviewing and approving proposed new development projects and the process for enforcing conditions for project approval.
• Explore options for retaining open space corridors as private land is developed, for drainage, wildlife and trails.

Transportation

• Improve safety of roads for vehicles, bikes and pedestrians, particularly around schools.
• Reduce congestion and improve emergency access. One specific need is a connection off southern Goldenview down to the Seward Highway.
• Find ways to improve roadway connectivity, but not at the cost of neighborhood quality.
• Develop road design standards that maintain neighborhood character with slower design speeds and narrower road widths. Avoid excessive vegetation clearing when developing roads.
• Explore options to pay for the costs of upgrading existing roads and, where needed, new roads.
• Walking, hiking, cross-country skiing are all very important activities on the Hillside. Develop a system of trails that links neighborhoods and connects to open space, schools, shopping areas, and access points to Chugach State Park.

Drainage

• Improve drainage along roads - glaciation is a frequent problem.
• "Water runs downhill." Improve the site development process to avoid creating drainage problems for downhill neighbors, as has too often been the case in the past. "New development should not create new problems, and drainage solutions should not end at development boundaries."
• Modify the process for approving subdivision, so drainage issues are addressed before lots are platted.
• Explore options for developing community-scale drainage solutions. Consider managing drainage issues on a watershed basis.
• Preserve natural drainage-ways, reduce land clearing and retain natural vegetation to mitigate drainage problems.

Onsite water and wastewater

• Protect the quality of groundwater sources. Many people who use on-site wells made the point of emphasizing that their wells currently work very well and are entirely satisfactory.
• Explore new options for innovative neighborhood-based wastewater systems.
• Evaluate the local and cumulative impact of the reliance on on-site wastewater disposal. In many areas existing systems are working well; in some areas, particularly where lots are smaller than would be allowed under current standards, on-site systems are less successful.

Public water and sewer

• Overall, Hillside residents enjoy the Hillside’s rural environment as it exists today, and do not want that to change significantly. Expanded community water and sewer is seen by many as a threat to the Hillside’s rural character.
• Ensure that any extension of public water and sewer service responds to development rather than drives development.
• More information is needed regarding the obligations to connect to public water and sewer systems, if such systems are extended into new areas. Rules concerning terms under which connection can occur are not well understood. There is widespread concern about the cost of being required to connect to community water and sewer.

We're still learning a lot about the Hillside and the issues that the HDP will have to address. For more detail about what we've heard to date, check out the Summary of Public Commentary (193 KB).

The Hillside District Plan

The goal of the Hillside District Plan (HDP) is to establish sound public policy that reflects the vision of residents and landowners for future Hillside growth. The plan will address specific issues such as residential densities, water and sewer service, drainage, roads, trails and open space. The Hillside District Plan will provide more specificity for land use and public services than what is outlined in the Anchorage 2020 Comprehensive Plan. It will also replace the Hillside Wastewater Management Plan.  

MWH, an engineering and planning firm with offices in Anchorage, is the lead project consultant. Agnew::Beck, Koonce Pfeffer Bettis, and Blue Skies Solutions are members of the lead consultant team that will coordinate the development of the plan. Other contractors have been hired by the Municipality for the project:

• Northern Economics with Ivan Moore Research will conduct a Hillside household survey.
• HDR Alaska will analyze drainage, public water and sewer, transportation and trail access.
• Larsen Consulting Group will analyze on-site well and septic services.