Municipality of Anchorage Parks, Natural Open Space, and Recreation Facilities Plan Anchorage Bowl
COMMUNITY COUNCIL QUESTIONNAIRE
For Anchorage Bowl Community Councils
Introduction
This survey is part of a parks and recreation demand analysis being conducted as part of the Parks, Natural Open Space, & Recreation Facilities Plan update. The overall results of the demand analysis will be reviewed in a public forum in the fall of this year.
This survey was sent to the Mid-Hillside and Hillside East Community Councils' Boards. We are passing it on to you for your input before we fill it out and return it to the Parks Plan group. The parks we are concerned with are within and adjacent to our Councils boundaries; roughly north of
DeArmoun Rd to Bicentennial Park and east of Birch to Chugach Park plus the area east of Ruth Arcand Park and bounded by O'Malley Rd and Abbott Road.
_________________________________RESPONSES _____________________________
As of 5/7/03 we got 22 responses out of about 200 surveys emailed . Not everyone answered every question.
PARKS
FORSYTHE PARK (Next to O'Malley School and on the east side of Birch Road)
Do you use this park? __15__Yes__6___No
Condition _5__Good __7_Fair _2__Poor
Amount of Use ____High __9__Moderate __6___Low
Activities you do there: walk dog, Park for walk, play with dogs, play with children, hike, run, bike, fitness trail
Too many dead trees, it's worrisome; posted signs say no horses, piles on ground show otherwise
BIRCH PARK (on the west side of Birch Road between Huffman and O'Malley)
Do you use this park? __7__Yes__15___No
Condition __2_Good __4_Fair __1_Poor
Amount of Use ____High __4__Moderate __1___Low
Activities you do there: Drive by it daily; don't use it but I see lots of people there; kick soccer ball, basketball, picnic, walk.
Horse barrel run is a mudhole.
RUTH ARCAND PARK (Has golf course, Anchorage Equestrian Center)
Do you use this park? __13__Yes__8___No
Condition _5__Good __6_Fair _1__Poor
Amount of Use __2__High __5__Moderate __6___Low
Activities you do there: kids picnics and group activities; play with kids and kids fair; parties; golf; hike; equestrian; dog shows; walk dogs
HILLS PARK (tiny park on Ridgecrest)
Do you use this park? __2__Yes___16__No
Condition _2__Good ___Fair ___Poor
Amount of Use ____High __1__Moderate __1___Low
Activities you do there : walk
FAR NORTH BICENTENNIAL PARK
(Includes Hillside Park Cross Country Ski area and Hilltop downhill area)
Do you use this park? _19___Yes__3___No
Condition _12__Good __2_Fair ___Poor ___________________________
Amount of Use __11__High _4___Moderate __2___Low
Activities you do there ski (xc & downhill & jumping), bike, walk dogs, kids play, orienteering
ski, bike, run; horseback riding; dog mushing; bird and animal watching
I love going to this park. Even after 12 years there's still more to discover.
This park makes living in Anchorage great! Keep it wild!
Fire clearing made a huge mess.
CHUGACH PARK
Do you use this park? __16__Yes___2__No
Condition _12__Good _2__Fair ___Poor
Amount of Use __11__High __3__Moderate __2___Low
Activities you do there: ski, hike, ride bikes, walk dogs, Scout hikes and camping, kids sledding; hunt sheep, climb, xc ski, hike, walk/run train; sled, snowmobile.
This park is a treasure that makes life in Anchorage both wonderful and unique in our nation.
Others:
Horse Trail along Crestview
Do you use this park? 1 YES
Condition ___Good __1_Fair ___Poor Sometimes really rocky
Amount of Use __1__High ____Moderate _____Low
Horseback riding.
New Rabbit Cr. trail
Do you use this park? __yes_
Condition ___Good _____
Amount of Use _Low
Activities you do there __hike, scout outings, kids play
Coastal Trail
Kincaid Park
_____________________
RECREATION FACILITIES
CHALET AT HILLTOP SKI AREA
Do you use this facility? __9__Yes__12___No
Condition __8_Good __1_Fair ___Poor
Amount of Use __2__High __3__Moderate __3___Low
Activities you do there : eat, soccer/summer camp, ski, visit; not used at present, but anticipate bringing children to ski and snowboard; occasional business meetings; restrooms; purchases; kids gather
O'MALLEY ZOO
Do you use this facility? __15__Yes__6___No
Condition _7__Good __5_Fair __1_Poor
Amount of Use ____High __5__Moderate __8__Low
Activities you do there: visit with grandchildren; zoo viewing; gift shop; walk and observe the animals; low use now, but husband is hooked and we will get a family pass; only once or twice a year, but the kids sure love it
ANCHORAGE GOLF COURSE
Do you use this facility? __7__Yes___14__No
Condition _6__Good ___Fair ___Poor
Amount of Use ____High __2__Moderate ___4__Low
Activities you do there : driving range; golf, eat; if husband had more time, he'd use it
SERVICE HIGH SCHOOL:
Do you use this facility? __14__Yes__7___No
Condition __8_Good _7__Fair ___Poor
Amount of Use __3__High __6__Moderate __3___Low
Activities you do there : swim; rack; events; junior nordic; xc ski; walk; ski; bike; meetings; tennis; community schools; swimming pool; swim lessons; hockey and ice rink; soccer;
grounds could be cleaner
O'MALLEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL:
Do you use this facility? __11__Yes__10___No
Condition _5__Good __5_Fair ___Poor
Amount of Use ____High __6__Moderate __3___Low
Activities you do there : vote; playground; meetings; run; excersize; bike; basketball; playground, after school activities (children attend this school); community council meetings; we need safe ways for kids to walk to this school and encouragement for them to do so!
TRAILSIDE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Do you use this facility? __5__Yes___15__No
Condition _4__Good __1_Fair ___Poor
Amount of Use ____High __3__Moderate __2__Low
Activities you do there: XC ski lessons; bike, playground
TENNIS COURTS AT FORSYTHE PARK
Do you use this facility? __3__Yes__20___No
Condition _1__Good __1_Fair _5__Poor
Amount of Use __1__High ____Moderate __1___Low
Activities you do there : courts are much better at Service High; used in the past
__________
TRAILS
TRAIL ALONG BIRCH ROAD
Do you use this trail? __16__Yes__4___No
Condition _3__Good __9_Fair _1__Poor
Amount of Use __2__High __6__Moderate __3___Low
Activities you do there: ban dogs and horses or make people clean up after their animals!!!!!; fix the trail- too many roots and frost heaves; running; family walks; biking
TRAIL ALONG ABBOTT
Do you use this trail? __10__Yes__9___No
Condition _2__Good __5_Fair _1__Poor
Amount of Use __3__High __2__Moderate __3___Low
Activities you do there: ride, bike, run
TRAIL ALONG DEARMOUN RD
Do you use this trail? __3__Yes__12___No __1__ What trail?
Condition _1__Good _1__Fair _1__Poor
Amount of Use ____High __3__Moderate __1___Low
Activities you do there: Biking (paved part), Horseback Riding (non paved part, runs just behind my house; walk dog; biking (paved part); horseback riding
TRAILS IN BICENTENNIAL PARK
Do you use this trail? __15__Yes___4__No
Condition _12__Good __1_Fair ___Poor
Amount of Use __12__High __3__Moderate __2___Low
Activities you do there: biking, ski, run, hike; bird and animal watching; ski; walk; kids play; xc ski
NEW RABBITT CREEK WATERSHED
Do you use this trail? __1__Yes ________
Condition ___Good __1_Fair ___Poor
Amount of Use ____High ____Moderate __1___Low
Activities you do there: hike
NATURAL OPEN SPACE AREAS
WHAT IS AVAILABLE AND WHAT DO YOU USE?
I generally stay to trails becasue I'm not especially good with map and compass; Rabbitt Creek Rd, DeArmoun and O'Malley need roadside trails also Hillside Drive;
safe biking and walking trails;
1. Swamp between lower and upper Huffman
2. North end of Lupine Rd;
Bicentennial Park is incredible. Leave plenty of trails narrow, crude, rooty, twisty, muddy, unlit and fun!
ALTHOUGH I AM NOT A BIG USER OF PARKS, I STILL LIKE TO HAVE THEM AVAILABLE FOR THOSE WHO USE THEM - AND TO KEEP SOME OPEN SPACE;
I use the areas around Service, Hillside ski area, Chugach State Park and along Birch Road.
I used to walk alot in the Sahalle subdivison before house were built.
WHAT TYPE OF PARKS AND RECREATIONAL FACILITIES ARE MOST NEEDED IN OUR COUNCIL AREA?
I think we need more parking in Chugach State park and I am concerned about vandalism and theft from cars.
Maybe we should have some police presence since we are paying for it.
I think we have great facilities and preservation of woodland/wetland areas is of primary import. The one improvement that, if it's feasible, would be nice fo rmy family is more trash cans for when we clean up after the dogs;
Connecting rails for hiking, biking and skiing: Bicentennial Park to Chugach State Park to section 36 to Glen Alps and Rabbit Creek Greenbelt
Safe trail along Hillside Drive. Otherwise I want undeveloped
I use Chugach State Park, Bicentennial and Campbell Tracts. I like large, undeveloped areas.
1. Access routes/ easements to existing facilities
It would be nice to have a park at least as developed as "Valley of the Moon" for picnics and for children to play in. Anchorage is very weak in this area
Trail along O'Malley Road from Hillside Drive to Birch Road (would allow me to safely access parks/trails nearby) safer for children also - only option now is the ditch or run/bike/walk on O'Malley and pray you don't get hit by a car!!!
We utilize as many open space areas as we can. We take our children and dogs hiking. We are
falconers and need to have areas where we can find rabbits for the hawks.
The amount we spend to save minutes of driving is obscene when we can't even walk safely to school!