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| Submitted comments will appear below after staff approval. | |
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| Dan Kiland | 3/2/2015 11:31:17 PM |
| There are other suitable places for Atlas to erect the tower in the Portage area without polluting the skyline and ruining the visitor experience (and the view of us who love living here) The old RXR yard is ideal, the old Alascom site is ideal. The Seward Hwy is one of thirty national scenic byways and other options need to be seriously considered as options before erecting a tower in the proposed area. Please vote no. | |
| Kevin Montague | 3/2/2015 7:16:18 PM |
| Please do not site the Atlas cell tower in the proposed location. Certainly there are less obtrusive locations - as have been listed by other concerned Alaska citizens - that would serve the same technical purpose. The natural beauty of Turnagain Arm should not be compromised… you can drive the Glenn Hwy towards Wasilla for that delightful experience. | |
| Larry Daniels | 3/2/2015 6:58:38 PM |
| There are many alternatives to the proposed tower. If you look NE from the site to a ridge at tree line, you will find a large gray structure, probably a microwave receiver. Most folks don't see it. Because of color and location, you don't notice it. Require Atlas to be imaginative. Find another spot. | |
| Konrad Mittelstadt | 3/2/2015 6:44:22 PM |
| Listen to the locals. Listen to common sense. The tower should not be built at present location. And one who has no such type of "mobile" phone, I do not want the tower period. | |
| Chris von Imhof | 3/2/2015 5:02:48 PM |
| May I please request your consideration re the proposed 100 foot tall Atlas Tower on the corner of Seward Highway and Portage Valley Road. As a long time resident of Girdwood and former General Manager of Alyeska Resort I have learned to appreciate the beauty of the Seward Highway and Portage Valley Road. The unobstructed view of the mountains, glaciers and 20 mile and Placer Valleys are absolutely the most scenic attraction in South Central Alaska. The local residents and visitors who travel down the Kenai Peninsula are fortunate to experience this beauty. Also the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center gets over 200,000 annual visitors that always comment on the two most popular attractions in Alaska: The scenic beauty and the great wildlife in it's natural habitat. Tonight at 6:30 pm the Anchorage planning and zoning commission will hear testimony on Atlas Towers Appeal of Denial to erect a 100 foot tall cell phone tower on the corner of the Seward Highway and Portage Valley Road. If approved the next time you travel south you will see the tower before 20 Mile River. Returning north you will see it miles before getting to it. Returning from Whittier you and millions of visitors to come will see it for years , forever. The tower does not meet the goals of the Turnagain Arm Compressive Plan or the Seward Scenic Byway Program. Like Route 66 the Seward Highway is one of the 30 national scenic highways. a world class driving experience. Effective visitor management is necessary to insure long term economic tourism development. Haphazard development is the greatest threat to the Seward highway’s ability to attract visitor and quality development. Please don’t let this happen. There are other suitable places for Atlas to erect the tower in the Portage area without polluting the skyline and ruining the visitor experience . The old RXR yard is ideal, the old Alascom site is idea. Atlas lost by one vote last time please don’t let this be overturned tonight. We would greatly appreciate if you consider one of the alternative sites as listed above for the tower. Thank you for your consideration, Sincerely, Chris von Imhof, Girdwood, AK. | |
| Shane Baird | 3/2/2015 4:53:50 PM |
| I was born and raised in Alaska. I have driven the Seward Highway many times and continue to gasp in awe at the mostly unblemished beauty and scenic backdrop of that area. In addition to the personal enjoyment I have for Alaska’s beauty, Tourism is one of Alaska's most important industries, and that area (Turnagain Arm/Portage Glacier) is a major tourism attraction. I also think local residents have a very intimate and endearing recreational connection to the area. Please oppose construction of the Atlas cell tower in that area. Please find an alternate site that does not sacrifice a world class driving and scenic experience that Alaskans cherish. Respectfully. | |
| Audrey Lance | 3/2/2015 4:43:07 PM |
| The Seward Highway is one of my favorite drives in Alaska because of the beautiful scenery. It has become a favorite of my visiting friends and family as well. I have countless pictures of this pristine stretch of land that I know thousands of visitors come to see each year. Please consider moving the location of the cell tower to a more suitable area so that we may preserve this attraction. Thank you. | |
| alison rein | 3/2/2015 4:24:32 PM |
| please do not approve Atlas's permit to construct a 100' cell tower as proposed. A far better site can be found that will detract less from this scenic area. Additional cell coverage may be needed in this vicinity, but not at the cost of destroying the scenic qualities found here, qualities that are becoming more rare daily. Where else can you see migrating birds, people catching hooligan or kite surfing, all with a mostly natural backdrop of glacier-covered mountains? We've survived somehow without this tower....we can't afford to lose this scenic gem! | |
| Joan Frankevich | 3/2/2015 3:26:17 PM |
| Tourism in one of Alaska's top industries, and Turnagain Arm/Portage Glacier is a major tourism destination. It is also a popular recreation area for local residents. Please oppose construction of the Atlas cell tower on Turnagain Arm. Please find an alternate site that does not have such a visual intrusion. Thank you! | |
| Laura Welsh | 3/2/2015 3:25:45 PM |
| Keep the Seward Highway a Scenic Highway by erecting the 100 foot cell tower in the old RXR yard. Tourism in Alaska is a huge contributor to our economy, so we must do all we can to keep Alaska looking pristine. | |
| Kristen Lawrence | 3/2/2015 3:12:58 PM |
| As has been said in the most of the comments written, let's not scar the face of one of the most beautiful landscapes around with the erection of the atlas tower. People come to AK to see the natural grandeur that eludes them in their own life. I used to work out there and know how frustrating the poor cell service can be, but I also know I wouldn't trade the view to have better cell service either. There seems to be a lot of other options that would work for everyone, so maybe we should do what's right instead of what is easiest this time around. Thank you for your consideration. | |
| Michelle Tenny | 3/2/2015 3:04:31 PM |
| Please keep the views along the Seward Highway as beautiful and pristine as possible. The last thing we all need to see every time we pass this corner is a big cell tower. There are other locations for this eyesore where the skyline will not be as greatly impacted. | |
| Stefanie Flynn | 3/2/2015 2:49:18 PM |
| There are other suitable places for Atlas to erect the tower in the Portage area without polluting the skyline and ruining the visitor experience . The old RXR yard is ideal, the old Alascom site is ideal. Our Turnagain Arm area is pristine and the first impression of Alaska most visitors receive outside of Anchorage. We need to protect this valuable asset - please vote NO! | |
| Per Bjorn-Roli | 3/2/2015 2:13:42 PM |
| Imagine a tourist coming all the way to Alaska just to see a cell tower right smack in the middle of beautiful Turnagain Arm. I support additional cell service along the Seward Highway but object to the visibility of this location. In short, install the tower in a less visible location. Thank you. | |
| Lana Johnson | 3/2/2015 1:30:53 PM |
| As the chair of the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center's (AWCC) board of directors, I encourage you to siting the 100 foot tall cell phone tower on the corner of the Seward Highway and Portage Valley Road. A tower of this size will be intrusive and detract from the AWCC and the large investment we have made in the animals and facility. There are other nearby, much more appropriate locations for this tower. Thank you for your consideration. Lana Johnson | |
| kelly frick | 3/2/2015 1:00:37 PM |
| I have lived and owned property in Portage for 12 years. I’m not apposed to a tower in Portage. I am apposed to the location that Atlas chose to erect their tower. There are better sites within a mile that would cause no objection. Atlas will proceed with one of these sites only after their appeal is denied. The site Atlas chose is owned by Brian Cho. Atlas paid Brian non-refundable lease money before contacting the Portage Valley Community Council, local residents and before any public process. Brian purchased this property 12 years ago. The property was used once by a now defunct Girdwood snowmobile rental company for a single winter. 3 years ago an Electrical Contractor rented it for a few weeks to base camp out of when doing a highwire project. The property has been abandoned for 95% of the last 12 years. By law it can not be considered for the tower. Thank you | |
| Howard Magoon | 3/2/2015 12:07:02 PM |
| One of the best things about driving Alaska's highways is the natural beauty seen from the automobile. The drive along Turnagain Arm has earned the distinction of the Seward Highway as being one of America's most scenic drives. Portage Valley, at the end of Turnagain Arm, also is a scenic wonder in its own right. It offers tourists and locals alike views of the mountains, glaciers and rivers that make the area a natural attraction for hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. You can imagine the negative reaction they (and I) feel at the idea of a 100-foot cell phone tower rising above the valley, marring the natural beauty that makes Portage Valley so special. With all of the land available in the area, why allow this eyesore to detract from the natural beauty smack-dab in the middle of the valley, marring the view for miles in all directions? I urge the city to deny permission to companies seeking to construct this cell tower in the absolute WORST location. There must be a better way to accomplish the same thing. Howard Magoon | |
| Karen Cowart | 3/2/2015 12:06:31 PM |
| The Seward Highway runs through the scenic Kenai Penninsula, Chugach National Forest, Turnagain Arm, and Kenai Mountains. Designated as an All-American Road, or National Scenic Byway, these 125 miles are part of Alaska's tourism and vistor experience. In 2012 Life Magazine included the Seward Highway in its list of the Most Scenic Drives in the World. Having a cell tower blocking this viewshed is not in the best interest for Alaska. While the cell tower is a critical component for enhanced communicative service for the state, I believe an alternative location out of the viewshed can be accomplished and a win-win solution can be met. | |
| Lynne' Doran | 3/2/2015 12:01:36 PM |
| There are other suitable places for Atlas to erect the tower in the Portage area without polluting the skyline and ruining the visitor experience . The old RXR yard is ideal, the old Alascom site is idea. The Seward Hwy is one of thirty national scenic byways and other options need to be seriously considered as options before erecting a tower in the proposed area. | |
| Carri Ann Pratt | 3/2/2015 11:21:28 AM |
| There are other suitable places for Atlas to erect the tower in the Portage area without polluting the skyline and ruining the visitor experience . The old RXR yard is ideal, the old Alascom site is ideal. Please think about the future of our planning. The telephone poles have been an eye sore for years. This area is one of the most photographed areas of Alaska. Please help us attempt to keep in clean, natural and picturesque. | |