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| Submitted comments will appear below after staff approval. | |
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| Michael Bailey | 11/4/2012 8:34:25 PM |
| I support an upgrade to Fire Station 9. However, I object to site 19 as the proposed location on the following basi: *The volume of traffic on D'Armoun accessing the New Seward Highway, and Lake Otis to Rabbit Creek Elementary School is not conducive to adding emergency vehicles to the mix. Also the site reduces timely access by emergency vehicles to southbound New Seward Highway as they would have to cross New Seward Highway and go south on Old Seward before accessing New Seward. *Rabbit Creek Elementary already has inadequate parking spaces and poorly designed traffic flow so if the decision is finally made to use this site then it should include provision for school traffic and parking improvements. *I recommend the examination of the already cleared land on Old Seward and 104th (Video City/Sunset Hills Baptist church area) which is close to the existing FS9 site and would still provide better response time to Oceanview and the Huffman Business Park area. This option was not included on the list of examined potential sites and bears further investigation. | |
| Rob Fischer | 10/13/2012 1:07:11 AM |
| Most people would be happy to have a fire station close to their home (it lowers your insurance, and therefore your house payment, let alone your family's lives being more protected). This is a case of NIMBY gone CRAZY! If these people don't want it build it next to us! When their house is on fire they can admire the park. | |
| Sara Krokos | 10/7/2012 3:20:46 PM |
| My family and I are NOT in favor of the proposed land use to move Huffman Fire station #9 - which would be directly across from our home. We purchased this house 5 years ago because of it's great location and beautiful park we look at every day out our front windows. We enjoy living on a street with minimal traffic so our children ages 4, 2, and 1 can be in the front yard and be safe. I also find it a bit baffling to read about proposed fire stations closures, such as the newly built Southport and remote Bear Valley - amid the proposal to build a new station off Lake Otis Pkwy? This does not make much budgeting sense to me and we are not in favor of any building developments in Rabbit Creek Park. Thank you, Sara Krokos | |
| Nancy Koropp | 9/20/2012 3:49:56 PM |
| I am very concerned about moving the Huffman fire station so close to a neighborhood and taking away parkland. It makes no sense money wise to move the fire station from it's existing location. I am opposed. | |
| Sandra Lemke | 9/8/2012 1:29:38 PM |
| this location is not suitable for a fire station. There is a huge amount of bus and vehicle traffic along the road into Rabbit Creek Elementary School. The opportunity for vehicle (firetruck and support vehicles responding to emergencies and school traffic is a tragedy waiting to happen. It is a safety issue with proximity to Rabbit Creek Elementary School. Don not build a fire station at this location. | |
| Donna Stark | 9/4/2012 12:30:53 PM |
| We are opposed to the idea of moving a fire station to Lake Otis and Huffman Rd. There are established neighborhoods that include existing homes on three of the corners of this intersection. The noise and traffic created by a fire station is not an acceptable use for such an established residential area. The current site of Fire Station 9 is in a excellent area for the noise and traffic generated by such a facility. Considering the current state of the Municipal Budget deficit and the high rate of property taxes already facing home owners, a new facility does not seem the best use of public funds. | |
| Mike Arnold | 8/31/2012 9:10:35 PM |
| As a long time homeowner on Seafarer Loop, I think with more time and research, the planning personnel at the MOA can come up with a much better site for Fire Station 9. Placing it in the existing Rabbit Creek Park and next to Rabbit Creek Elementary School brings many concerns brought forward in these Case Comments. I would also add that this fire station will not be like the O'malley or Bear Valley Stations. It will have far more activity creating a greater opportunity for conflicts and accidents. Please look into a more suitable location. Thank you, Mike Arnold | |
| Rob Nuss | 8/31/2012 10:42:26 AM |
| I also oppose the relocation of Fire station #9 to the Rabbit Creek Park. The MOA has done a poor job explaining the need to move the station from its current location. Why move from an established commercial zone with excellent road access in all directions, to a quiet residential neighborhood with slow and cumbersome access to points south of DeArmoun Rd. And all this when the city is projecting a $30 million budget gap. We should be working with what we've got on Huffman, not starting over somewhere else. Another concern is that once the MOA starts developing the Rabbit Creek Park/Greenbelt, that they won't stop. Imagine a school district or street maintenance storage facility, or some other eyesore right behind the homes on the west side of Seafarer Loop. That isn't what we moved here for. The park is important to a large group of residents who use it daily. Please do not alter it. | |
| Claudia Christensen | 8/31/2012 7:33:11 AM |
| I am a homeowner on Seafarer Loop, just East of the proposed site for the relocation of firestation #9. I would like to express my strong opposition to this plan. Many of my neighbors and residents of the surrounding area have already expressed their concerns and given some compelling arguments against this plan. We have lived in this home for nearly 20 years and are not alone in finding that access to green space and undeveloped land is what makes Anchorage and Alaska such a unique and desirable place. We understand the need for access to services, but there are other sites that would be obviously preferable and that would have much less negative impact on quality of life, safety, noise levels and traffic flow. Thank you for taking our concerns into consideration. | |
| Sherrell Holtshouser | 8/30/2012 10:00:40 PM |
| Our family lives just around the corner from Rabbit Creek school. I have walked the area, including our Rabbit Creek Park paths for years. I also drive in the area. During morning school and rush hour traffic, access to turn left out of the proposed site near the school could be quite dangerous with commuters barreling down DeArmoun road headed for the highway entrance while kids and school buses are about, often stopped and blocking traffic movement. Making a left hand turn might be easier, but the road way is narrow at the turn and cars can really pile up there waiting to get onto the highway. There's no place for them to move to the side to allow good access for a large fire truck. Add kids coming and going and it really seems like a poor plan. The people of the MOA have a serious overweight and obesity health problem. One of the most effective remedies for that is neighborhood access to walkable paths, parks and green space. Removal of our park is not a people friendly, health friendly or safety-minded plan, in my view. Please review your plans and consider a location where the trees and footpaths have already been stripped away. Thank you for your consideration, Residents of the neighborhood since 1994. | |
| Dave Diller | 8/28/2012 10:21:45 PM |
| I’m sure you’ve looked at all potential sites, however, it would be interesting to know if the large “land-locked” tract of land between Carr’s gas and Faltz landscaping company on Labar was considered? Definitely lots of land to expand there. Appears to be owned by Carrs. Maybe they could provide access between Carr’s gas and PO to Huffman Park Drive or even some sort of direct egress only to the Seward Highway? There are also several larger vacant parcels located on Industry Way behind Carl's Jr and also next to Cold Stone which seem more suited for a fire station. Keeping it in more of a commercial setting near the existing site makes more sense than putting it next to several established quiet, residential neighborhoods at Huffman and Lake Otis or DeArmoun and Lake Otis. Current site location is pretty small and does not lend to expanding very well. But people are used to it being at this location and have bought homes and businesses knowing full well that a fire house is nearby. Is a bigger facility really necessary? I hate to be NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) about it, but I’ve lived at our current location on Laird Circle for 8+ years in relative quietness. Although a bigger site, putting the fire house at the corner of Huffman and Lake Otis places it only 750’ from my front door, within both eyesight and earshot. Something I had not anticipated when we purchased our home. I would definitely hear the trucks more readily coming and going at all hours. Something I do not relish. The medians on both Huffman and Lake Otis could also affect their turning movements in and out of the site. The site at DeArmoun and Lake Otis, again although larger, does not have very good highway access. And I can only imagine the residents closest to this site would not be too thrilled about the increase in noise there either. I realize that the needs of the community outweigh the inconveniences of the few, but I would just as soon see it stay where it is. (Maybe they can buy out McDonald’s and expand there? Just a thought.) | |
| Nancy Dawson | 8/28/2012 9:22:09 PM |
| I am writing in regard to the proposed selection of site 19 (signage by the Municipality names this as "Rabbit Creek Park"), located just north of DeArmoun Rd., and near Westwind Drive, for the relocation of Fire Station 9. The selection of this site would be most unfortunate, as it would be adjacent to Rabbit Creek Elementary School. The traffic congestion on the very narrow road leading to the school is considerable. Adding to this would pose a hazard to parents and children coming and going to school. In addition, I question why the municipality feels that the public is not served at the current location? Is there no room for expansion at the current site on Huffman Rd.? I would think that budgetary concerns would lead to an examination of how to expand on the current site, rather than the large expense of acquiring the site, making costly changes to traffic patterns on DeArmoun and at the intersection of Old Seward and DeArmoun, and building a whole new facility. | |
| Steven Hatter | 8/28/2012 7:44:41 PM |
| I live on Seafarer Loop and I strongly oppose the proposed action of building a new fire station on the greenbelt adjacent to Seafarer Loop. My neighbors and I would appreciate a clear explanation of the compelling purpose and need for this action. We believe it will negatively impact the access, safety, and traffic flow associated with Rabbit Creek Elementary School, it will destroy a vital greenbelt that shields noise and the negative visual impact of the Seward Highway for Turnagain View residents, it will create a noise and commercial activity problems, and it will lower our property values. What other alternatives have been considered? What are the required steps to change the use of a designated park? What recourse does our neighborhood coalition have to stop this action? Thank you for the opportunity to comment. I look forward to the 10 Sep Hearing. | |
| Sue Ban | 8/28/2012 4:36:10 PM |
| Rabbit Creek Park land should not be used for is this fire station. While a new fire station for the area is a worthy cause and is probably needed, I don't feel that dedicated green belt or park land should be destroyed for this station. I believe that the good of the community would be better served by preserving the green space and locating the fire station in a more commercial area. There is also the issue of the proximity of Rabbit Creek Elementary. There is a lot of congestion on Lake Otis during the school year and there are many children walking to school and riding bikes. The area and playground are also heavily used during the summer and on weekends. Adding a fire station with emergency vehicles entering and leaving throughout the day would add additional congestion and could be considered a safety issue for walkers bikers and recreational users of the school and playground. We would not want an emergency vehicle to be delayed due to a crowded Lake Otis during school drop off and pick up and we would not want someone to be inadvertenky injured by a responding emergency vehicle. | |
| Cindy Dawson | 8/28/2012 12:52:38 PM |
| 1. When comparing site 12 with site 19, site 12 is directly adjacent to far fewer homes and thus would impact far fewer residents with fire station noise. 2. Site 19 would be adjacent to a woefully bad, deteriorating road that is the ONLY access to Rabbit Creek Elementary School. This would be a significant public safety hazard to elementary school-aged children. 3. The Site Selection Study states that Site 19 is part of Rabbit Creek Greenbelt and that it is not a dedicated park. Both statements are not correct. It is NOT part of Rabbit Creek Greenbelt, and according to the MOA's own signs and website it IS "Rabbit Creek Park." Also, Plat 85-136 indicates that this is a "Municipal Park." 4. The Site Selection Study states that "local residents *PERCEIVE* it as parkland." This is insulting! The MOA has signs installed that say it is a park, and these signs also state the times of day that the park is open and closed. Many residents bought their homes because it is a Park. 5. Only a portion of Site 12 is designated as Class C wetlands which is the lowest value of wetlands that only requires MOA approval for building, not Corp of Engineers approval. Plus, the portion of Site 12 nearest the road (and most likely to be built upon for a fire station) is not designated as wetlands. 6. The intersection at Huffman and Lake Otis (Site 12) is much more suited for East/West AND North/South traffic. Huffman Road was also improved just last summer and has a signalized intersection. There is no signal at site 19. 7. Site 12 is much more centrally located to Fire Station No 9's service area and nearer to more dense population areas. 8. Site 12 has an assessed value of $176,000. However, the suggested potential purchase price is $340,000. How was this higher potential market value determined? Why isn't the property assessed at its market value? 9. Site 23 is the current fire station and is one of the final three choices. A temporary location could be found while the current building is remodeled. What are the estimated costs of this? I submit it would be much less expensive to relocate/remodel, and it would affect far fewer taxpayers, than building a complete new firestation at Site 19 or 12. Thank you, Cindy Dawson | |
| Shelly Nuss | 8/28/2012 10:09:25 AM |
| This is in regards to the relocating/building of Fire Station 9 at site 19. I live on Seafarer Loop. That green space was purchased with the understanding that it would remain green space. There are safety concerns with Rabbit Creek Elementary being located on the narrow Lake Otis Road. There is children, traffic, bikes from 7am until 9am and then again from 2pm-3:30 because of Rabbit Creek Elementary being located on Lake Otis and further congestion from traffic to and from South High School. This area is too congested for a Fire Station and the green space should remain just that, green space, to be enjoyed by the people and animals in this community. Please research this further. The green space is used so much. Sincerely, Shelly Nuss | |
| LARRY HUBBLE | 8/19/2012 4:46:53 PM |
| Cutting down the forested land and putting in a fire station would be an unfortunate development for me and our neighbors. The noise and traffic at Lake Otis and Huffman have steadily increased since we moved here in 1999. With all the traffic noise associated with living right on Lake Otis like we do, I am amazed that the city tax assessor rates our property as "LOW TRAFFIC LEVEL". | |
| Richard Cline | 8/19/2012 8:59:25 AM |
| Thanks for the quick response. I did check out site 18 last night and found it to be a area that does not have the homes that site 19 has,which would be a big plus in that it would not disrupt Family's living in the area. Also this site 18 would not have the foot traffic in front of the Fire Station and on the west side that young kids ( 1st though 6th grade) walking by themselves to Rabbit Creek Elementary School, as the sidewalk is located on the other side of the road on site 18. I also look at site 19 and found that a lot of dirt needs to be purchase and hauled in to bring it up to the road grade at a added cost, also LAKE OTIS PKWY Is going to have added cost to bring it up to specs with some type of sidewalk that will go to Rabbit Creek School so the Kids can stay off of the road. I find it difficult to understand, when you say site 18 is not for sale and the current owner may or may not be willing to consider a sale. How can any site selection study be done and a site is selected without getting all the answers. Maybe the owner would be glad to sell if they were simply asked. I think I have brought up some very good reason why site 18 should be the top #1 choice and would like to hear why it is not being even considered. Rezoning is not a problem for a Fire Station as I understood last night. Sewer and water is in the area and could not be that big of problem. The hill on site 18 is a plus as the dirt should and could be sold to make money as fill to some other place close,and it could be right across the road. I think site 19 is the 1st choose because the MOA owns it . Lets think about the homes and people this Fire Station will have a long term affect on and put it where it it will have the least affect on Families for years to come. I would like to see the information that you said last night about when the MOA purchase this 9 acres from the person in 1985. This 9 acres is a park and has been because of the written agreement to keep it in that form. Thanks Richard Cline | |