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3ISSUES AND CONCERNS

The first round of public work sessionsand advisory committee meetings, held inGirdwood in late March 1999, wasorganized to listen to residents’ concernsabout their community needs, the potentialfor their economic growth, and thepatterns of their future development. Thesessions yielded a summary of issues thathelped the consulting team gain a clearerunderstanding of the problems andfunctional relationships to be addressed inthe Master Plans and the communityvalues to be respected. The conceptsproposed in the Master Plans are in directresponse to these issues:

Commercial Stagnation

Concern about the lack of vitality andextreme seasonality of commercialenterprises in Girdwood was the impetusfor the Commercial Areas Master Plan andcame up repeatedly in public meetings.Causes are multiple: unattainable parkingrequirements, small lots, lack of “criticalmass” (i.e. enough people to supportbusinesses), lack of retail variety, lack ofservices oriented to locals, lack ofconnections between commercial nodes,seasonal swings in tourism-basedbusiness.

Tourism: “Industrial” or “Strategic”

Because a high percentage of visitors toAlaska are on fixed itineraries controlledby larger tour operators and cruise shiplines, stops in Girdwood are short at best,and residents would like to change that.While there is a general acknowledgementthat the community’s economic futuredepends on generating dollars fromtourism, there is also concern about theimplications of high-volume, large-scaletourism on the small-town character of thecommunity and the unspoiled quality ofthe natural environment. Unquestionably,there is unrealized potential in theGirdwood Valley to lengthen visitor stays,to increase per capita visitor spending, toextend the tourist season, and to appealto an independent market of visitorsinterested in active recreation and outdoorpursuits. However, the town’s existinginfrastructure and lodging base are notadequate to accommodate (or attract)much growth in the number of visitors, andmarketing programs are not yet in place toappeal to the kind of ruggedlyappreciative, low-impact visitors the townseems to want.

Fig. 3-1Seasonal businesson Olympic Circleillustrate thatcommercial vitalityis an issue, bothsummer and winter.

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Threats to the Sense of Community

Girdwood’s identity is wrapped up in itsnatural setting, its “rough-around-the-edges” character, the small size of itsresident population, and its sense ofremoteness from urban life. Surroundedby large tracts of undeveloped HeritageLand Bank land, Girdwood residents areunderstandably concerned about theconversion of natural open space todevelopment. This concern has made forcontentious debate on issues such as thegolf course, new collector roads,residential density, alternative uses forundeveloped tracts, the rail spur and theGlacier-Winner Creek ski area expansion.It will be important for the community toconduct an informed dialogue on realisticalternatives for development and toinstitute reasonable developmentstandards and design guidelines to assurethat new development fits well into thecommunity context of the valley.

Fig. 3-2“Strategic” Tourism:Kenai River cabinsof Alaska Wildland

Adventures

“Industrial”Cruise shi

Pooarrangem

snop

conneOlym

Fig. 3-3 Tourism:p dock at

Seward

Too Many vehicles, Too LittleParking

Traffic congestion in ski season, excessivenumbers of diesel tour buses, and trafficspeeds on Alyeska Highway are perceivedas problems that will worsen as Girdwoodattracts more visitors. At the same time,the shortage of convenient parking tosupport existing commercial nodes suchas the Bake Shop area and the NewGirdwood Townsite (except the ValleyEntry Tesoro) is a problem that worksagainst growth in tourism-based business.

Barriers and Missing Connections

The lack of adequate year-round vehicularand pedestrian connections was theprimary impetus for the TransportationMaster Plan. Heavy winter snow levelsexaggerate the already considerableproblems of mobility and accessibilitywithin Girdwood. Without aggressiveintervention to develop a comprehensivecirculation infrastructure, the growth inpopulation and visitor numbers will onlymake the problem worse.

Fig. 3-4r parkingent plus

w blocksedestrianctions in

pic Circle

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Environmental Constraints

The prevalence of wetlands and streamson the valley floor and pervasive hazardsfrom avalanche and floods are seriousconstraints on where and how buildingcan take place in the Girdwood Valley.This will put added pressure on efficientplanning and wise use of developableland.

Environmental Quality

The prospect of growth in a valley limitedby topography, wetlands, and naturalhazards is frequently questioned as athreat to the pristine visual quality of thenatural environment. Because Girdwood’sappeal is so intimately tied to the beautyof its setting, it will be extremely importantfor new development to subordinate itselfto the landscape and to make sensitivedecisions about siting, scale, density, viewpreservation, and protection of the forestcover.

Fig. 3-5Flood ProneGlacier Creek

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