The Municipality of Anchorage commissioned the Hillside District Plan to provide greater specificity for land use and public services than the municipality-wide Anchorage 2020 Comprehensive Plan. It also replaces the Hillside Wastewater Management Plan. The Hillside District’s complex land use and infrastructure issues requires a plan that carefully considered multiple viewpoints to establish sound public policy that reflects the vision of residents and landowners for future Hillside District growth.
Agnew::Beck’s role included managing the plan’s land use component and guiding the work of subcontractors in six topic areas to perform a comprehensive development suitability analysis and to create an integrated set of policies addressing land use, open space and recreation, drainage, roads and trails, public water and sewer, and onsite wastewater. The process included an extensive public outreach and participation plan.
- More than 25 meetings with an Assembly-appointed Citizen Advisory Committee resulted in a committee which supported the plan through its adoption and continues to help implement objectives.
- Meetings with a range of interest groups (including landowner-developers and trail and open space advocates) incorporated their knowledge and participation into the decision-making process.
- A well-used project website updated the public on plan meetings and other activities, distributed draft plan products and received and organized public comments.
- A series of public workshops was well-attended.
The plan highlighted several key issues.
- Strategies protect and reserve traditional trails, improve access to the adjacent Chugach State Park and raise funds for trail construction and maintenance.
- A Built/Green Infrastructure policy map integrates information on natural and man-made physical development constraints with recommendations for new approaches to managing drainage, roads and trails. The result is a dynamic tool that landowners and Municipal officials can use to match specific site plan requirements with development needs and minimizes negative development impacts to surrounding lands.
- Recommendations for a district-wide road, trail and drainage service area can comprehensively address capital and some maintenance needs for the area’s system of roads, trails and drainage facilities while maintaining localized decision-making power.
The plan was adopted by the Anchorage Assembly April 13, 2010.
