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| Sue Linford, Linford of Alaska, Inc. | 4/4/2011 4:45:59 PM |
| Linford of Alaska is a commercial distribution operation housed directly across the narrow street called Cordova Street. If you visit this area, you will find that to reach either our facility OR Cordova Center you would approach from either 3rd Ave., turn north on Barrow down the hill around a 90 degree curve called 2nd Avenue then around another 90 degree curve still proceeding down hill to 1st Avenue OR approach along 1st Avenue either form the east (Eagle St.) or west (E St.) and turn south on Cordova Street (which gets narrower as you proceed) and up the steep hill to either operation. (I think you should visit the area.) We have operated in this location since 1993 and have a history of activity regarding Cordova Center. Over the years CC's population has increased to its current base level. What occurs is CC regularly has fire drills (that's good) that dumps the inhabitants out into the street. (Quite a happy bunch at times.) Also, as stated the "street" is very narrow and has no setback for sidewalks therefore the inhabitants that may leave the CC premice for jobs or whatever must walk to and fro in the street or often take a short cut through the woods and down the hill from 3rd slipp/sliding down the incline to 2nd at all times of the year. What I'm attempting to point out is that even with the current population in the facility, there are major SAFETY concerns for both pedestrian and vehicle traffic. Add to this the visitors the current inhabitants receive who park everywhere and attempt to walk everywhere, you have an added SAFETY concern and further narrowing of the street by the parked vehicles. We have learned to deal with the current inhabitant population that seems to be "an accident waiting to happen". Increasing that population just seems fool-hearty. | |
| Sam Ferreira | 4/4/2011 11:15:03 AM |
| I am a nearby resident of the halfway house at 130 Cordova. While the operators of this facility, for the most part, discourage illegal activity within the facility, it is what happens outside in the surrounding area that most concerns me. I have witnessed numerous drug deals, prostitution and the occasional altercation around this facility. These are common occurrences in this neighborhood, and they have seemed to increase since the hostel between 3rd and 4th on eagle went in a few years ago. It is common knowledge in this neighborhood that drug dealers and prostitutes rent rooms in nearby hostels and operate out of these facilities. The Cordova Center, as well as the other, similar facility on 4th avenue between Eagle and Gamble, has provided them with a ready and willing clientele for years. While not all the clients of these facilities are interested in such illicit activities (after all they are trying to 'clean up their act' so to speak), there are inevitably always a few who are, and they seem to create a strong demand for illicit activities in the neighborhood. Increasing the number of potential clients for these illicit activities is remarkably irresponsible, and makes me think that GEO inc. has no real interest in the neighborhoods in which it operates these facilities, but rather a real interest in increasing its profit margins. Allowing this amendment to a conditional use in the zoning regulations to allow for this expansion would be a grave mistake, and would reflect very poorly on the zoning board if it is allowed to go through. Not only would it increase the level of illicit activity in the neighborhood exponentially, it would create a very dangerous precedent for Fairview, and northeast downtown neighborhoods such as the one in question. If anything the planning and zoning regulations should discourage this kind of land use downtown, not encourage it. This is a very important decision that has the power to make or break this downtown neighborhood, and affect all the surrounding neighborhoods significantly, please deny this amendment. Sincerely, S. Ferreira | |
| Sue Button | 4/4/2011 10:39:26 AM |
| April 3, 2011 RE: Conditional Use amendment for Cornell Corrections of Alaska, Inc. Case: 2011-029 Location: 130 Cordova Street I am a neighbor of the Cordova Center who does not have a concern with a minimum security correctional facility in the neighborhood, however Cornell Corrections of Alaska, Inc is seeking to increase the capacity of the facility by an additional 104 to 133 beds, an increase from 192 to 296, and possibly 325 beds for incarcerated persons, while only adding 4 staff, no additional parking or trash bins. The petition states that adding beds will not have an impact on the area, I disagree with this based on recent discussions with other neighbors and my experience living in the area, however since an impact statement/survey was not conducted this information has not been included in the petition. I believe it will have a huge impact and I further question the compatibility of municipal planning, which is to foster tourism and increase patronage of the surrounding businesses. Based on the proposal these are my concerns: A. Further the goals and policies of the Comprehensive Development Plan and confers to the Comprehensive Development Plan in the manner required by Chapter. 21.05 61 Promote the availability of support housing opportunities for he homeless and for person with special needs. This is a transitional correctional facility. It is temporary housing for persons who have been incarcerated or are awaiting trial, therefore the population is transitory, and there are no residential ties to the neighborhood. E. A center shall provide one off-street parking space per each full time stat member, based on maximum anticipated staffing. The center has a staff of 16 and proposes to go to 20. According to the municipality the as built shows 16 parking space, 7 located in the right-of-way of Cordova Street. Therefore, the site only provides nine parking spaces on site. The accessible parking for commercial, industrial, public and institutional uses are also in the right-of-way. G. Refuse containers and facilities shall be enclosed as required by the supplementary district regulations. There is currently one dumpster, located off site for the facility. It has a cover, but is often open, and litter is strewn around the container. There is not a dumpster on site, as it would have to be put in the right-of-way for the refuse service to be able to access it. D. Will not have a permanent negative impact on the items listed below substantially greater than that anticipated from permitted development: 1. Pedestrian and vehicular traffic circulation and safety The facility does not allow residents to have vehicles; however there is already plenty vehicular traffic on the street due to visitors and ongoing transportation. The facility has only 9 parking places (with staff reserved spaces) on site that are not in the right-of-way. They do not provide any other parking for visitors. Cordova Street, at this location is very narrow and on a steep grade. There is a 24 hour no parking zone on the east side of the street which is continually filled with parked cars. The street gets narrower and quite slippery in the winter. Further, there are no walkways between 3rd avenue and 1st avenue where Cordova and Barrow Street intersect, the street has two ninety degree turns (and blind spots) in this short length. There is a lot of pedestrian traffic, from the facility, from areas residents, and from tourists who walk along the Ship Creek area. This is a safety issue. Increasing the population by 50-70% will certainly have an impact on the area. 3. Noise, air, water, or other forms of environmental pollution. Residents routinely talk/shout to pedestrians, sometimes benign comments, sometimes sexual comments, sometimes obscenities. The windows are numbered, but it is very difficult to ascertain where the voice came from, and people may not know this is reportable. 4. The maintenance of compatible and efficient development patterns and land use intensities. The Center states that it will have no greater impact on the surrounding area than a comparable size multi-family residential use would have. There are approximately 28 apartment style units in the facility; the proposal is to increase the residential capacity (not the size of the building) by 50-70%. They plan to do this by removing existing kitchens in each unit and installing a large communal kitchen. This creates an institutional like facility and negates any comparison to comparable multi-family residential units My experience with Cornell has been mixed. I believe they want to be a good neighbor, and to that extent they have listened each time I have had a concern. However staff cannot be in each room all of the time and therefore cannot see everything that goes on. I and my family have been yelled at, cursed at, and propositioned by residents. I have been threatened in my driveway by trespassers talking to residents though the windows. I have heard numerous times from staff and other neighbors that illegal substances are passed (or fished) from the street to the window, or left by the dumpster for pick-up. I belive there is a need for more beds of this type, however I do not think adding them to Cordova facility is in the best interest of the area, or for that matter the best interest of the residents of the facility. I do not believe that adding a few more staff will alleviate the stress of adding 104-133 beds to the facility. The whole idea of transitioning from an institution to living back in the community is to normalize the setting as much as possible, reconfiguring the facility from family style units to an more institutional setting does not accomplish this. Cornell is a for profit company, and has much to gain by increasing the capacity of this building 50-70% while doing nothing to mitigate impact on the area. I urge you to deny this proposal; do not amend the conditional use permit. Respectfully, Sue Button 602.2583 anchorsue@hotmail.com | |
| Taylor Boaks | 4/3/2011 3:16:40 PM |
| To Whom It May Concern: This letter regards an amendment to a conditional use to allow a change in capacity for an existing community residential correctional center. As a property owner within the petition area, I disagree with the proposal and am opposed to increasing the capacity of the correctional facility. The correctional center is already exceeding its available capacity, evidenced by the waste receptacle located on East 2nd Avenue. The dumpster is continually overflowing and trash is often placed outside of the container. As a result, garbage is blown and scattered throughout the street, landscaping, and surrounding area. Residents and visitors littering while walking to and from the facility further compound the refuse problem. Barrow Street, East 2nd Avenue, and Cordova Street are particularly narrow, especially in winter. Residents and visitors of the correctional facility routinely walk in the traveled portion of the road, posing a distinct hazard to two-way vehicle traffic. The proposal to change the capacity of the facility would increase both pedestrian and vehicular traffic in the area as well as the probability of potentially deadly collisions. Occupants of the correctional center consistently shout threats and obscenity at pedestrians walking along Cordova Street. Residents and visitors of the facility also yell and communicate loudly while traveling East 2nd Avenue and Barrow Street, causing a major noise problem for area residences and businesses. It is my desire that the Planning and Zoning Commission disapprove the amendment to allow a change in capacity for the existing community residential correctional center. Thank you for your time and understanding in this matter. | |
| Beau Bodnar | 4/2/2011 2:29:57 PM |
| im a home owner a short throw from the facility. I have an acquaintance who was forced to attended Cordova.. he told me many stories about Cordova.. Apparently fights break out on the inside that involve bloodshed., and in the facility drugs are very abundant. some drugs are even passed threw the windows of the facility from drug runners drawn to Cordova to sell. not the kind of enterprise i like having just down the hill from my home.. my acquaintance who momentarily stayed at the Cordova halfway also said that people sneak out at night and return in the morning!!!! and this place has criminals and sex offenders??? and they want to add 100 more? with only 4 more staff??? this is ridiculous, please dont put any more half way people in the neighborhood. | |