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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Borough
Administration
Don Gilman, Mayor
Richard Troeger, Planning
Director
Moose Pass Advisory Planning
Commission
Jeff Estes
Lory B. Leary
Irene Lindquist
Ellen O'Brien
Ann Painter
Rick Smeriglio, Chairman
Mark Stauble, Vice Chairman
Borough Staff
Jane Gabler, Planner
Nancy Jungmann, Administrative Assistant
TABLE OF CONTENTS
A. Public Services and Facilities.......................................................................... 1
B. Transportation............................................................................................... 4
C. Land Ownership and Use.............................................................................. 5
D. Environmental Quality.................................................................................... 8
11. Goals, Objectives and Policies................................................................................... 9
Appendix
Results of Community Survey...................................................................................
11
Summary of Written Comments
to Survey................................................................
17
Minutes of Moose Pass
Advisory Planning Commission Meetings.............................
29
Ballot and Results....................................................................................................
44
A. Public Services and Facilities
1. Education
Moose Pass currently has a
Borough elementary school for grades K through 8 and has approximately 45
students. The community has expressed strong support for maintaining the current
grade levels including junior high. The Moose Pass Parent Advisory Committee
has reserved the option of participating in the Seward Middle School Concept
Plan. This option would give families who choose to send their children to
Seward, a program they would approve. The community favors expansion of the
school when necessary. The current building is paid for, but may not meet
future needs as enrollment increases. In the 1991 survey, the community did not
support the option of choosing a new school site. The school continues to be a
focus for community functions.
2 Public
Safety
a) Fire
The Moose Pass Volunteer
Fire Company responds to structural fires from mile 16 to mile 36 of the Seward
Highway. The company will also respond, upon request, to fires between miles 36
and 50. The company has a mutual aid agreement with the USDA Forest Service.
Resources include a 1,000 gallon engine, a 500 gallon engine and approximately
six active volunteer fire fighters, including a Chief. Because almost all
residents support continuing the company, it plans to do the following:
1. Continue
to recruit and train new fire fighters.
2. Continue
to recruit subscribers at the rate of $25.00 per tax parcel.
3. Continue to upgrade equipment and training to enable the
company to pass an Insurance Service Organization test of pumping 200 gallons
of water a minute continuously for twenty minutes.
To maintain at least current
levels of fire protection, as the population increases, the community requests
the following:
1. That locally identified State/Borough parcels in the
Primrose/Lakeview, Lawing/Crown Point, Tern Lake and Summit Lake areas be
reserved now for possible auxiliary fire stations.
2. That all new, large developments or commercial operations
install fire hydrants capable of producing at least 100 gallons of water per
minute.
3. That
all new subdivision include dedicated fire access routes; and,
4. That all new public boat ramps be constructed to accommodate
a 1,000 gallon fire engine for drafting purposes.
b) Emergency
Medical Services
Several local residents have
completed emergency trauma training. They have applied for a grant to purchase
emergency medical equipment. A modest amount of such equipment is stored along
with the fire equipment in the community hall building. These actions form the
basis of a future first response program for medical emergencies in the Moose
Pass area.
c) The
Speed Zone
Moose Pass requests that the
Borough assist in petitioning the Alaska Department of Transportation to extend
the existing 35 mph speed zone. The preferred zone would extend from mile 27.5
to mile 31 on the Seward Highway. The goal is reduced vehicular accidents and
protection of pedestrians in the residential core of Moose Pass.
3. Solid
Waste
The community expresses satisfaction with the current disposal system and with current dumpster locations. The Borough should consider more frequent pickups to prevent overloading, particularly during the summer months. The Borough should also consider visual screening to improve the aesthetics of dumpster sites.
4. Parks and Recreation
The USDA forest Service
administers the 9.92 acres of uplands known as the "ball diamond"
area located at mile 30.5 Seward Highway. The Alaska Department of Natural
Resources administers the lake shore and surface of Upper Trail Lake.
Approximately two‑thirds of the Moose Pass community favor some sort of
recreational facilities for the site. Even in its currently undeveloped state,
an ever increasing amount of recreational activity occurs at the "ball
diamond" site.
Through a community survey
in October 1991, the following emerged as issues pertaining to the "ball
diamond":
a) litter
and sanitation under current management;
b) government
control versus local control, if developed;
c) overnight
use versus day use;
d) non-development
versus pro-development attitudes;
e) local
resentment of tourist use of the site; and
f) lack
of local means to manage the site.
To address these issues, and
to satisfy local desires for recreational facilities, the community of Moose
Pass proposes that the appropriate state and federal agencies develop the site
for small scale, community based outdoor recreation.
Funds may come from the USDA
Forest Service's Rural Development Program, the State of Alaska's economic
development grants and, to a modest extent, local participation. Local
initiative to pursue the matter may come from the local business community, the
Sportsmen's Club or a new ad hoc group formed specifically for the project.
5. The Community Hall Building
People of Moose Pass area built the community hall and continue to support it. The building houses the library, two fire engines with associated equipment, the stock of emergency medical supplies, food preparation equipment for the Moose Pass Summer Solstice Festival, and a meeting hall used for various public and private functions. In 1990, the community spent $20,000 to upgrade the interior of the hall.
The flat roof of the
building leaks and requires annual repairs. Failure to repair the roof
jeopardizes the considerable investment in property, equipment and community
resources associated with the building. In view of the property and space
limitations, and because of the strength of the existing roof beams, the
community plans to design and build a second story addition with pitched roof.
In the future, as demand
dictates and funding allows, the community will provide access to the second
story and finish its interior.
1. Trails
Moose Pass has,
historically, been a crossroads of travel. The Historic Iditarod Trail runs
through Moose Pass along the east shore of Trail Lake. It connects with other
historic trails, including the Hope Wagon Road, Al Solars' Mill Road and many
old mining roads. The public now values these trails for recreation and for
access to scenic backcountry areas. The public has traveled freely through
local connecting valleys and passes and continues to do so.
Because Moose Pass developed
before Statehood and before Borough incorporation, many local trails do not
appear on plats or maps. The Borough has approved subdivisions with no
provisions for trails and no consideration of possible blockage of traditional
travel routes.
To maintain the rural
lifestyle with freedom of non‑highway travel and access to public lands,
the community of Moose Pass seeks to secure dedicated trail rights‑of‑way
to, and through, all portions of its surrounding area.
To help meet local trail
objectives, Moose Pass requests that the State and Borough adhere to the
following in their land use planning:
a) Do not allow obstruction of existing non‑highway
travel (routes parallel to the highway).
b) Recognize and protect all existing trails on public lands, whether platted or not.
c) Require that all new subdivisions dedicate trail rights-of-way,
both within the subdivisions and between subdivisions.
d) Do
not allow obstruction of access to public lands.
2. Bicycle Path
Moose Pass has a 1.5 mile
paved bicycle path. In 1990, the community voted to adopt, as a goal, the extending
of the path. Results of 1991 community survey indicated strong support for the
path. In 1991, the Moose Pass Sportsmen's Club and the Moose Pass Advisory
Planning Commission included extending the path in the Moose Pass capital
improvement requests to the Borough. The path satisfies the Borough's three
conditions for improvement priority because it is:
a) a
route used by children traveling to and from school;
b) on a
highway corridor near popular fishing and recreation areas;
c) on a highway corridor connecting adjacent communities and
residential areas.
Therefore, the community of
Moose Pass requests that the Kenai Peninsula Borough recognize the path in its
Comprehensive Trails Plan, incorporate it into a Borough‑wide system of
bicycle paths and give it priority for extension.
1. Development Constraints
Preserving a rural lifestyle
is important to residents of the Moose Pass area. To achieve this end, the
community will support actions that will, in order of importance:
a) keep
population density low;
b) enhance
the friendly atmosphere;
c) maintain
good access to recreation land;
d) reduce
crime;
e) allow
pursuit of self‑sufficient lifestyles;
f) avoid
providing services that require increased taxes or direct
costs;
g) keep
the school local;
h) deter
increasing taxes;
i) restrict large commercial development;
j) enhance solitude;
k) inhibit new zoning;
1) allow freedom to build homes in styles of the owner's
preference.
2. Residential Development
The Federal Government has
title to some 30,370 acres of the Chugach National Forest, Seward Ranger
District in various stages of conveyance to the State of Alaska. This figure
includes 560 acres that may not get approved for conveyance. Of the total
acres, 15,400 occur in the Moose pass area, of which the Kenai Peninsula
Borough seeks title conveyance to 7,800 acres.
Of the 7,800 acres, some 700
occur in the Moose Pass Townsite. According to 1990 Borough records, the area
from Primrose to Summit Lake contains 381 parcels of private land.
The USDA Forest Service Land
and Resource Management Plan for the Chugach National Forest outlines plans
for local federal lands. The Alaska Department of Natural Resources Kenai
Area Plan (due in the Fall of 1994), outlines plans for local state lands,
including lands still in the conveyance stage. The Kenai Peninsula Borough
Comprehensive Plan will apply to local Borough lands. If adopted by the
Moose Pass community, the Moose Pass Plan may become part of the Borough's plan
and will not apply to private lands.
Borough land transfers and
Borough land use planning will likely cause controversy in the Moose Pass area.
Results from a 1991 survey show that an overwhelming 81 percent of respondents
feel attracted to the area because of its low population density. Also, about
two‑thirds favor State/Borough land transfers for homesites and for
recreation cabins, but not for multi‑family dwellings. About one fourth
oppose any land transfers.
Through public meetings and public surveys, the Moose Pass Advisory Planning Commission will identify local State/Borough lands thought suitable for residential development. Moose Pass requests that the Borough solicit extensive community input well before any land transfers occur locally. In addition, Moose Pass requests that State and Federal planners adhere to the principles and goals of the Moose Pass Comprehensive Plan.
3. Commercial and Industrial
Development
Issues associated with
economic growth generate controversy in the Moose Pass community. They garnered
the largest number of written comments on the 1991 community survey. About half
of the respondents favor growth while half do not. While many residents favor
tourism and small business, fully two-thirds do not want public funds spent to
promote economic development. Even larger majorities oppose large business and
industry in the area.
At a well‑attended
public meeting in 1990, local residents adopted ten community goals. Two of
those goals favor growth that enhances, but does not threaten, the rural
character of the Moose Pass area. To achieve its goals, the community requests
two things from the State and Borough:
a) Government sponsored growth in the area should compliment
the community's goals and should fit the framework of the Moose Pass Comprehensive
Plan; and
b) Proposals to transfer public lands for economic purposes
should be reviewed by the community well ahead of the actions. After several
public meetings in Moose Pass, the responsible agencies should give the votes
and opinions of the community their full, heavy weight in decision making.
4. Forest Management
While forest management
involves numerous issues, the issue of spruce bark beetles causes the greatest
concern for the Moose Pass community. Because the beetles spread without regard
to land ownership or government jurisdiction, Moose Pass cannot deal with the
beetles on just the local level. Most residents want appropriate actions by the
responsible agencies to deal with the beetles.
As evidenced by an Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation meeting in 1988, an Alaska Railroad sponsored meeting in 1991, a USDA Forest Service sponsored meeting in 1991, and a community survey in 1991, Moose Pass residents strongly oppose the use of synthetic pesticides/herbicides on public lands.
To satisfy local demands for
beetle management, and to avoid pesticide use, the Moose Pass community
requests that the appropriate agencies develop plans that use means other than
pesticides to manage beetles. Further, the community wants plans presented
locally before implementation.
1. Water Quality
Shallow bedrock and small
lots have made adequate wells and ADEC approved septic systems difficult to
develop in the Moose Pass Townsite. Tern Lake and it's associated wetlands may
constrain well and septic systems there. To address this problem, Moose Pass
adopted, as a goal, studying the feasibility of a central water system. The
community applied for $1,000 in 1991 for a study. The grant hasn't
materialized, however, and most residents believe that they have adequate well and septic systems. About half of the
residents doubted the advisability of the study.
Informal analysis suggests
that the high cost and the engineering difficulty of serving outlying areas
make a central system infeasible at this time. Nonetheless, protection of
groundwater and domestic wells from septic tank leachate, vitally concerns
residents.
To protect itself and its
groundwater, the community of Moose Pass requests the following actions.
a) The Kenai Peninsula Ground Water Task Force should include
the Moose Pass Townsite and the Tern Lake wetlands as specific sites for
hydrologic study of the Kenai Peninsula.
b) The Borough must adhere to adequate standards for water and
septic systems when it considers subdivisions and developments.
c) The ADEC must enforce at least its minimum standards for on‑site
septic systems. It should consider increasing the standards if site‑specific
conditions identify 40,000 square feet as inadequate.
2. Toxic and Hazardous
Substances
The Moose Pass community
wishes to enjoy at least the current level of a healthful, clean environment.
To that end, Moose Pass supports effective monitoring and enforcement
of existing Federal, State and Borough regulations regarding toxic and
hazardous substances. Local support exists for restricting the commercial use,
transport, storage and/or disposal of these substances in the area. Moose Pass
supports continued improvement in convenient hazardous waste collection sites
and continued prohibition of disposal of toxic and hazardous wastes on Borough
lands.
3. Scenic Quality and
Tourism
One of the Moose Pass goals
encourages tourism. Moose Pass will promote tourism by preserving the local
scenic quality. Financing to promote tourism shall come from private business
and not from community or public funds. Moose Pass welcomes tourism, as long as
its rural lifestyle and its scenic quality are maintained.
To encourage tourism by
preserving scenic quality, the community supports the following actions:
a) Designation
of the Seward Highway as a National Scenic Highway;
b) Inventorying
the scenic resources of the area;
c) Recognition and preservation of any local sites listed on
the Alaska Department of Natural Resources
Alaska Heritage Resource Survey or the National Register of Historic Places, or of local
historical value.
II. GOALS,
OBJECTIVES AND POLICIES
Based on a well attended
public meeting in April of 1990, and based on the results of a community
questionnaire in October of 1991, the community of Moose Pass adopts the
following as community goals:
1. Residential development should occur on relatively large
lots of one acre or greater.
2. Moose Pass should encourage economic growth and tourism in a
manner that will enhance, not threaten, the citizens' rural lifestyle.
3. Continue to maintain the community hall and its services to the community. Improve the library located in the community hall.
4. Maintain the volunteer fire department and make improvements
as required by the growth of the area.
5. School facilities should be maintained and improved as
warranted. Urge the development of new facilities.
6. Refuse disposal facilities should be maintained at an
adequate level to serve the area.
7. Extend the Moose Pass 35 mph speed limit to the north as
well as to the south, and strive for enforcement of the speed laws.
8. Extend the bike path to the north as well as to the south.