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| Evan Thoms | 9/14/2022 6:16:32 PM |
| Perhaps this is cynical, but the current design has already been voted down, so why should anyone expect it pass the next time around? The same neighborhood dynamics will exist and opposition will probably be stronger. If the current design is chosen, which I do not like for most of the well-stated opinions already recorded, as the one that would be tied to another bond vote, I WILL vote for it, as I voted last April, because the number one priority is to get a new school. But given a second chance, maybe we should now pick a different design from the collection that was drawn up that more people agree with. | |
| Lois Epstein | 9/14/2022 1:43:07 PM |
| As someone with training in water engineering, I want to document my concern with groundwater mounding which could impact nearby homes and the school when there’s a large storm event. According to a US Geological Survey technical web post, “Groundwater mounding occurs beneath stormwater management structures designed to infiltrate stormwater runoff. Concentrating recharge in a small area can cause groundwater mounding that affects the basements of nearby homes and other structures. Methods for quantitatively predicting the height and extent of groundwater mounding beneath and near stormwater infiltration structures can be used by property developers and regulatory agencies to assess the threat to previously existing or proposed structures” (Simulation of Groundwater Mounding beneath Hypothetical Stormwater Infiltration Basins, New Jersey Water Science Center, Glen B. Carleton, May 4, 2017). With the high groundwater table near the proposed school (as little as three feet depth) and the high groundwater flow in the area, stormwater management will be very expensive with the proposed design. Many of us have asked for that cost to be quantified but it either has not been done or we have not been told what the cost will be. If stormwater management is not done well, groundwater will infiltrate nearby homes and the school during big storms, resulting in significant, increased liability and costs for ASD in the future with a south side design. | |
| John Fonstad | 9/14/2022 12:59:45 PM |
| I am the father of a second grader at Inlet View Elementary School, which is my family's neighborhood school. I am writing to express my strong support for the Urban Design Commission's approval of the plan for the new Inlet View Elementary School. The Inlet View project is long overdue, as school district-commissioned studies have documented the poor condition of the current building and the need to build a new school rather than merely trying to extend the life of the current structure. The proposed new school building is overwhelmingly supported by the neighborhood, including my family. While I understand that a small, but vocal, minority of people oppose the planned new school, their objections are often a moving target and are untethered to any documentable concerns about the project; instead, these people simply want to protect their parochial interested in having their current view and easy ability to access Inlet View's land for their personal use. The personal interests of a few vocal community members cannot be allowed to outweigh the best interests of the neighborhood or the best interests of the students at Inlet View. I ask that the UDC approve the plan for the Inlet View Elementary replacement school. Regards, John Fonstad | |
| Kelly Merritt | 9/14/2022 11:56:18 AM |
| Dear UDC Members, I am opposed to the design proposal of the Inlet View Elementary school. Please know, I have no skin in this Game. I’m not trying to make more money as an engineer or have a child enrolled at Inlet View I do not want possibly bussed. First, it needs to be remembered, this is a 50 proposal for a needed school.A two story school will turn this neighborhood into looking like we are in an industrial park not our friendly neighborhood.. Second, the 2 parking lots, one which has 2 lane one way surrounding an 80 car parking lot, that goes to a one way street, to a stop light, to a hill (10’ elevation increase) that has a red light that is MORE than 50% of the time red because L st is a major thoroughfare will not work! I live at 13 th and Inlet Place. There is NO winter day that vehicles do not spin out on that hill, they need to reverse down the hill and need a run at. Please, Vote NO to have this design. No one has reached out to make compromise with those of us opposes to this horrible design. They just double down, repeat the same thing. And tell 1/2 truths.I for one am appalled that ASD continues this when the whole of City of Anchorage said NO. It saddens me that they through the bonds together so I was forced to vote no on the maintenance needed in Anchorage schools. I want an Inlet View Elementary School. One that fits and does not have total vehicle madness 2 times a day. The city can give a waiver regarding the 80 car front parking lot of Inlet. And why is an additional parking lot for 20 cars needed on N St? ( if the tell you the parking has been reduced be ware, they just made each spot larger to reduce the actual number of spots to park.) Thank you for your consideration. | |
| Fran Durner | 9/13/2022 9:01:52 PM |
| Dear Members of the Urban Design Commission, I submitted written testimony on the Inlet View Elementary School design for your consideration at the March UDC meeting and will not repeat myself, but I wish to emphasize what are important and relevant arguments to consider. The design for the Inlet View Elementary School replacement, whether it is a complete replacement or a remodel, will be for a building with a projected life of 50-60 years or more. The school site is in one of the original historic Anchorage neighborhoods, and the original building is an example of mid-century modern architectural design. South Addition has been working on a Neighborhood Plan for years, with an emphasis on preserving historic characteristics, and enhancing the livability of the neighborhood. The proposed replacement design does not fit those parameters. The proposed design does not make best use of the site for Northern Design practices. The design and size of the proposed driveway/parking area will reduce green space and will realistically add to traffic congestion on Inlet Place and 13th Ave. The new design and the design process does not conform to published practices for Districtwide Educational Specifications: Elementary Schools, 2040 Land Use Plan (LUP), Anchorage Original Neighborhoods Historic Preservation Plan, and the Anchorage School Board’s own policies. This is an opportunity to make sure the best school is built to withstand the test of time for future generations. Inlet View Elementary School is badly in need of repair/replacement. It is up to you to make sure it is done right. Thank you for the opportunity to comment, Fran Durner | |
| Lawrence Taylor, Jr. | 9/13/2022 6:22:49 PM |
| ASD did not involve neighbors without children at the school until it was too late to change the proposed design. Now there is still time to remedy that. Building a school for the north side of the property would avoid massive soil stabilization and drainage work necessary on a south side building site and can be done without relocating students during construction, would preserve green space, and buffer south side homes from a large building with no road separating them. | |
| Mark Hansen | 9/13/2022 5:58:04 PM |
| I write in opposition to the current Inlet View School redesign. The architects have made no substantive changes to the plans in response to many neighbors’ objections. The proposed design is a huge parking lot with an ugly two story building attached adjacent to low, single story houses. I hope the commission really looks at this building in the context of the neighborhood and it’s impact before approving it. Additionally, the building is going to exceed the $32 million cost be millions of dollars that could be used to renovate and update other schools in the district. Overall, it’s a bad design pushed through without public input. Less obtrusive designs were ignored in favor of a more expensive building that will require additional, unneeded effort to construct. | |
| Tana Stone | 9/13/2022 3:32:17 PM |
| Hi, I live one block from Inlet View Elementary and I have 3 kids. One of my kids walks to and from Inlet View for school. One of my kids is at another school because she has dyslexia and dysgraphia. I have to drive through the parking/pick up and drop drop off chaos at Inlet View. The current school does not have adequate parking for the significant number of zone exemption students that attend Inlet View. Building a bigger school will increase the zone exemptions and traffic in the neighborhood. Inlet Place has cars parked on both sides during pick up. It is extremely hard for 2 cars to pass on this road during drop off and pick up. There isn’t enough room for cars to pass each other during the winter due to snow berm along the school side of Inlet Place. I DO NOT support the proposed 20% parking reduction. Currently at pick up parents choose not to pick kids up by parking in the school parking lot or pulling up to the school building to pick up kids. Instead parents park on N St, 12th and Inlet Place. Reducing parking spots will result in parents parking on those streets again with the proposed design. Bigger school with bigger capacity means more cars in the neighborhood. The school is currently over capacity due to zone exemptions. I don’t agree with building a bigger school for kids who are not zoned for Inlet View Elementary. Please do not approve reduced parking spots. The proposed design needs to address the increased number of cars since the school will have more students (more zone exemptions). I live in the neighborhood (own my house) and have a kid at the school. I do not support the proposed design. Sincerely, Tana Stone | |
| Kyndall Carey | 9/13/2022 3:31:13 PM |
| I urge the Urban Design Committee to approve the design plans for the Inlet View Elementary school replacement. The school is strongly supported by parents and many neighbors. I live right next to the school at 1352 M Street. I have two children who attend Inlet View. ASD has spent several millions of dollars in design and planning. This sustainable, long-term investment will benefit Alaskan's for years to come. Please consider approval of the design for the new school that the children deserve and can be built without further delay or regret costs. | |
| Kelly Smith | 9/13/2022 3:12:39 PM |
| Hello, I would like to express my strong support of the Inlet View Elementary School design. As the school nurse at Inlet View for the past 8 years, I'm well aware of the shortcomings and safety issues with the current school. As a member of the Building Design Committee from the beginning, I'm very aware of all the work, compromise, and community involvement that went into developing the new design. Neighbors, parents, school staff, PTA and students' voices were all heard and contributed to the new design. Not all interested parties will be completely satisfied with such a big school change. As you are aware, some neighbors to the south of the site are not happy. The reasons they have expressed, I feel, all come down to their own self interest. The design is very good and the best for the school community. Please do not let a few vocal opponents kill this project. Inlet View families deserve a safe school for their children. Thank you, Kelly | |
| Hannah Brewster | 9/13/2022 3:08:21 PM |
| Members of the Urban Design Commission: I am writing to ask you to support the planned replacement of Inlet View Elementary School. I am a parent of a new kindergartener and a three year old who will start school in two years. My husband and I have lived in the neighborhood for 11 years and build what we hope is our forever home four years ago just a few blocks from the school. Inlet View is one of the oldest school buildings in the city and has topped the district’s maintenance priority list for years. It is desperately in need of safety and security upgrades like a secure entry and sprinkler system. I urge you to support the design for the new school. I know there are objections to the design and planning process. I also know that no process or outcome will please everyone. This plan fixes drainage problems with the lot, accounts for shading and traffic issues, and most importantly, provides a safe learning environment for the children in the neighborhood. As a new parent in the school, I am still catching up on all the details of this project. What is so apparent is that a plan exists, was created with community input, and is the necessary step in creating the learning environment we owe to the teachers and students of the school. | |
| Ashley List | 9/13/2022 12:56:19 PM |
| To the UDC: Please approve the Inlet View Elementary school design. The design is consistent with both the Comprehensive Plan and Title 21 while meeting the needs of the school and considering the neighborhood as much as possible. The design meets all of the current standards which incorporate seismic and drainage considerations. Adhering to the modern standards will resolve the drainage problems caused by the lack of adequate standards when the original building was constructed in the 1950s. The design was thoughtfully sited to minimize impacts to neighbors by: keeping the building shadow on-site year-round, sizing the building at the 30-foot height of an R2M house (which is 20 feet lower than the 50-foot height allowed by the school lot’s Public Land and Institution zoning), setting the building back from the property lines, providing on-site traffic queuing, and incorporating the results of the traffic study. Having attended the last UDC meeting, it seems likely that some neighbors will oppose the design regardless of the fact that it meets the Comprehensive Plan and Title 21 standards, and regardless of the neighborhood compromises evident in the design because they want to keep the public green space buffer they have enjoyed next to their homes for years. I would like to point out that were this an R2M lot instead of a school, a 30-foot tall house could be built 5 feet from the side property line. That is in fact what is happening throughout South Addition. Instead, the neighbors to the south have an unconstructed platted road that will remain a buffer, and the buffer distance between their homes and the school is wider than the average South Addition lot. Those are luxuries most of the neighborhood does not have, and it does not seem equitable for the kids’ school to be delayed or defeated, for ASD to spend $1 million to temporarily relocate students unnecessarily, or for taxpayers to have to spend more on another design and delay in order to maintain a publicly funded buffer to benefit a few homeowners. When it comes down to it, as South Addition residents we can accept new buildings that meet current zoning requirements, we can try to change the zoning requirements through the public process, or we can move to a neighborhood that isn’t changing as fast as South Addition, like my family did. I can empathize with the homeowners because I recently moved out of the neighborhood after 15 years because the old house next to mine was torn down and replaced with a new taller house, blocking our light. The new house next door was completely within R2M standards, just as the new school design is completely within PLI standards and then some. We don’t have to like change, but it’s not equitable to hold a public school to a standard far beyond that required in the Comprehensive Plan or Title 21 for the private benefit of a few. We almost put an offer on a house last year that backed up to Mears Middle School, and the school parking lot was paved right up to the backyard lot line. Why didn’t we? Not because of the adjacent asphalt, but because within a few hours there were already 4 offers above list price. While a few current homeowners dislike the change posed by the Inlet View design, I think it’s highly unlikely the design would actually decrease their property values. It would be setting a poor precedent to severely constrain the use of school lots beyond what is allowed in the PLI zoning, especially considering Anchorage’s limited land base. Thank you for your consideration. Respectfully, Ashley List Inlet View parent of 3 Current South Addition house owner and recently former South Addition resident of 15 years | |
| Michael Teo | 9/12/2022 5:14:49 PM |
| I am writing to support the plans for rebuilding of Inlet View. I live in the neighborhood Inlet View services and my son attends kindergarten there. Careful planning has created a school rebuild plan that will be good for community and students that attend. The rebuild plan tries to reduce shading on neighboring properties by being built on the south side of the lot. It will improve the neighborhood by making sure a quality school building is available for children and their families. This neighborhood needs a modern school building for its residents because the current school is too small for the student population, mechanically failing, and does not meet modern standards to keep students safer from intrusions of people that might harm students and teachers. | |
| Jason DeLozier | 9/12/2022 3:04:04 PM |
| Hi, My name is Jason DeLozier and my family is new to the Inlet View community, as my daughter just began 2nd grade there this fall. We live on the east side of town but we are still Anchorage tax payers and putting bandaids on failing infrastructure costs taxpayers more every year. Not to mention the emotional toll on students, families and staff that repeatedly delaying replacement continues to take. I understand there are a handful of loud voices that have felt they weren't included early enough in the process, but no public process is perfect. It's clear the majority of the community supports replacing the school so please listen to those voices instead of the few who clearly value their 'window view' more than the safety of children and impact their built environment has on their education. Thanks for listening. | |
| Daniella DeLozier | 9/12/2022 2:45:43 PM |
| My name is Daniella DeLozier, this is my first time ever writing to you. For the past 2 years, our daughter Gia (7yrs old) has been attending a private school because online school only resulted in frustration and lots of tears. Now that kids are back in school, we are happy to return to public schools. After attending the "meet our alternative schools/programs and charter schools" event at ASD, visiting several elementary schools in the district, and researching information on greaterschools.org, we decided to enroll Gia in Inlet View Elementary. We loved the IB program and the idea of teaching her to be a citizen of the world while emphasizing critical thinking and social responsibility. We are also learning more about the 2 year long process between the architects/engineers/ASD and a design committee of teachers, neighbors, and parents to replace IVE. I was surprised by the litany of reasons, especially related to health and safety, that this school should be replaced. I'm sure you've all have been emailed that list by multiple parties involved (no sprinkler system, infrastructure past its life expectancy, over 550 work orders requests since 2018, etc.). So my message to you is that parents are going to continue to choose IVE as the best educational option for their kids because of the high quality IB program and the connected and welcoming IVE community. So I'm asking you to critically think and be socially responsible and give the current and future kids of IVE a school that meets the education space needs of the IB program, safety standards, HVAC needs, class room and staff needs. I support the design process and new school design that addresses these issues and I hope you do too. The safety issues with this building are not going away next year or the year after. Please support moving this project forward and honoring the hard work of the community and stakeholders involved to keep our kids safe. Thank you Daniella DeLozier | |
| Cheryl Richardson | 9/12/2022 2:29:45 PM |
| Like many of my neighbors, I see Inlet View School as an integral part of our family and the neighborhood, serving us with education, recreation, meeting space and volunteer opportunities. Most of us living here have very personal connections to Inlet View. Therefore, I was deeply disappointed with the poor showing by ASD's design team in terms of community outreach, site planning, transportation, building design and candor. Inlet View has served our community, and we have served our school. It is time to rebuild the mutual respect we have enjoyed since the school's opening, and rebuild a school that generates positive anticipation. I ask that the ASD: 1. Ensure the entire design, interior and exterior are as inviting, welcoming and comfortable to use as Inlet View is today. Too many of our new schools are confusing to walk through, are harshly lit and fail to manage normal noise from excited children. 2. Reverse the site plan and put the new school on the north side where it is today. Relocating the school creates major, negative, unwanted impacts on the whole neighborhood. 3. Ensure the design rewards those who walk to the school. 4. Minimize constructed parking, and identify locations for future parking if needed in later years. 5. Incorporate the best parts of today's transportation patterns. Do not build a parking lot on Inlet Place. Thank you for considering ways to repair the errors we see rather than excusing them. Cheryl Richardson | |
| Stephen Koteff | 9/12/2022 1:13:26 PM |
| I walk through or drive around Inlet View Elementary School several times every day, as I live just two blocks away. I have lived in this neighborhood for almost 20 years, and I plan to be here many more. I am writing to ask you not to approve the current Inlet School design. The parking lot will eliminate valuable green space and create unacceptable congestion around Inlet Place. It will also make it more difficult to walk through the school grounds, which serve as a much used pedestrian corridor. There is ample on street parking as it is. Why plan for unnecessary asphalt and additional barriers? Please approve a design that takes these concerns into account. A new school should be built, but with a safe and efficient design that will enhance and not detract from the character of the neighborhood. | |
| Charles Douglas | 9/12/2022 10:45:46 AM |
| My wife and are opposed to the construction of a new Inlet View School. The ASD has repeatedly demonstrated their inability to maintain the structures under their care. The ASD doesn't need more money, they need proper management, someone who knows how to balance a budget. The new traffic design is a major failure. Directing all the traffic to Inlet then right onto 13th will result in a major traffic jam two times daily. The current building is only 57 years old and in pretty good shape. If it needs a new sprinkler system, then install it. If it needs a new sprinkler then someone need to explain to me why proper upkeep and maintenance has not been done. This is nothing but a major boondoggle to make the wealthy white people feel good about the school their kids may attend. The ASD has not demonstrated the need for a new school, however, they have demonstrated their inability to balance budgets, control spending and perform proper maintenance on the facilities. I want to know why the ASD is approximately 60 million in deficit: I want to know why the ASD has such a low performance grade by the students: why students can't read at grade levels and yet they are promoted to the next grade; The people have spoken: no new bonds for the ASD. Why are we hearing about money from the state coming to the ASD when they can't manage their budgets. You people need a wake up call, people are leaving the state, we do not need to continue this wasteful spending. | |
| Kirsten Cohen | 9/11/2022 9:00:35 AM |
| I’m writing to provide my support for the Inlet View Elementary rebuild. My husband and I have two children that attend the school – grades 2nd and 4th. We live just a few blocks from the school and are in full support of the school being rebuilt with the plans developed within the past year. Inlet View is an over-utilized school (designed for 170, current enrollment 230+) with a growing IB program and dedicated team of experienced teachers. It has been topping ASD’s maintenance and repairs priority list for more than a decade. More than $2M has already been spent on the planning and design of the replacement building and I’d love to see it completed while the funds exist. Waiting longer will negatively impact families and teachers’ morale. Waiting also risks a changing political climate that could start this valued school down a road to closure. This would be such a tragedy not only for our family, but for the neighborhood as a whole. The design is ready for permitting. Inflation will increase the project cost significantly if construction is stalled for a year, or several. | |
| Zack Fields | 9/8/2022 12:53:06 PM |
| As a nearby neighbor of Inlet View Elementary and a state representative who has advocated for funding of the school in partnership with parents and neighbors, I am writing to request that the Urban Design Commission approve the major site plan application for Inlet View Elementary School. UDC's decision on this should be simple: The staff report finds that the site plan is consistent with all approval criteria under AMC 21.03.18F. Municipal law says a site plan shall be approved if the plan meets all criteria under section F. Therefore, under a plain reading of Municipal code, the UDC is required to approve this site plan. Although Municipal code clearly requires that you approve this plan, I will nonetheless go into further detail about why this plan should be approved. The plan meets requirements for setbacks, landscaping, building form, and longevity of the building. This plan is the least disruptive and the least impactful on surrounding neighbors, relative to all other available options. Most important, this plan enables construction of a much-needed building that protects student safety and provides an environment conducive for learning. Finally, there have been further design changes to the plan in response to public comment since the last UDC meeting. Please consider the impacts of your decision on students at this school: Those of us in the legislature were able to appropriate capital funds through School Bond Debt Reimbursement and School Major Maintenance so that ASD has sufficient funds to appropriate money for Inlet View and commence construction next summer. Approval of the site plan application will ensure construction can commence next summer to provide a safe learning environment for kids. UDC denial of the application would endanger students for an indefinite period of time by leaving them in a building that places them at excessive and avoidable risk of school shootings, as it lacks either a safe entry vestibule or required setbacks from adjacent streets. The current building has chronic and ongoing plumbing and sewer failures, including students' inability to use indoor bathrooms and a sewage leak on the playground that has been exposed for months. There is no code-required fire suppression system and the heating system does not work adequately. Simply put, this building is derelict, dangerous, and delay of this project would unnecessarily put children's lives at risk. Denial of the permit and indefinite delay of the project would also result in significant and unnecessary adversity for children who deserve a comfortable learning environment--navigating leaking sewage, failing heating systems, and closed bathrooms are an obvious impediment to children's and teacher's ability to focus on school work. While much of the public debate around this building has focused on how the school building, playgrounds, and access to the school impact the neighborhood, it's important to note the plan for the school and grounds were driven by input from parents, teachers, administrators, and neighbors, and the structure and grounds will--if approved--be an outstanding environment for students to learn and grow. Due to the nature of the site, with a major utility corridor running east-west through the middle of the site, the only economic options for ASD are to put the school on either the south or the north half of the lot. Between these two, the south side of the lot is a) more economical, b) safer (from a gun safety/setbacks perspective), and c) less impactful on neighbors (a north side location would directly shade homes; a south side location avoids almost all shading of homes). In addition, the site plan layout will reduce current traffic impacts on neighbors in which drivers from east of the school must drive around the school site to drop off kids on the west (N St) side. Having a pull through on the Inlet Place side is less impactful overall, considering all neighbors, as many neighbors will continue to take their kids to school by walking or biking from all sides of the property. Parents coming from west of the site will in most cases be proceeding to the I/L corridor anyway, so having a pull through on the Inlet Place side does not add traffic to the east of the school. It does reduce unnecessary traffic around the school site. My understanding is that the School District has presented both a code-minimum parking option, and an option to reduce parking below code minimums. Code-required parking is excessive, and to the extent you're able, I encourage you to further reduce parking below code requirements. Our code should be updated to reduce or eliminate surface parking requirements, but we can't wait for those broader code reforms to move forward with this critical school project. I am aware of and sympathize with a couple Inlet Place families who have asked for modification to the configuration of the proposed pull through. I also support minimum pavement coverage on the lot and minimal parking, but I don't think the school district or kids can or should be penalized when ASD has put forward a project that both conforms to code and ensures elderly people and people with disabilities can access the school. Eliminating the pull through on the Inlet Place side, or moving it farther from the front door, would increase pervious space on the lot, but would come at the expense of accessibility for elderly people and people with disabilities. In summary, design tradeoffs around the Inlet Place access are complex, but ASD staff and the Building Design Committee have followed code and presented a design that conforms with the law and balances the needs for student safety, access for all including those with disabilities, and convenience and aesthetic interests of neighbors. There are some who have said that Inlet View should be a one-story school, and that it should preserve more green space on the lot. These are contradictory goals, and the UDC should approve the building as proposed because it provides sufficient space for students while maximizing green space and pervious surfaces on site, within the constraints of required parking, access including for people with disabilities, and setbacks for school safety. Please recognize that an adequately sized school is critical for the building to support the educational mission of ASD. Under-sizing the building, or leaving children in a grossly-insufficient space with portables, would reduce socioeconomic and racial diversity of the student body. An adequately sized school ensures students from the Inlet View zone can attend, including both wealthier and more working class neighborhoods. A socioeconomically and racially diverse school is essential to meet the mission of our public schools. Approval of this site plan supports an integrated, equitable school. Denial of the plan would result in the exclusion of working class and more diverse students, to the detriment of our public education system as a whole. The public interest in an integrated, diverse student body far outweigh the aesthetic preferences of those who don't like two story structures, particularly when we consider that there are already numerous two and three story homes in South Addition within a short distance of this school. Nor would it be rational to have a one-story structure covering more of the lot, since that would come at the expense of ballfields, playgrounds, and other public and educational needs on-site. In short, the design presented best accommodates educational needs in the building while preserving green space that is essential for kids and a nice amenity for neighbors. I have seen in previous comments to the UDC false claims that seismic, stormwater, shadows, and traffic were not studied, or not studied adequately for this project. These claims are false, as even a cursory review of the project website would demonstrate. In fact, ASD has exhaustively analyzed seismic safety, stormwater and groundwater issues, shadowing, and traffic flow and parking needs, has addressed each of these factors in accordance with code, and has to the maximum extent possible minimized impact of neighbors while protecting student safety and access for people with disabilities. Falsehoods about the project and the process must not be allowed to impede completion of a project that is essential for kids' safety and for an acceptable learning environment. The UDC has a moral and legal obligation to approve this site plan. Please do not endanger children with any further delay of this essential project. Thank you for your consideration. | |
| Miriam Beck | 9/8/2022 8:05:40 AM |
| My kids went to old, tired, leaky Inlet View in the 90s. The school community was lovely, the teaching was great, and the students spanned the gamut from rich to poor. Sadly, the building needed to be replaced even then. I recall garbage pails catching drips from the roof, and catastrophic leaks in bathrooms, and mustering volunteers to wire for internet hookups. We need to stop patching the old school together. Build the new school on the south side now. Kids need that school in operation. The neighbor’s reasonable concerns can be mitigated with good site design. The desire for a world with no change can never be satisfied, and I don’t respect it as a reason to not improve a situation. I live on Forest Park, and my kids are adults now, but I suspect the family that lives next in our house will have kids. Let’s make sure Inlet View remains a viable option for neighborhood families by quickly replacing the antiquated building. South side yes! | |
| Kristy Garrett | 9/7/2022 2:58:51 PM |
| I have a first grader and a K at Inlet View and am the VP of the PTA. My son asked me today when we were going to have a new school because the current school is falling apart. It is literally unsafe and not conducive to the best learning that these kids deserve. Please approve the current design proposal, so much time and effort and community support has gone into this. | |
| Rachel Barinbaum | 9/7/2022 12:20:21 PM |
| Thank you for your service. I am a resident of South Addition and a mom of 2 young girls - ages 3 and 6. My oldest is a 1st grader at Inlet View Elementary. That is why I am writing to request that you approve the current design for Inlet View. I know the commission has repeatedly been made aware of the outdated and insufficient facilities at the school - including plumbing and mechanical. Inlet View is also one of the schools that still does not have a secure entry vestibule. It does not make sense to add a vestibule to an otherwise failing building so moving forward with the construction of a new school would allow the community to address both issues in a timely manner. Inlet View is truly a community school - and it is a big part of the reason my husband and I chose to buy our first home together in this neighborhood. There are a lot of uncertainties in today's world, but offering our kids a safe place to learn and grow should not be one of them. Our community has spoken - multiple times - and we support this school and this plan. This plan has been a thoughtful, inclusive process that has taken into account both design and community needs. I hope the commission will act swiftly so we can give our children and their teachers/faculty the learning environment they deserve. Thank you, Rachel | |
| Sharon Meacham | 9/1/2022 3:24:01 PM |
| After studying the adopted Inlet View replacement plan, I realize that the proposal does not meet the Anchorage Bowl 2020 Comprehensive Plan. Specifically, the Inlet View Proposal all but ignores the shadowing standards found in Chapter 5, Policy 42: of the Northern Climate Design/Winter City standards. ASD’s shadow studies did not incorporate issues like the thirty-foot trees that align the perimeter fencing on the South Side of the site. These trees cause considerable shading – especially in the winter. Additionally, the proposed location of the two-story building creates its own shading issues. An outside shadow study challenges the ASD results by showing considerable shading on all play areas during the year – especially during the darkest months. ASD admitted that the kindergarten play yard, located on the Southeast corner of the site, will receive NO direct sun during the entire year! Knowingly placing a play yard in year-round shade is completely outside of the Winter City Design concepts. It is important to the current and future residents of Anchorage that the new Inlet View School reflects the current policies and future vision of the Northern cities concepts. To mitigate the serious shadowing issues, please pause the adoption of the current proposal by asking ASD to redesign the plan to better reflect the Anchorage Bowl 2020 Comprehensive Plan. | |
| Nicole Brooks | 5/18/2022 1:12:10 PM |
| Hello, I am a teacher, parent, and close neighbor of Inlet View. Not only will a re-design to build on the current site tear our school apart, but it will also have lasting effects on our newly acquired IB World School authorization. I urge you to approve the current design proposal so my child, my students, my colleagues, and I can all stay together and continue to grow as in IB World School together. We will greatly appreciate the updated space, security, and safety features included in the new design. | |
| Linda a duck | 3/9/2022 10:02:54 PM |
| I am a 50 year resident of south addition and I am writing to express support for approval of the Inlet View design by UDC. This design was crafted based on detailed consultation with residents of South Addition on the Building Design Committee, and teachers and administrators at Inlet View Elementary. Anchorage children are our future and they deserve a safe and excellent facility in which to learn. Please consider all the upheaval that public schools teachers administrators and children have gone through in the last couple of years and support their efforts in doing the very best job that they can to guarantee an excellent future for students. Nationally there is huge upheaval in our public schools lets not let this affect us. I consider myself very fortunate to live close to a good school and see the future of our state walking past my house every day, hearing the lunch bells and the recreation bells ringing knowing another day of good public education is happening right here in my neighborhood. Many people have put their heart, soul, intellect and commitment into the inlet view school rebuild. I respectfully ask you to support the many people in Anchorage that believe in our children and the future of public education and vote yes tonight so that this process can move forward as planned. Thank you | |
| Mary Miller | 3/9/2022 7:11:37 PM |
| Please support the Inlet View design submitted by ASD. A new school is need for this neighborhood now! | |
| Jake Metcalfe | 3/9/2022 4:42:10 PM |
| I've owned homes near or around Inlet View School for my entire 25 years in Anchorage. My 4 children have all attended Anchorage public schools. My youngest is currently a first grader at Inlet View. I support the new Inlet View School as designed. The old school is unsafe. The new school is well designed and supported by parents of Inlet View and Inlet View Neighbors and the South Addition Community Council. This design will improve the neighborhood, be safe for students and teachers, will be a great learning environment. Anchorage has needed this new school for years. Please move forward building it. Call me if you have questions. Jake Metcalfe | |
| Deborah Smugala | 3/9/2022 4:17:28 PM |
| I have lived a couple of blocks from Inlet View for over 20 years. I support the construction of a new school. | |
| Patricia Ahrens | 3/9/2022 4:13:31 PM |
| Good evening to the members of the urban design commission (UDC), My name is Patricia Ahrens, and I'm the proud Inlet View Elementary School principal. I've been the principal of the school for the past seven years. During all these years, I've seen firsthand the amount of work the maintenance department has to put into maintaining the school's functioning for all of us. Almost every other day, I have to submit work orders to have someone from ASD come to school and fix something. Is this sustainable? Probably yes, to a certain extent. How does this impact the instruction of my students? Some classrooms are freezing, and others are hot, air vents that are so loud that students have difficulties hearing what the librarian is trying to teach. And the list can go on and on. Today, I respectfully ask you to approve the Inlet View Building Design. When we as educators were invited to participate in the design process, we did it because of our commitment to the children and wanted the best possible school for them and future orcas. Recently, we received authorization to offer the international baccalaureate (IB) program at the school. I cannot tell you enough how this program has changed the dynamics of the school and how this program is helping students be more engaged in their learning and interested in participating in their community. The new school will allow students to enjoy a maker space, a library open for conducting research projects and learning about technology. The new design provides different areas for students to create outdoor classrooms that allow for science explorations and community projects. The current plan will enable students to remain in their school, avoiding another significant interruption in their instruction like the one caused by Covid. Two years of Covid and the multiple steps in the mitigation plans have prevented students from connecting with their peers. Now that we feel a sense of normalcy, students feel safe again in their school. Thank you for your time, and I ask that you listen to the parents whose children attend Inlet View. Listen to the students that are in the building for 6.5 hours a day. Thank you. Respectfully, Patricia Ahrens | |
| Liz Johnson | 3/9/2022 2:24:39 PM |
| Urban Design Commission: Like many other long time citizens of the South Addition community I am asking you to approve the Inlet View School Building Design as submitted by ASD. Everyone agrees Anchorage needs a new school there. The submitted Design and subsequent public process have fulfilled all the statutory and regulatory requirements guiding the UDC. The members of the UDC should vote to allow this school to be part of the ASD bond package this April. Liz Johnson | |
| Khalial L Withen | 3/9/2022 2:18:27 PM |
| As an Inlet View neighbor and parent of young children, I urge the UDC to support the replacement design for Inlet View Elementary School. The site design appropriately balances a variety of educational and design factors, and it clearly meets the general site plan review standards. Inlet View is a community hub, and there is overwhelming community support for moving forward with this design and building the new school. The thorough review process and resulting proposed design thoughtfully incorporate a height of 30 feet to preserve light, and the south-end location will minimize shading to neighboring residents. Thanks to significant design improvements since 1957, the proposed design will be much safer for students and ASD employees, and storm water standards are superior today as well. Altogether, the proposed design makes the best use of the space, keeps students in the current building during construction, and addresses many considerations on the playgrounds, green space, and transportation. Thank you to ASD for your leadership and all of those who have worked on this design. I appreciate your consideration and request that the UDC approve the replacement design for Inlet View Elementary. | |
| Lynn Hallquist | 3/9/2022 1:45:00 PM |
| To members of the Urban Design Commission: I write in support of the Inlet View Elementary School replacement design. I'm a retired ASD school librarian who lives close to Inlet View. Through the years I've attended school and community meetings in the old 1957 building. All year round the school site draws children and adults for recreation. Inside, plans are underway for an exciting new IB program. Community support is strong for a much-needed replacement building. I urge you to approve the building of this new school. | |
| Becky Peltz | 3/9/2022 1:41:21 PM |
| Having children and grandchildren attend Inlet View Elementary school, I know how important safety and function in school buildings is for the students, families and neighborhood. Please invest in this school, it has enough land to rebuild and incorporate a better design. This downtown school is historic, heavily utilized and will serve many families into the future of Anchorage. Thank you. | |
| Mitchell Laird | 3/9/2022 1:29:16 PM |
| I am a longtime next-door neighbor of Inlet View Elementary school and am opposed to the new design being adopted. The failure to incorporate the existing intersection at Inlet Place and 13th Ave for the parking lot seems to be a massive oversight that will make student pickup/dropoffs along Inlet place even more of a jam than they currently are. Also, as I walk around the neighborhood several times per day all year, I have never seen the current parking lot full, so I question the need for a ~60 space lot along Inlet Place. Who, besides staff and the occasional visiting parent/guardian, needs to be parking at the school? This parking setup will also encourage more pedestrian/vehicle interactions which slows both and creates opportunities for injuries and damage. It has also been brought to everyone's attention numerous times that the new site is fraught with drainage and seismic issues. Residents have expressed that they voted in favor of the new school on the premise that it would be built on the same footprint. It feels as though the entire process has been conducted with a deliberate effort to avoid, ignore, circumvent, and dismiss legitimate concerns from the school's closest neighbors. | |
| Terri Davenport | 3/9/2022 1:15:42 PM |
| I'm writing to provide my unqualified support for the approval of the Inlet View design. I am a parent of two children at Inlet View, and a resident of the Inlet View boundary area. Inlet View is an amazing school and an important part of the community. As you know, it recently became the first elementary school in Alaska to receive accreditation from the International Baccalaureate program. The school building, however, is sorely inadequate and incredibly unsafe for its staff and students. The design that was approved in the last bond is a major improvement, and offers amazing opportunities for the Inlet View program as well as the surrounding community. But all the money spent on the design will be wasted without follow through on the construction. And even if the construction is merely postponed, the design costs will be bloated and costs increased if there is a delay, and design work needs to be restarted (and likely replicated) in the future. It will never be possible to gain 100% consensus on how taxpayer dollars should be spent. Delaying the construction won't achieve full consensus, and will only incur additional design costs and continue to subject precious students to an unsafe and outdated learning environment. It is time to get this project done. Thank you for your consideration. | |
| Ashley List | 3/9/2022 1:13:12 PM |
| Please approve the Inlet View Elementary replacement design. As a former South Addition neighbor for 15 years and still a parent of kids at Inlet View, I think this design is the best compromise. The design minimizes impacts to the neighboring houses by keeping the shading mostly on the school property, while maximizing green space with the two-story design. The two-story design also leaves space for future expansion if needed. The design maintains the walkways that connect the lagoon to New Sagaya City Market for neighborhood walkers. It provides much-needed on-site queueing for car drop-off and pickup. Even when we lived 5 blocks from school, we often drove because there is no bus and young kids can't cross I St, L St, or 15th alone, and pushing a stroller with younger siblings in winter is tough The existing building has conditions most of us wouldn't tolerate in our own houses-- sewage overflow, leaking roof, chronic heating problems, and so on. It is past time for a replacement, and this design will be a great upgrade for the neighborhood. While some immediate neighbor's houses will be closer to the new school than the old, it should be noted that the unconstructed platted road provides a buffer, and the new school will still be substantially farther from those house's lot lines than the typical new infill residential construction in South Addition. | |
| Sarah Shertzer Kleedehn | 3/9/2022 1:09:44 PM |
| Please support the Inlet View design. It has gone through a thorough vetting. Please allow the students to remain in the old school while the new school is being built. That is what would be best for students, parents and teachers. Thank you. | |
| Linda a duck | 3/9/2022 12:21:10 PM |
| I am a 50 year resident of south addition and I am writing to express support for approval of the Inlet View design by UDC. This design was crafted based on detailed consultation with residents of South Addition on the Building Design Committee, and teachers and administrators at Inlet View Elementary. Anchorage children are our future and they deserve a safe and excellent facility in which to learn. Please consider all the upheaval that public schools teachers administrators and children have gone through in the last couple of years and support their efforts in doing the very best job that they can to guarantee an excellent future for students. Nationally there is huge upheaval in our public schools lets not let this affect us. I consider myself very fortunate to live close to a good school and see the future of our state walking past my house every day, hearing the lunch bells and the recreation bells ringing knowing another day of good public education is happening right here in my neighborhood. Many people have put their heart, soul, intellect and commitment into the inlet view school rebuild. I respectfully ask you to support the many people in Anchorage that believe in our children and the future of public education and vote yes tonight so that this process can move forward as planned. Thank you | |
| Reinou | 3/9/2022 11:52:04 AM |
| We are so excited that Inlet View Elementary has a new design and a school plan which includes new safety requirements, up to date sanitary facilities and an upgrade in the way the awesome teachers can do their job in the International Baccalaureate program. Our two young boys will attend IVE we live 4 houses away from IVE and we realize there will be construction discomfort but this will be for the better in the long run. Currently the parking is practically not existent and we experience two times a day a large traffic crowd on N street 12th ave and towards L street. I foresee this becoming better with the new plan of parking on the lot of IVE. I cannot imagine any body in our neighborhood who wants otherwise than up to date building standards for kids going to school and better parking system. As i can see, the building committee members have been considerate and have consulted us as neighbors and parents well. thank you so much for all the efforts, kinds regards, Reinou S Groen MD MIH PhD Adam L Kushner MD MPH | |
| Cecilia LaCara | 3/9/2022 10:32:28 AM |
| I live on 12th Avenue across from Inlet View Elementary going on 25 years. I’ve seen my neighborhood school change into a commuter school attracting children from other parts of the city due to the educational programs offered there. Kids and teachers at Inlet View need school improvements right now. The current school and site configuration cannot support the district’s aims for better services to students and families. Nor can the current school be a good neighbor too all of the property owners around Inlet View. As I’ve testified at the Building Design committee, the school needs to have better parking, drop off and pick up on the school property. I witnessed too many close calls where children run across 12th, drivers not going the speed limit and even doing full U turns on 12th during the start and end of the school day. The proposed plan for the new school and the location of the school on the lot addresses these issues. This project is slated to break ground in May 2022, if the school bond passes. If the UDC does not approve this design, construction will be delayed. The BDC, ASD and the architect have considered multiple designs and taken input from many stakeholders. There will be no assuaging concerns of those few neighbors who currently have a view and access to the large school yard. The current school design and site plan addresses the impacts to the neighborhood in a more equitable manner while making the new school a better, safer and fun place to learn. Rewinding the design at this stage will waste potentially millions of taxpayer dollars, with no guaranteed change in the outcome. | |
| Kristy Garrett | 3/9/2022 10:01:17 AM |
| I strongly support the design and new school. | |
| Owen J. Metcalfe | 3/9/2022 9:39:00 AM |
| My name is Owen Joseph Metcalfe and I’d like to say this is my favorite school and I want it to be safe. Please vote in favor of building this new school. | |
| Moira Smith | 3/9/2022 9:34:26 AM |
| As a resident of South Addition, a parent of a 1st grader at Inlet View, and a four decade sledder on the Inlet View hill, I am writing to express my unqualified support for the construction of this new elementary school. Inlet View is a dinosaur; it is time for a new school to rise up on that lot. | |
| Sharen Walsh-Webster, P.E. | 3/9/2022 9:27:37 AM |
| First, thank you for your time and dedication in serving on the UDC. I support the Inlet View school design and replacement as presently configured. As a design professional myself (civil engineer) I trust that the professionals who designed the project took all factors into account and prepared the best design for the situation and the orientation of the property. A redesign to appease a relatively few number of opponents is not warranted and would take valuable time that the students do not have. My three children and seven grandchildren have all at one time or another attended Inlet View. The community has been putting up with a substandard, outdated building for far too long. Additionally the taxpayers of the South edition neighborhood have been paying for school bonds for other schools year upon year and it is simply time to get this one done for this constituency. | |
| David Kanaris | 3/9/2022 9:26:53 AM |
| Dear UDC, Please support the existing design and construction of Inlet View Elementary. No design can please all stakeholders. This design does a very good job of working with the existing space with minimal disruption to the neighborhood and, most importantly, the students’ education. Let’s get this done. Regards David, resident of south addition and father to one Inlet View student and two future IV students. | |
| Kirsten Cohen | 3/9/2022 8:19:08 AM |
| I support the new/replacement design of the Inlet View Elementary School, along with its new location, parking areas, and outdoor play areas. I live in the South Addition neighborhood and my two sons attend the school. Having the students and staff stay at the current school while the new building is built is important. The school is dated and in need of major, immediate improvements. Inlet View’s teachers, staff, students, parents and neighbors have put countless volunteer hours towards the replacement of the school, which I believe will be benefit the neighborhood as a whole. | |
| Kate Consenstein | 3/9/2022 8:00:52 AM |
| Thank you for your time and consideration on the matter of the Inlet View School and its design process. I am an Inlet View neighbor and parent. I urge the support of the current design and process. The current design prioritizes students and teachers, who have been involved in the ASD-designated development process from the beginning of the process. The current design makes best use of the site, prevents student disruption during development, and resolves many concerns about learning space, play space, parking, traffic and green space. Most neighbors support the design and process. From the outset, as stewards of an ever-changing and dynamic city, we know: it is difficult to meet the needs of every stakeholder in a community; a changing neighborhood is challenging for some, and not all property owners will see their immediate environs remain the same for the tenure of their property ownership. While it's appropriate to hear concerns and accommodate some issues that have minimal impact to the overall project timeline and budget, not all neighbor concerns will be able to be accommodated. As a property owner, I'm aware that I have a right to advocate for impacts to my property, but that larger variables are at work in decision making. As this committee is tasked with making best decisions for ASD students and their learning environment, I encourage the committee to approve the Inlet View Replacement 65% design tonight, and thank you again for your consideration. | |
| Rebecca Linford Love | 3/9/2022 7:08:59 AM |
| Esteemed members of the UDC: Please approve the design for the new Inlet View School! We have come together as Alumni, parents, volunteers, and South Addition residents: working tirelessly to support the right design and ensure Inlet View is not passed over again! We are in mile 25 of this marathon, and need your support to get to the finish. The new school is a long overdue improvement to our building and site that passed its expiration date (and has not changed since I was a student there 30 years ago!) An effective and well designed school is foundation of our neighborhood, and it is what these kids and the surrounding community deserve. We chose to send our kids to our neighborhood school, and believe there is no reason it should be in such a substandard facility any longer. Please join me in supporting this design and removing barriers to this project progressing. | |
| Kelly Merritt | 3/8/2022 6:28:14 PM |
| Dearest Commission, I am opposed to the location and general design of the proposed new Inlet View School. There are a few things I would like to bring to your attention no one else has. Inlet View Place road and utilities were ALL replaced in the summer of 2020. The utilities were put all under ground along the west side of the street they would all be dug up for parking and drive through for the new school. The elevation from Inlet Place to L St goes up in 1 block about 9th 12th. I live on corner, so I hear the daily winter spin outs of the drivers. Some from the school some from just the general drivers. It is daily during the winter. With a concentration of drivers coming out of the driveway, as set up on new design, will be a traffic jam. I have lived here on Inlet for 33 years. There has never been a need for a larger parking lot. I have voted at Inlet View and have never not gotten a parking spot in those 33 years. The size and design would change a beautiful green space, with a two story building, into what would feel like an "industrial compounds" atmosphere. I urge the UDC to have ASD go back to the start, get community input, which the DID NOT, and get great school that works for our kids and community all around. Also, this green space is used by the entire Anchorage community. I keep hearing that Joni Mitchell song about "tearing down paradise and put up a parking lot". | |
| Sharon Meacham | 3/8/2022 9:11:03 AM |
| I urge you to reject the current construction/replacement plan for Inlet View Elementary, it does not meet the shadowing standards called out in Anchorage Bowl 2020 Comprehensive Plan, Northern Climate/Winter City Design, Chapter 5, Policy 42: Northern city design concepts shall guide the design of all public facility projects, including parks and roads. Anchorage School District sidestepped their normal public notification process and belatedly notified the South Addition Community Council and the neighborhood at large of the new school design and placement. By that time, the design was nearly 65% complete and ASD did not appear to embrace any openness to change requests. The main rationale expressed for the South side location choice was to keep the students in the existing building during construction. This building is plagued with serious and recurrent sewer/sewage problems affecting students both inside and outside of the school building. The principal reported times when raw sewage has backed into sinks and toilets creating serious Health/Safety issues. In addition to concerns raised about keeping students in an often-unhealthy building, neighbors raised multiple substantive concerns with the Anchorage School Board; these included ground water/seismic issues, shadowing, and traffic flow. The community were told that it all had been considered. When asked for the documentation detailing the various studies that were used to make the site choice decisions, ASD indicated that those reports did not exist. The Anchorage Bowl Comprehensive Plan 2020 states, in part, that design standards for new developments “respond to the specific northern city conditions of Anchorage, such as sun angles, length of days, wind, cold, snow and rain.” It also states that consideration for “building placement and orientation, natural light, wind…” are to be included. ASD produced shadow studies that have been disputed by other studies and require more analysis. What is not in dispute is that the ASD studies did NOT account for the 30’ trees running along the perimeter fencing of the South Side. These trees, located outside of the ASD site, cause considerable shading. Additionally, the proposed two-story building, creates its own shading issues – especially during the darkest time of the year. ASD insisted that they accounted for the shadowing but another shadow analysis, challenges ASD shadow conclusions. This analysis shows that there likely will be considerable shading on all play areas, including the main playground, during the winter months. ASD admitted that the kindergarten play yard, located on the Southeast corner of the site, will receive NO direct sun during the entire year! Knowingly placing a play yard in year-round shade is totally unacceptable and outside of the Winter City Design concept. In addition, the shading may negatively impact the freezing and thawing of the collected snow rendering these play areas more difficult to use and access. It is important that we get to the bottom of the shadowing issues as ASD’s flawed information is either inadequate or incorrect. When Anchorage School District decided to keep students in a building that is often challenged with health-safety issues, they compromised many of the Anchorage Bowl Comprehensive Plan 2020 policies such as: Chapter 5, Policy 42. In no way does the current Inlet View Replacement proposal - a proposal that includes a year-round totally shaded kindergarten playground - meet the intent of the Northern cities design. The Northern Cities design standards champion planning for the maximum access to critical sunlight not the opposite. It is important to the current and future residents of Anchorage that the new Inlet View School not only is fiscally well managed but reflects the current policies and future vision of the Northern cities concepts. That can be accomplished by requiring ASD to move their school proposal to the Northern side of the site thereby giving students and the public at large, now and in the future, a building that affords the best access to crucial natural light throughout the year while using their playfields. | |
| Trygg Ramstad | 3/7/2022 1:27:21 PM |
| I support the construction of a new Inlet View elementary school. I was raised in a few blocks from Inlet View and that structure is SO OLD THAT I WENT TO SCHOOL IN THE VERY SAME BUILDING my children are (and will) attend. I still live in the neighborhood and I strongly support the new design, location (on the southern edge of the property), and all associated changes with the parking layout. I believe all responsible parties did a great job designing a larger school with modern features that will be a great benefit to the community. Another huge benefit is the fact that the kids will not have to go elsewhere during construction, which is critical to my family. It's time for a new, modern structure that can serve the people of downtown Anchorage for decades to come. Please, let's get this project started! | |
| Tamas Deak | 3/5/2022 9:50:05 AM |
| Dear Commission Chairperson and Commission Members, As a neighbor, a fellow design professional, and active member of commissions and community organizations I am compelled to comment, even - perhaps - against my better angels. You, in your capacity as volunteer members of the Urban Design Commission with specific duties and rules of engagement are placed in an untenable position to decide the fate of this application. I don’t envy you, but at least you are not alone. All who want great education facilities for our children, all who deeply care about the long-term vibrancy, design quality and unique character of our neighborhood, and all who are directly impacted by this proposal as parents and/or neighbors are finding ourselves in the same untenable position. The upsetting fact is that this was entirely avoidable. I urge you that you weigh the long-term impacts of the proposal at hand and return the application for redesign. Please, hear me out on the logic and details that I summarize below. The design proposal is crafting a new school on the existing school grounds using what is the currently available area to locate a new school next to an existing fully operational school. This approach presents harsh design constraints and limitations to the design of the new school. To the credit of the design team, the proposal attempts to do a respectable job of mitigating those constraints, but ultimately can overcome them only to a very limited extent. The real problem with this proposal is that the design constraints are temporary, while the new school will be permanent at least in the eyes of the next three generations. When the project is fully complete and the construction crews are gone, so will be the original constraints. This is unacceptable for responsible long-term planning. It also jeopardizes the great design potential of this facility that deserves the best outcomes for the high cost it requires as investment from the taxpayers such as you and I. I called your position untenable above because you are forced to evaluate a design that is constrained, while you have no ability to weigh in on the reasons why the constraints exist. During the last six months of the blunder the school district’s Capital Planning and Construction Department considers as an inclusive and collaborative public process, several inferences were made regarding the criterion of keeping the existing school operational while the new school was being constructed. The decision to operate the school while the new one was being constructed was made long before the required community meeting for this application, which was conducted in September 2021. This decision was kept from reexamination during the subsequent community engagement. Keeping the existing school operational while the new one is constructed is a management decision that has huge implications for any possible design for the new facility. In effect, you are in the untenable position of indirectly evaluating and confirming a management decision that is focused on the near-term time horizon (1 school year) against a design proposal with impacts for at least 6 decades. I urge you to favor the long-term view. Striving for the best design is always possible and supporting a design change does not jeopardize the funding for the new school if approached creatively and constructively. You’ll hear it otherwise, but the School District has a duty to step up and clean up the mess it purposefully or inadvertently created. There is very strong neighborhood support of funding for Inlet View School, support was never an issue. This is a difficult decision, but I see two options to move forward. I respectfully offer them for consideration. They will require creativity to fit them into the project delivery process, but the resources are available to do so. Your decision will incentivize the will to do so. The first potential option is to return the project for redesign with the condition that a new design is conceived and presented at the location of the existing school replacing the existing one. This option lends primacy to the long-term design considerations over the short-term management considerations, which brought us to this point. The second potential option is to approve the design, but only with the condition and assurances that the final design preserves the existing school in place. It is an obscene waste of taxpayer money to demolish a building that is a well-designed mid-century facility that has plenty of life in it for long term community benefit. It may no longer function well as a school but offers great potential for rehabilitation for accessible senior housing – reusing the classrooms as studio apartments – and the common spaces as community spaces. The social capital that such an arrangement can offer is a significant benefit and the taxpayer money spent for demolition would be used for a long-term investment. Repurposing the school in this manner is one of many options, the details and mechanisms will be up to the able professionals of the Anchorage School District with community input and support. In closing, I request again that you support a new Inlet View School at the location Ed Crittenden envisioned the current one, which has been serving the community well since the 1950s. His vision is still valid today and as designers we would be amiss not to acknowledge it. Thank you for your hard work and contributions as commissioners of the Urban Design Commission. Tamas Deak, Fellow neighbor and Fellow of the American Society of Landscape Architects | |
| Grant Crosby | 3/4/2022 12:27:32 PM |
| “Our school facilities are a tangible symbol of our commitment to education.” This is the FIRST line of the executive summary of Anchorage School District’s (ASD) Educational Specifications for elementary schools. I fully support the replacement of Anchorage's oldest school - it's time! What an excellent opportunity to support a new school for our current and future students. | |
| Wendy Bursiel Weber | 3/4/2022 10:07:33 AM |
| I support the new Inlet View Elementary. The kids in the neighborhood deserve a new school, and it is great it can be built while they remain in the current school. Let's get it built! | |
| Erich Walter | 3/4/2022 9:12:34 AM |
| I support the new Inlet View school design. I believe ASD, the architects and Building Design Committee did a great job designing a larger school that has a smaller footprint to allow for maximum play and green space, while meeting codes for parking. I live across the street from Inlet View. As a neighbor, I appreciate the improved traffic design and flow. It will be so much safer for children who walk and bike to our neighborhood school. As a former parent of an Inlet View Orca (she is now a 7th grader) I know how much a new school is needed. I appreciate the time and effort that so many took to design the next great Inlet View and the focus on making sure it makes our neighborhood even better. | |
| Debby Burwen | 3/3/2022 7:28:28 PM |
| I live across the street from Inlet View School and I support the new building as proposed on the south side of the property. I am very concerned about the stress of resituating the kids to a different school while the new school is built. I went through that when Chugach Optional was rebuilt. It was extremely hard on the kids/teachers/parents. And that was with an optional school where most parents were driving their kids anyways - this is a neighborhood school! I think I am very fortunate to have a school across the street rather than a high-density housing project (not that I am necessarily opposed to those). It was not that long ago that they were talking about doing away with Inlet View School due to the small number of students it serves in the neighborhood. I'm on board with the current plan, and I feel they did a great job looking at all the options and choosing the best one. I'll let the others fight over the traffic patterns, as I don't have a strong opinion there. I just don't want to see the kids/teachers lives disrupted. Most of all, I want to ensure that there is a school across the street full of young lives and the hope and optimism that brings to me! | |
| SETH ANDERSEN | 3/3/2022 3:59:47 PM |
| I live near to the Inlet View Elementary School and have 2 kids that have attended the school since 2018. I think that ASD and their design team have done a nice job fitting all of the components of a modern school on to a compact urban site. I believe that they have provided a site plan that is practical, minimizes the impact on the neighborhood, is safe, and meets municipal code and site design criteria. Inlet View is an existing school, a replacement school will not be introducing new activities, noises or traffic to the neighborhood. The site plan has vehicle traffic accommodated at both the east and west side of the site plus the North side of the site can also be used for parent pickup/drop off similar to how Inlet place is currently used. The parking areas are adequate to accommodate vehicle queuing onsite instead of on the neighborhood roads. MOA Traffic has indicated that they have capacity to increase green light timing leaving the neighborhood during the 5-minutes of morning and afternoon increased traffic. The compact 2-story design frees up space for more play fields and at 30-ft tall is consistent with the height residential houses are allowed to be built in this neighborhood. I also appreciate that the design team is using Alternate Equivalent Compliance for landscaping. This is a great tool to make sure the intent of the landscape criteria is met and to make sure landscaping has the most impact while also being in appropriate and safe locations. Thanks, Seth | |
| Marya Pillifant | 3/3/2022 1:14:23 PM |
| Hello, I am in favor of the project to build a new Inlet View with the current design. I have appreciated the transparent and open process that the ASD has conducted to design the school and engage the neighborhood. Inlet View is finally getting a much needed new building. I applaud all those that have worked to make this new building happen! | |
| Petra Wilm | 3/3/2022 12:19:17 PM |
| Dear UDC members, I am an Inlet View Elementary parent of two since 2016, and a PTA officer since 2018. I’ve lived in South Addition since 2002. I’ve worked downtown and dog walked, toddler-shuffled, run, biked, driven, and skied probably every pathway and roadway in my neighborhood hundreds, if not thousands of times. My kids have worn a path down the sidewalk from our house to the school. I grew up in Fairbanks and I’ve lived in Anchorage for twenty years. I know this school, I know this neighborhood, and I know this city and state. I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT THE INLET VIEW REPLACEMENT SCHOOL PROJECT. What an incredible opportunity for Anchorage to invest in a single civic project that will benefit so many residents and visitors alike. I’m sure you have read in your packet all the ways the design supports our locally adopted city plan goals. This project will improve so much more than the educational environment for students at Inlet View. Adjacent to a primary connector between downtown and our city’s major greenbelt, improvements to Inlet View will be experienced by thousands of pedestrians, runners, bikers, and tourists every year. Enhancements to important neighborhood and city connections will sends a message of hope, resilience and planning for future Alaskans. I have been advocating for improvements to this 1950s designed school for 8 years. Long-time staff at Inlet View and parents before my time have been volunteering for over a decade. The public design process has been long and winding, and has included many very experienced Inlet View staff, teachers, parents, neighbors, and even several alums of Inlet View. I know I speak for hundreds when I say we are thrilled to be at the pen-ultimate threshold —approval from the UDC. Thank you for your time, and service. I urge you to approve this project. Petra Wilm Parent, Neighbor, Alaskan, Architect | |
| Bonnie J DeArmoun | 3/3/2022 11:55:28 AM |
| I am a neighbor of Inlet View and support the design wholeheartedly. Our community has worked together to create a design that offers the safest learning environment while serving the neighborhood. I am have been deeply involved in the school and working with the community on creating the best design possible for the safety and education of our children. Our students are so excited to have a new safe and healthy school where they are allowed to drink from the water fountains, don't have to wear their jackets inside and the bathrooms are in working order. The fence around the hole in playground where sewage leaked will be a thing of the past. The community at large is ready for this positive change and we are excited to vote in April to support the school bond. I feel confident that the Urban Design Commission will find the packet submitted by ASD and NVision meets and exceeds the commissions standards. | |
| Lois Epstein, P.E. | 3/2/2022 4:42:11 PM |
| Respectfully, Rep. Zack Fields's comments misrepresent the concerns of those who oppose approval by the UDC of the proposed design for the rebuilt Inlet View Elementary School. Here is a summary of the concerns the public submitted in writing to the Anchorage Planning Department on this case, as summarized in the 2022-0024 Staff Report to the UDC: Community Comments On February 16, 2022, 427 public hearing notices were mailed out in accordance with the procedures of AMC 21.03.020H. Notice. A public hearing notice was also sent to the South Addition Community Council. Several neighbors contacted the Planning Department to submit written comments and to obtain information on the case and public hearing. As of this writing, 15 written comments have been submitted for the site plan review. Six comments were from residents immediately adjacent to the school parcel and the other comments were from residents scattered around the neighborhood. All comments as of this writing stated objections to the site plan and none were in support of the site plan for the replacement school. Commenters stated concern for additional lighting and noise on M Street and Inlet Place and concerns for drainage on the south side of the site. Commenters opposed the location of the new school building on the south side of the parcel because of shading for the older kids’ playground and grassy playfield where most kids will spend time during winter months, and that the proposed kindergarten playground is an example of a playground facing south to take advantage of sunlight. Comments also noted opposition to the two-story design and were concerned it was out of place with the neighborhood. Commenters recapped frustration with the public process and felt there was a lack of opportunity for communication with the Anchorage School District. Commenters referenced the Inlet View Building Design Committee violation of the Open Meetings Act found by the Municipal Ombudsman, with remedies to the violation coming late in the design process. Commenters felt the short-term inconvenience to relocate students was incorrectly given greater importance than the long-term impact of the building for the neighborhood and had concerns for noise in the existing building during construction of the new building. Comments discussed an emphasis for vehicles over pedestrians in the design and brought up potential turning delays and traffic issues with the steepness of West 12th Avenue and West 13th Avenue to enter and leave the neighborhood. In addition, commenters thought the proposed east-west pedestrian connector/shortcut through the school site would have more obstacles than the existing east-west pedestrian connection, and felt there was a reduction in grassy play areas and trees with the replacement site design. All original community comments received as of this writing are included in Attachment 4. | |
| Ryan Webb | 3/1/2022 5:27:06 PM |
| I live in South Addition and I am in favor the IV design by UDC. The design takes into account many factors and tries to balance sometimes competing priorities. I think it does this well and in a way that will serve our community well for years to come. | |
| Zack Fields | 3/1/2022 11:29:07 AM |
| I am writing to express support for approval of the Inlet View design by UDC. This design was crafted based on detailed consultation with residents of South Addition on the Building Design Committee, and teachers and administrators at Inlet View Elementary. The south-end-of-lot location minimizes shadowing of neighbors overall, and is the ideal location in terms of safety. Detailed shadow studies informed placement of windows for classrooms and playground and field infrastructure to ensure that children can play outside in the sun on some part of the playground and grounds at any time of day. A small group of neighbors on Inlet Place and M St, simply don't want a building closer to their homes. They have concocted all kinds of excuses to oppose the school, falsely claiming that the building will create more drainage issues, will be less safe in terms of seismic activity, and (based on an inaccurate shadow drawing) shadow the lot all day. Let's be clear: The new building, constructed to modern standards, will be far safer. Stormwater standards are much higher now than in 1957 and construction of the building anywhere on the lot will improve, not worsen, drainage issues. It is a fair question whether a north or south side location is better, but the tiny group of neighbors opposing this have spread false information because they don't want a structure closer to their homes. For example, claims that the school doesn't meet northern design standards are false. It is also absurd to oppose any two-story school--plenty of homes in South Addition are two or three stories, and a two-story school design maximizes green space on site while being aesthetically consistent with the neighborhood and minimizing imperviousness/stormwater impacts. Likewise, it is false to claim that the south side of the lot is "less stable". ASD's team has studied the site's seismic characteristics, and there is no material difference in the fifty yards that separate the current from future school location. In any case, a new school will be more seismically resilient thanks to building techniques that are far more sophisticated than they were in 1957. Parochial and aesthetic concerns are far less important than the educational mission of a school. Fortunately, the vast majority of South Addition residents recognize this, and our community overwhelmingly endorsed construction of a new building for Inlet View Elementary, placed on this year's bond. The Community Council also rejected proposed amendment language that would have made school construction conditional on a north side location. The School Board and Assembly rejected such proposals as well. Literally hundreds of members of the South Addition Community have worked over the last twenty years to bring this project to fruition, first fighting to get it on the CIP, then to get planning money, and finally to obtain funding for construction. This design process has been exhaustive and inclusive. It may not satisfy every neighbor, but it clearly reflects the public purpose and public benefits of the school, and most local residents support it. I certainly do, and urge you to approve this design. | |
| Fran Durner | 2/22/2022 2:27:15 PM |
| Members of the Urban Design Commission, The Inlet View Elementary School (IVES) replacement school is a new building with a projected life of 50-60 years. This is our opportunity to make sure it is built to the highest standards. The existing school, opened in 1959, is on the northern part of a sloping site where the school, built to Northern Design standards of the time, and the playgrounds, take full advantage of the sun, especially in winter. It is a low-slung, mid-century design, that fits in with the surrounding neighborhood of mostly single family homes. The proposed new design is sited on the lowest, wettest, and shadiest part of the lot. It is a bulky, boxy building, taller than surrounding homes, and fronted by a huge parking lot that enters and exits on a main egress for the neighborhood. Instead of green space and playing fields, the building and huge parking lot will be the first thing people will see when entering the neighborhood. The proposed building and parking lot do not fit in or give consideration to the existing character of our older, established, and historic neighborhood. The Anchorage School District did not inform or involve the South Addition Community Council until they were already a year into the building design process. There are many problems with the current proposed design and process: The proposed two-story building will require considerable, costly, ground work if built on the southern part of the site. Since it is a sloping lot, fill will need to be added to level the building site. The northern site is a known building site and will require considerably less ground work. The water table is approximately 3-5 ft below the surface in the southern area. Only three bore holes have been drilled over the entire site as of fall 2021. ASD has not sufficiently addressed water issues and how it will affect surrounding homes, which already face major issues, especially during spring breakup. The current IVES replacement design does not follow principles of Northern Design, which should guide the design, as required in the Districtwide Educational Specifications: Elementary Schools. (4.8.1) The proposed building’s position will not take full advantage of winter sun, and will shade the playground area during winter months and leave it vulnerable to prevailing north winds. The kindergarten playground will be in shade for most of the entire school year. Shadow studies commissioned by ASD and a private architect both bear this out. The school is surrounded by narrow, and one-way streets, wholly within an historic neighborhood with limited egress. ASD had the opportunity to address the traffic impact and flow problems with a proposed alternate parking lot design, but chose not to do so. The Capital Improvement Advisory Committee, in a letter dated September 20, 2021, stated that due to seismic concerns, “The CIAC is split on continued support [of] the Inlet View project.” The southern site is seismically less stable. The design did not follow Districtwide & Educational Specifications: Elementary Schools, which requires "Sensitivity to the Neighborhood Scale and Context." (4.8.1) It does not follow various other principles outlined in Districtwide Educational Specifications: Elementary Schools. It does not follow the School Board's own policies, 7000, 7100, and 7220. The design appears to have met only minimum standards for ADA accessibility, egress, and safety of the children for the proposed two-story building. It does not conform to the 2040 Land Use Plan (LUP) which seeks to, “Preserve, accommodate and contribute to the character, scale and identity of established neighborhoods.” It does not conform to policies outlined in the Anchorage Original Neighborhoods Historic Preservation Plan. It does not conform to policies outlined in the Draft South Addition Neighborhood Plan. Many of us who live in South Addition have been working for years on a Neighborhood Plan. Many of us have also been working on Planning & Zoning, and Transportation issues for the neighborhood. Our community is proud of, and has been overwhelmingly in favor of preserving its historic and unique character, limiting home height and bulk in keeping with the character, and preserving solar access. ASD has ignored established neighborhood standards and ideals. Please do not take this testimony as anything other than wanting the best school built to withstand the test of time for future generations. Inlet View Elementary School is badly in need of replacement. Please make sure it is done right. Thank you for the opportunity to comment, Fran Durner | |