FROM: Chris Birch January 4, 2001

You are invited to the JANUARY 2001 Community Council meeting to be held in the Service High School Band Room (Ground Floor, center rear of the main building) at 7:00 pm, Thursday, January 18, 2001 with Mid-Hillside Community Council Hosting.

Maury Robinson with the Municipality of Anchorage Street Maintenance will be participating in a community Workshop on Limited Road Service Areas. This meeting is to include a presentation and discussion on the merits and effectiveness of our HILLSIDE LOCAL ROAD SERVICE AREAS. How do they work and what are the costs compared to other alternatives?

Other recent developments relate to the former NEIGHORHOOD COMMERCIAL CENTER designation at the intersection of O’Malley and Birch on the Anchorage 2020 Comprehensive Plan Land Use Policy Map (X marked the spot). This location had been labeled "Potential Site for Neighborhood Commercial Center (NCC) to be determined through the Hillside District Plan”. The Mid-Hillside and Hillside-East Community Councils had prepared a presentation on this topic, however the recent removal of the "X" has postponed the need to make a statement on this until the Hillside District Plan is developed.

According to a phone discussion Dave Tremont, MOA Plannner, had with Board Member John Weddleton, the NCC idea came from the planning staff. To meet the goal of reducing driving trips, they thought that small convenience retail stores every few miles would let people do more walking and less driving. Dave mentioned several times that he was thinking of something along the lines of New Sagaya’s City Market. When asked if a gas station would be possible, Dave mentioned that could threaten nearby wells.

Sharon Ferguson, Senior Planner with the Anchorage Planning Department noted that "The latest version of the Comp Plan has removed the last remaining Neighborhood Commercial Center (NCC) in the Hillside area. In lieu of locating a NCC in the Hillside, this note has been added to the Land Use Policy Map "Potential sites for Neighborhood Commercial Centers on the Hillside will be determined through the Hillside District Plan." Thus, potential sites any NCC will be ascertained during the development of the Hillside District Plan in cooperation with residents of the Hillside."

If you have an opinion or suggestion regarding road maintenance or the need for Neighborhood Commercial Centers you are encouraged to attend the Monthly Community Council Meeting for our neighborhood. Meetings are the third Thursday of every month. For further information, contact Chris Birch, President Mid-Hillside CC at 346-3265 or chrisbirch@gci.net or Mike Sharrock, President, Hillside East CC at 346-4442 or dipietro@alaska.net.