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| Submitted comments will appear below after staff approval. | |
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| Clifford Bissell | 12/7/2008 8:43:05 PM |
| I am against the whole plan,however, I know it probably will go through so how about cutting down the hours of loading and or changing the hours to earlier in the day. | |
| adam caswell | 12/3/2008 4:45:23 PM |
| I am familiar with this project development site and the benefits associated with it. This area will serve as a temporary gravel source for projects within the Municipality of Anchorage. Many of our new roads, road improvements, and airport projects will be constructed using this gravel as specified fill, leveling course, and asphalt. The gravel will be extracted and loaded onto rail cars which will then be taken south to Anchorage. This will eliminate the need for haul trucks and therefore traffic would not be affected. I strongly urge the community members such as myself to support this project, we will all benefit from it. | |
| Lisa Sanders | 12/1/2008 9:49:58 AM |
| I am strongly opposed to the proposed natural resource extraction project that Eklutna Inc. plans to begin this coming spring of 2009 west of Birchwood Spur Road, Birchwood Loop and South Birchwood Loop Road. The 160 acres are located directly across South Birchwood Loop from my husband’s family home where we live. My huband’s grandfather, John Boyles, bought the land we (myself, my husband Mathew and my two children) live on from the State of Alaska in the early 1960's. He and his wife Mattie moved up here from Arizona to be closer to their son. Grandfather Boyles was killed in a plane crash in Juneau in 1971 and Grandmother Boyles passed away in 1994. At that time Matt moved into the family home. So this is a fourth-generation family home. During the summer of 2007 when core samples were being obtained, I called Eklutna Inc. twice. The gentleman I spoke with, Mr. Arnesen, explained that Eklutna was in the process of "finding out what was there." He assured me that 99% of Eklutna's plans “never come to fruition.” So my concern about the development of the land across the road diminished. In September a neighbor informed me that Bobbi Wells, head of the Birchwood Community Council, was going door-to-door to inform residents that Eklutna planned to extract the rock from the land and then further develop it as heavy industrial (among other things). I was stunned. I called Bobbi and learned more. As the reality started to sink in, I was filled with grief. The quiet neighborhood I had lived in and enjoyed for six years, and my husband's family has lived in for over 45 years, was going to be radically changed into a loud, ugly place. Bobbi Wells created a terrific petition in an effort to minimize the negative impact this gravel pit, and subsequent heavy industrial development, will have on those of us who live here. Over the last three days, I spent several hours going door-to-door in my neighborhood to obtain signatures on this petition. Over the weekend, as I thought about the people I talked to, a revelation occurred to me. This situation is really about the “HAVES and the HAVE-NOTS.” Eklutna Inc. has the land, the power, and the money. Those of us who border their proposed gravel pit, etc. have no power and no wealth, so to speak. We were even told by an Eklutna Inc. representative at the community council meeting in September that we should consider ourselves fortunate that Eklutna sold us the land we are living on. It is incomprehensible to me that Eklutna Inc. would be so completey focused on their own economic gain to the total disregard of what it will be like for their fellow citizens to live right across the road from a gravel pit. Would any of the shareholders of Eklutna Inc. want to live here? Those of us who live across the road from their heavy industrial land will suffer with the noise and ugliness of their development. Dozens of nearby residents who live up the hill will also suffer. I plead with you to prevent this project from destroying our quality of life. Lisa Sanders 20722 Old Cranberry Dr. Chugiak Again I looked and saw all the oppression that was taking place under the sun: I saw the tears of the oppressed-and they have no comforter; power was on the side of their oppressors-and they have no comforter. Ecclesiastes 4:1 | |
| Zachariah Kaiser | 12/1/2008 12:13:53 AM |
| I am writing to ask that you decline the rezoning of this property on the bases of once rezoned the planned use will be detrimental to our community. The community has also not been clearly informed on what the Special Limitations are on this parcel and what has been requested. All material made publicly available on-line or via mail have been uninformative. I have tried to access more info but have only been able to find the Zoning Districts Definition of I-1 and I-2. I have attached my argument on why rezoning and allowing Gravel Extraction to occur is not going to be beneficial to the community. As a property owner I understand Eklutna's desire to use their property as they see fit. However, using this land as a large scale gravel extraction project will be devastating to the surrounding residential community. I am asking you on behalf of my community and the many people in it that are unable to clearly articulate their feelings and desire for you to not approve this. This project will take place less than a football field from people's doorsteps. Our community has many times tried to talk with Dowl and Eklutna Inc where many questions were left unanswered or vague at best. It has been stated that all extraction would be done by rail. However, during a community meeting it was stated that at some point trucking out gravel would be required. This contradicts what they have been voicing as their plan of action. This raises the question of how will this operation be held accountable to using rail only? How do they plan on removing the 139acres of trees and other vegetation? The project planners have only considered "Tier 1 and tier 2 homes" to be affected. These are properties on or one lot from the project site. This is an unreasonable assumption. This project will have much farther reaching affect to the homes in the area. Some of our major concerns include the fallowing. 1. Noise pollution- This is a quiet community. We do have a shooting range and airport but neither of these produces continuous noise and the majority to none of their facility border homes. This operation has planned to run their operation 6 days a week from 7am to 11pm. This is outside of the city noise ordinance. As this is a residential area we will no longer be able to enjoy a quiet peaceful evenings and Saturdays or time outside with our family and friends. This will also make for very noisy nights when trying to go to sleep and sleep. I ask that this not be allowed and that they are expected to operate m-f and only 8-10 hours a day and within the cities noise ordinance. 2. Air Quality- Anchorage has been trying to get better air quality and this project will be detrimental to our local part of anchorage. With gravel extraction will come a large amount of dust. Not only during the act of extraction but as the wind blows over the land. This in fact will affect more than the tier 1 and 2 homes. What studies have been done on how gravel pits in residential areas affect the respiratory health of high risk population especially children and elderly (much of our community). What pollutants will be released into the air via the significant increase of dust? What will the exact use of the land be when gravel extraction is finished. Will this include lots of machinery emitting air pollutants? 3. Water quality and level- This community’s only source of water is wells. Many of the wells were lucky to get water and have a very low flow rate. With the extremely large amount of water that will be used out of the water aquifers to spray down the loads this is likely to adverse affect many homes. Dowl state that they would send people to test water. We were told they would be back to us in a week. No contact from them was made it has now been 3 weeks. When attempted to call for an idea when they would be coming there was no return call. If they do not test prior to you deciding on a conditional use zoning what forces them to test? 4. Accountability- As stated above concerning trucks. How will this operation be held accountable to their plan? Who will be checking them? What is stopping them from using trucks when the rails are closed or delayed? In the Alaska Star they reported that this would be an estimated 800 trips a day. That is 1,600 time a day the trucks would drive our street. How often is the water going to be tested for pollution? Is the air going to be tested for quality prior to starting operation and later? 5. Property Value- This project will most definitely decrease the property and community value of the area. I validate the argument that there is a shooting range and airport in the area. These do produce noise but not the amount of a gravel extraction project or the environmental pollution. The Airport and shooting range are also public use areas that give the people a place to go and participate in an activity. A gravel pit does not come with such benefits. I once again would ask that you not approve the land to be used as a gravel extraction site. Some of the reasons include that our only source of water is well and they plan on tapping into this source and using 1,000's of gallons a day. What are we to do when the water is reduced, eliminated or contaminated? The noise, air and light pollution will forever give our home an industrial feel and reduce the peacefulness of coming home. There are also to many question and concerns that have been left unanswered and unplanned for at this time. Most of all please keep in mind that this is not just a small project that is out of the way and will be over soon this project is less than a football field away from doorsteps and is expected to last at least 5 years going 6 days a week for 15hours a day. As planned it equates to 1,560 days and 23,400 hours of our lives spent living next to a gravel pit. And it will not end there. Allowing them to make a gravel pit then opens the lot to an open ended use as a heavy industrial park according to the Zoning Districts is defined as "I-2 -- heavy industrial district The I-2 district is intended for heavy manufacturing, storage, major shipping terminals and other related uses. Also permitted are uses generally permitted in commercial districts." Please do not open the door or allow for my home and community to forever be decimated by a gavel extraction operation and then a heavy industrial park. | |
| karen perry | 9/25/2008 2:41:56 PM |
| I already commented on 2008-140 and have the same concerns. North Birchwood Loop MUST NOT be zoned for heavy industrail use as it puts residents at risk of serious injury. These large gravel trucks come screaming back and forth on North Birchwood despite its havey use of children getting on and off school buses, walking to and from school and home and heavy recreational use by walkers, joggers, bicyclists, etc. With the SBS plant, rifle range (and my understanding another proposed rifle range) and the airport, we have more than enough traffic on this road without adding more tonnage of gravel vehicles. We have had experience with gravel trucks before, none of them good. there are very narrow shoulders on the Loop and NO pedestrian paths nor bike trails. Please find another way to move this gravel out, such as freight trains which are right next to the gravel pads. Kids and general citizens have a right to safety in their communities. | |
| David Rutz | 9/22/2008 2:48:47 PM |
| I am strongly opposed to this project. I have been a resident of the area for 20 years. We already have a busy airport, a rifle range and a heavily used train rail yard. Since we moved in the railrod yard, airport and the Issac Walton rifle range have incresed many fold in terms of use and attributed noise. A 24 hour gravel extraction operation would take the last bit of solitude away from local residence and no doubt decrease property values as well. These are primarily residential areas with some B-4 SL properties. Activities such as this thwart due process and convert these properties into de facto I-2 or I-3 properties, with all the adverse impacts those bring. | |
| mary rutz | 9/18/2008 2:04:29 PM |
| I have lived in the Birchwood area for almost 20 years. This is a residential area. My property is located very near to the area in question (possibly right next to it - the map is difficult to read). I am opposed to any re-zoning that will allow increased heavy industrial use in this neighborhood and next to my home. The zoning already allows heavy industrial use - enough is enough. Allowing increased heavy industrial use will have a negative impact on the surrounding property values and quality of life of the residents. | |