By Ken Smith
Turnagain Times
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Caribou Penny and the first calf of the year at Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. Penny is one of the stars in the upcoming film directed by Sean Penn titled "Into the Wild." The caribou calf named Little Rickie was born April 10 at 9:51p.m. Kelly Frick/Alaska Wildlife Conservation photo |
The Municipality of Anchorage released the results of a survey they conducted in January to gauge opinions and views of Girdwood’s future. The Girdwood Area Plan Review 2007 survey was last conducted in 1993 and many of the questions mirrored that survey.
“It was essentially a thought analysis,” said Tom Yeager, chair of the Girdwood Area Plan Review Committee, a sub-committee of the Land Use Committee. “In some respects the results were similar as the 1993 survey. There seems to be more concern for affordable housing, and resort development in general was more favorable.”
The survey was sent to all Girdwood post office boxes and to Girdwood property owners with an address other than a Girdwood. In total, 2,031 surveys were sent out and 564 returned, representing 27.8 percent of the community. Residents who responded to the survey, ranged in age between 21 and 65 plus. Of those who responded, year-round residents of Girdwood numbered 330 (58.5 percent) compared to 234 (41.5 percent) for non-residents.
When questioned about feelings towards resort development, 55.5 percent answered favorably, 35.8 percent mixed, and 7.6 percent were unfavorable.
The survey also revealed a large number of residents commuting to work in Anchorage with nearly 50 percent claiming to commute, and 35 percent who said they work locally.
As for why residents choose to live in Glacier Valley, most (228) answered that they liked the small town feel, its rural character, lack of traffic lights, and that it is not Anchorage.
Environmental views expressed in the survey (223) claimed liking the mountains, the trees, great views, the pristine environment, the wilderness setting, clean air, open meadows, unspoiled environment, glaciers and setting.
When questioned about the most important problems facing the valley, local roads led the list of concerns. Respondents (115) answered that they wanted roads to be paved, widened, or otherwise improved. Others want better maintenance, citing potholes, dust, and snow as leading problems.
Second on the list of concerns was affordable housing. And the survey stated that some respondents say they do not want Girdwood to become a community only for the wealthy or feel that the community is becoming too upscale with newcomers demanding full city services and amenities.
Third on the list of problems was the need for a better grocery store, more of a shopping area, a local bank branch, a hardware store, and improved health care facilities. Other respondents expressed a desire for a veterinary clinic, a pharmacy, local plumber, local electrician, local mechanic/garage, more daycare options and more restaurants.
Rounding out the list of problems, were recreational facilities, public transportation, high property taxes, a new high school, and infrastructure rounded out some of the most important problems for the community.
When questioned about future resort development, over 70 percent of secondary/other residents answered favorably compared to 44 percent of primary residents answering unfavorably.
The majority of respondents (264) answered that they wanted the New Town Site area as the primary location for commercial development, followed by the hotel/resort, Day Lodge area, the Seward Highway and Old Girdwood Town Site area. Winner Creek/Upper Valley was cited as fifth on the list of where commercial development should occur. And most respondents (191) felt that the Crow Creek area is where residential development should take place.
The most important transportation issue was commuter service between Girdwood and Anchorage. Some persons indicated train service, and bus service, other respondents favored either train or bus.
How accurate the survey reflects the community as a whole, which has around 2,000 year-round residents and 2,000 second-home owners, is questionable. But it certainly offers a sense of the pulse of the community.
“I think we gained a pretty good view of where the community is,” said Yeager. “But it is quite obvious that we’re still very polarized as a community, more in terms of those who like Girdwood as it is, and those who see change as an inevitability and want to direct that change in as positive a manner as possible.”
The GAP Survey results are now posted online at www.muni.org/planning/index.cfmsident. The municipality is also sending results to all Girdwood P.O. Boxes and to non-resident property owners.