THE NEW GIRDWOOD TOWNSITE - Anchorage, Alaska...to be the heart of town. At least in part, this...

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9THE NEW GIRDWOOD TOWNSITE

The New Girdwood Townsite was born inthe aftermath of the 1964 earthquake,which left a large part of the originaltownsite unusable. After the quake,platting of lots and reconstruction of a newtownsite began almost immediately on asite up the Glacier Creek Valley, about twoand a half miles from the original site atTurnagain Arm. Several structures,including the Crow Creek Mercantile andthe old school/library, were moved fromthe old townsite. The New Townsite platprovided for an interior town square parksurrounded by small lots, and it set asidepublic corridors on each side to connectthe park to surrounding streets.

Contrary to initial expectations, the NewTownsite has experienced only minimaldevelopment activity since the plat wasdone over thirty years ago. In the townsitearea, the Merc remains the only source ofeveryday supplies for locals and has beenjoined by the Chair 5 Restaurant and thepost office as the only effective generatorsof significant activity in what was intendedto be the heart of town. At least in part,this reflects the small size of Girdwood’syear-round population, which totaled justunder 600 people at the end of the 1970’sand is estimated today at about 1,500people.

While it is true that a population of thissize cannot by itself support a majorinvestment in local commercialenterprises, it is also probable thatpotential commercial development hasbeen discouraged by the Municipality’sdevelopment standards. In particular, on-site parking requirements, combined withthe narrow dimensions of a typical lot inthe townsite (some are as narrow as 50feet), make it virtually impossible toconstruct a building large enough toassure a positive economic return.

The parking issue may be thepredominant hindrance, but there are stillother contributing factors. Not the least ofthese may be the flood hazard to whichmuch of the townsite is exposed (see Map13, Existing Conditions). Otherdisincentives include the tendency oflocals to do their shopping in Anchorage,where many of them work, the lack ofmunicipal water service to the NewTownsite, the short days and heavy snow

Fig. 9-1The post-quake plat forthe New GirdwoodTownsite

Fig. 9-2Crow Creek Mercantile

GIRDWOOD COMMERCIAL AREAS AND TRANSPORTATION MASTER PLAN

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accumulation in a typical Alaskan winter,and the paucity of attractions that cangenerate visitor traffic. Developmentpotential also suffers from the lack ofsidewalks, lighting and other pedestrianamenities that help to unify and animatethe core areas of successful small towns.In a classic chicken-and-egg spiral ofcause and effect, the lack of developmentactivity has made it hard to justify orfinance the investment in publicinfrastructure.

There are a number of players on thehorizon that could prompt new investmentand enable this situation to change for thebetter. One is Alyeska Resort, which isanxious to achieve an increase inovernight guests in the valley. Another isthe Alaska Railroad, which has beenopenly interested in the possibility of a railspur from its main line into Girdwood. Athird is Glacier Valley Development Corp.,a real estate development group whichhas been awarded a lease to construct agolf course, with associated commercialand residential development. And finally,there are the public sector agencies(Heritage Land Bank and Mental HealthTrust) that depend on revenue from landmanagement and that have large tracts ofland in the Girdwood Valley. Theirmandates will inevitably lead them topursue some development strategy for thedisposition of the lands they control. Forthem, inaction is not an option.

The coalescence of all these variablesmakes this an opportune time to clarify thecommunity’s goals for the New Townsiteand to formulate a plan that will guide itsfuture development.

OVERALL COMMUNITY GOALSFOR THE NEW TOWNSITE

In the first public workshop, in late March1999, participants were asked to describewhat role the New Townsite plays (orshould play) in the community at large andhow they would like to see it evolve in thefuture. Consistent with their vision forGirdwood as a whole, the following goalscomprise their hopes for the NewTownsite:

• Make the New Townsite the trueheart and center of the Girdwoodcommunity. This goal has become akeystone of the Commercial AreasMaster Plan. Most residentsconsistently expressed the view thatthe existing New Townsite is the bestplace to reinforce the sense ofcommunity, although this view is notuniversally held. (A few participantshave suggested that the town centershould be shifted to another, lessflood-prone site.) The Master Planrecommends the New Townsite asthe best alternative for the communitycore for several reasons. First andforemost is its central location withinthe larger community. Second, thereare no other available sites largeenough, dry enough, and with gentleenough topography. And third,multiple private property owners arealready invested in the existing NewTownsite and could lend energy andresources to its improvement.

• Encourage the development of adiverse mix of commercial and retailservices that appeal to both localsand visitors.

• Encourage commercial developmentin the area south of Alyeska that iscomplementary to, rather thandirectly competitive with, that on thenorth side in the platted NewTownsite. Acknowledging that theconfiguration of north side lots will notwork for all desired types ofcommercial, do not allowdevelopment on the south side of thehighway to drain off potential energyfrom the existing town square area.

• Include close-in housing indevelopment plans wherever possibleto support year-round commercialactivity.

• Concentrate civic and communityuses in the core. Keep the post officedowntown.

• Improve year-round pedestrianconnections throughout the core aswell as linkages between it and theadjacent neighborhoods and school.

CHAPTER 9 - THE NEW GIRDWOOD TOWNSITE

• Let the natural environment remainthe dominant character-givingelement in the core. Strengthen theconnections to natural open spacefrom the core. As one participantsaid, “Girdwood is a village carvedout of the woods.” Emphasize itssense of containment in a powerfulnatural landscape.

FACTORS THAT WILLINFLUENCE DEVELOPMENT INTHE NEW TOWNSITE AREA

Map 13 depicts existing environmentalconstraints and developmentconsiderations that are particular to thegreater New Townsite area. While it isclear from the map that there are somesignificant environmental and physicalissues (mainly flooding and the highway),it is equally clear from the list below thatpolitical, legal and economic issues maybe even more influential in shaping thefuture of the area.

• Flood hazard. The New Townsitewas platted in the 100-yearfloodplains of both California Creekand Glacier Creek. Althoughfloodplain maps indicate that floodflows generally spread out at ashallow depth (1-2 feet) across thetownsite area, an impromptu floodcontrol levee constructed during theflood in 1995 is testimony to thepower of these events to causedamage. The Master Planrecommends that, as a first priority, acomprehensive flood managementplan be prepared for the NewTownsite to identify ecologicallybased flood control measures.

• Alyeska Highway. This roadway wasdesigned to rural highway standardsat a time when there was minimalresidential or communitydevelopment in the Girdwood area.Its configuration and dimensionsencourage vehicle speeds that areinconsistent with the effort to makethe heart of town more pedestrianfriendly. DOT is open to concepts

that would “calm” the road’s intrusivetendencies as long as its capacity ismaintained, and efforts to do so willbe essential to the linkage betweenthe north and south halves of thetown core.

• Ownership patterns and small lotsize. In the town square area,individual lots are too small andownership too fragmented to allow forthe development of larger retail orrestaurant uses. This situation hasalso made it somewhat more difficultto forge a coordinated approach topublic improvements. There are,however, a few larger, privatelyowned parcels north and east of thesquare on which larger facilities, suchas lodging, could be developed. The“squirrel cages” on the south side ofAlyeska Highway were never soldand will be replatted as part of thegolf course master plan, makingpossible the creation of largerparcels, and therefore larger buildingfootprints than are possible on thenorth side.

• Draft Title 22 Land Use Regulations.The draft regulations that pertain tothe New Townsite propose a mix of

Fig. 9-3Alyeska Highwaysection through theNew Townsite

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Fig. 9-4Small scale buildingsin the New Townsite


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commercial, residential and publicuses (including open space andparks). Within these broadcategories, there are some importantdistinctions between commercial andcommercial/residential districts thatwill influence how buildings relate tothe street, what uses will occupy theground floor, and how parking ishandled. In the commerciallydesignated districts, only commercialuses may occupy ground floor space,a key factor in the creation of a livelypedestrian environment.

• Fate of the community center bondissue. The proposed $2.9 millioncommunity center will be animportant link in the connectionbetween the north and south portionsof the New Townsite and an equallyimportant center for communityactivity. Anchorage voters defeated itlast year, but the measure will againbe on the ballot for Girdwood votersin April 2000. Funds for the projectwill not be assured until Anchoragevoters approve an area-wide bondissue for the library, scheduled inApril of 2001. (The state must alsoapprove matching funds.)

• Private developers’ contribution topublic infrastructure. The ability toachieve needed improvements inpublic infrastructure will dependheavily on the willingness of propertyowners in the New Townsite area toconsider forms of funding that willrequire their financial participation,such as a special district to pay forpublic parking. It will also depend onattracting developers of sufficientfinancial strength that they are able toabsorb the up-front costs of theirshare of public improvements (suchas sidewalks) in their plans. And itmay require the continued support ofAlyeska Resort, particularly withrespect to improving communitytransit services.

• Outcome of the lawsuit relating to thegolf course lease and the evolution ofdevelopment plans by Glacier ValleyDevelopment Corp., the leaseholder.Much of the momentum for newdevelopment (and the potential forfunding of public improvements) inthe area south of Alyeska Highwaydepends on GVDC’s ability to enlistdevelopment partners in commercialprojects, such as a grocery store, andto create value through the synergywith high-quality recreationalamenities.

ORGANIZING CONCEPTS INTHE NEW TOWNSITE PLAN

Several fundamental concepts form theunderpinning for master planrecommendations in the New Townsite.

Fig. 9-5Use districts proposedin the draft Title 22 Landuse Regulations. (SeeInset for enlargement oftown square area.)


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Each of these is described in more detailin the paragraphs that follow andillustrated in the colored sketch plan thatappears at the end of the chapter.

• Create a real main street forGirdwood on Hightower Road.Encourage the phased developmentof a continuous sequence ofrecreational, community, and retailexperiences along the street, fromthe elementary school at the road’snorth end to and through the golfcourse lease area. Connect the usesand activities along the street with apedestrian network of pathways,sidewalks, and arcades that is clearlydemarcated from vehicular trafficareas.

• Envision the town core as the area onboth sides of Alyeska Highway. TheNew Townsite should not be limitedto the platted area around the townsquare, as the small lots there cannotaccommodate some neededcommercial services.

• Strengthen the pedestrian linkagesbetween the two halves to thegreatest extent possible within theconstraints imposed by DOT onAlyeska Highway.

• Provide improved public parking onthe north side to support commercialgrowth and development around thetown square.

• Celebrate the experience of enteringGirdwood through natural landscape.Protect views up and down the creekcorridors from the road and preservethe forest edge on both sides of thehighway at the entry to the NewTownsite. Open up controlledviewlines into the central commercialarea to let visitors know that there isa destination in the trees. Announcethe creek crossings with notablebridges, not hidden culverts.

• Retain Forest Fair Park virtually as itis today, and use it as the primaryorganizing element in the southtownsite area. Relocate only a few ofthe activities, like Little Bears, the

tennis courts, and the skate boardpark, that need better facilities.Enhance and enlarge the park itselfby connecting it to existing andproposed greenbelts and trailnetworks along the creeks to the eastand west. Also connect it to newresidential, civic and commercialdevelopments as they evolve in thecore area. Ensure that the newcommunity center is an integral partof the park, connected to it with year-round pedestrian pathways.

Above all, the Master Plan recognizes thefinancial limitations that Girdwood faces.Lacking certain funding tools that mostmunicipally incorporated resortcommunities have, such as sales taxes,Girdwood’s ability to implement grandchanges is limited. The plan accepts thereality that some existing conditions arenot ideal, but cannot change.

Fig. 9-6Diagram of the NewTownsite CommercialCore with Hightoweras the new mainstreet.


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A Word about Master Plans

The sketch plans accompanying thefollowing descriptions of development inthe New Townsite are conceptual and areintended only to convey general notions ofcharacter, scale and organization of futurecommercial development and publicinfrastructure. The drawings do notrepresent architectural designs orschematic site plans for individualproperties; considerable latitude remainsfor owners and developers to experimentwith building footprints, building massing,site plans, and relationships toneighboring structures within generalguidelines set for Girdwood by the MOALand Use Regulations.

The amount of commercial developmentshown on the plans represents amaximum that is physically feasible, butthis does not necessarily mean thatGirdwood will need or support this muchcommercial space in the long term.Future demand is very difficult to forecastin a commercial environment that hasshown very slow growth to date, and it isobvious that visitor numbers in theGirdwood Valley will have to increase inorder to support future growth of anyreasonable magnitude. The intent of theMaster Plan is, rather, to create aframework that encourages desiredpatterns of growth, regardless of thetimeframe for full build-out or how muchcommercial space is ultimately built. Theend product of the master planningprocess is not a site plan. It is, rather, aguideplan that identifies connective roadand pathway networks, public spaces andinfrastructure, community facilities, openspace, and appropriate general locationsfor new private development on the large,as yet unplatted tracts of land in thetownsite vicinity.

Hightower as Girdwood’sNew Main Street

Girdwood’s multiple commercial areas arespread out but neither connected nor partof a cohesive district. Individually, none isstrong enough to generate a level ofactivity that synergizes its neighborhoodand encourages new growth.

Consequently, the master planningprocess began, as did previous Girdwoodplans, with the question, Where should weencourage a concentration of commercialand civic activity? A majority ofcommunity participants felt that the NewTownsite, despite its acknowledgeddrawbacks, is the right place to focusattention. This conclusion reiterates asimilar finding in the Girdwood Area Planand is reinforced by other previousplanning work done by the Municipality.

In an attempt to visualize how newdevelopment might be organized, threebasic conceptual alternatives werediscussed in the second set of publicworkshops in late May 1999:

1. No Change. This alternativeassumed: (1) no deliberate change inthe existing development pattern onthe north side of the highway and (2)no change in the location ofcommercial development on thesouth side, almost a quarter-milesouth of the highway where theGirdwood Area Plan had designateda commercial district. This patternwas reiterated in the terms of the golfcourse lease, which assumed thatany commercial development on thesouth side would take place in thesame general area. Publicdiscussion of this alternative made itclear that the community feared anegative effect on the potential vitalityof the town square area if there wereno effort to reduce the distancebetween the two development pods.

2. Alyeska Highway as the New MainStreet. Disregarding for the momentthat land on both sides of thehighway is designated for parks andopen space, this alternative movedcommercial development close to thehighway on both sides. This conceptwould give main street commercialdevelopment the greatest visibilityand make clear to visitors that theyhad arrived in the heart of town,which might encourage them to slowdown. However, there werenumerous potential obstacles to thisconcept: (1) It could be difficult tochange the designation on dedicated


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parkland (which requires a vote of theentire Anchorage municipality). (2)There is a 200-foot-wide DOT right-of-way along the highway, whichwould make it difficult to unite the twosides of the street with an effectivepedestrian streetscape. (3) Othersmall towns bisected by statehighways are waging an uphill battleto mitigate the divisive effects oftraffic speeds and volume – a lessonhard to ignore. (4) Access to andparking in front of shops along theHighway frontage may beproblematic because of highwaytraffic. (5) The highway is raised likea levee, and the difference in gradebetween it and the land on both sidesof it may make it difficult to create acomfortable relationship between thestreet and the buildings that wouldface it. (6) Because phasing could besporadic, the most visible part of towncould be left unfinished for a longtime. (7) There is some concernabout the visual quality of so manynew buildings along the highway. (8)Residents were also concerned aboutthe potential loss of forest cover atthe highway edge and itsreplacement with a hard built edge asan entry experience. This conceptdid not seem consistent with theirimage of Girdwood’s character. (9)Finally, some Girdwood participantswere sensitive about moving ForestFair Park south to a new location.

3. Hightower as the New Main Street.The idea of using Hightower Road tocreate a new main streetperpendicular to the state highwaybecame the community’s preferredconcept, for a number of reasons:(1) Slower vehicular traffic on thestreet should make possible a betterpedestrian environment. (2) Theview up and down Hightower from itsintersection with the highway wouldgive shops adequate visibility andentice visitors. (3) Commercialdevelopment may be easier to phasein this scenario. (4) The conceptoverlays nicely with the objective oflinking the north and south sides ofthe townsite. (5) And finally, thepreservation of the feeling of entering

Fig. 9-7No change inexistingcommercialdistricts

Fig. 9-8Commercialuses clusteredon AlyeskaHighway

Fig. 9-9Commercialand civic usesclustered onHightower


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town through a forest appeared to bemore attainable with this alternative.Community participants emphasizedthat nothing in this scenario shoulddeter development of the lots aroundthe town square and that they stillwished to try moving commercialdevelopment on the south side closerto the highway to gain a strongerconnection between the two halves.

Townsite Development North ofAlyeska Highway

General Character. Reacting to photos ofAlaskan and other small town mainstreets, community participants in the finalset of work sessions outlined desiredgeneral characteristics of futuredevelopment in the platted portion of theNew Townsite. The traditional turn-of-the-century main street -- connected false-front, flat-roofed brick or clapboardbuildings with a uniform wall along thestreet -- is not the image Girdwoodresidents project for their own town core.Rather, they envision:

• Small, humanly scaled buildings thatare faintly residential in character (i.e.pitched roofs) even though containingcommercial uses on the ground floor.The main street of Breckenridge(Colorado) is a close analogy in thisrespect, as it still has a number ofhistoric two-story residentialstructures now occupied by retailshops and eating establishments.

• An eclectic mix of simple forms andindividually distinguishable structures,some connected to their neighbors,some standing alone.

• Buildings that have a strongrelationship to the street, withsetbacks no wider than necessary toaccommodate the pedestrian networkand snow storage requirements.However, a uniform “build-to” linealong the street was consideredunnecessary, and some variation anddiversity in the facades along thestreet frontage was seen as adesirable quality.

• Motifs already in evidence inGirdwood, including natural materials,hand crafted signage, colorful trimand sparse ornamentation consistentwith Girdwood’s mining town origins.Also desired are better storefrontmerchandising, better lighting, andflowers.

The Town Square. The narrow lotsencircling the town square park presenttheir own unique conditions. If thedesignated park in the center of the blockis ever to become a real amenity for thesecommercial properties and a gatheringplace for the community as a whole, thenany new development must relate to boththe front and the back sides. The MasterPlan strongly recommends that groundfloor retail at the edge of the square bedouble-loaded (i.e. opening onto both frontand rear sides). It encouragescommercial spaces with entries on thesquare and on the public passagewaysinto it, as well as active courtyards,porches, terraces, windows, arcadeslinking to the street side, and privategardens facing the park. Consolidationand screening of service areas is

Fig. 9-10Eclectic mix of uses

and buildings on mainstreet in

Breckenridge,Colorado

Fig. 9-11Chair 5 Restaurant on

the Town Square


essential. Owners should take advantageof opportunities to cooperate in the designof intriguing passageways betweenbuildings to access the park. Where on-site parking is unavoidable (i.e. forresident owners), it should be located inthe side setbacks, not the rear yards,where it might detract from the quality ofthe park. (See also Parks and PublicSpaces below.) On-site parking should beprohibited for commercial uses, on thecondition that off-site and on-street publicparking will be provided as an alternative.(See “Recommended DevelopmentStandards” section at the end of thischapter.)

North and East of the Town Square.Several larger parcels north and east ofthe square offer significant potential toextend the town center and, by introducinga residential component into the

commercial/retail mix, to bring morepeople into the core. Guest lodging,commercial offices, a civic facility, andresidential units would be appropriateuses on these properties. (Proximity to theelementary school should be consideredin the choice and design of uses locatedhere.) In particular, the property at thenorthwest corner of Hightower and Linbladoffers a prime opportunity for a landmarkbuilding, perhaps with a civic componentand/or a new post office. (Because of thepresence of a community water well onthe site that currently supplies the NewTownsite properties, connection tomunicipal water and sewer services will bea prerequisite for its development.)

As properties develop at this end ofHightower, they should express a visibletransition from the built-up environmentaround the town square to a more

IditarodTrail

Fig. 9-12Conceptual plan forcommercial infill in theNew Townsite

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forested landscape along the northernextension of the street. Total buildingsquare footage on lots north of the squaremay be slightly larger than on the smallerlots east of the square (up to 10,000 sq.ft),where lot dimensions are similar to thoseinside the square. Still, the architecturalcharacter of larger buildings should beconsistent with that described above forthe town square area.

Crow Creek Road. There is a district onlower Crow Creek Road that is designatedCommercial/Residential, although AlyeskaHighway is presently the only connectionbetween this area and the New Townsite.The intent here is to encourage a mix ofcommercial and residential uses that willenhance the New Townsite as adestination while continuing the same

rather low-key, low-density, “buildings inthe forest” development pattern that existson that road today. Commercialdevelopment on the ground floor is notrequired in this district, but may be moreviable once the proposed connector roadfrom Hightower (see Chapter 7) iscompleted. Improved pedestrianconnections from the town square areaare also essential for successfulcommercial activity. Residents expresseda strong desire that Crow Creek Roadimprovements retain the road’s forestedrural character.

Redevelopment Opportunities. There area number of existing properties in the NewTownsite that may become incompatiblewith the more active pedestrian districtthat the community envisions unless theyare remodeled or redeveloped to relatemore effectively to the street.

In particular, the trailer park and the postoffice represent prime redevelopmentopportunities. Although it is a goodsource of housing, the trailer parkoccupies an important site at theintersection of Hightower and Linblad, andits eventual redevelopment could be keyto anchoring the northern end of thecommercial district. The current postoffice is inadequate in size and causesmajor circulation and parking problems atthe corner. It should be moved to a newfacility in the same general area.

The Ski View Condominiums, located in avisually prominent position at the highwayintersection, could greatly benefit thetownsite by upgrading its façade withsturdier architectural materials andelements that are more compatible withthe desired image of Girdwood. Thepedestrian lane along the east side ofHightower in front of the building is madeless functional because of the condos’existing perpendicular parking spaces atthe street edge. If these spaces could berelocated to the rear of the building (and ifan improved Iditarod Trail could serve asthe ped/bike connection to the school), on-street parking could be gained along thatfrontage, and there would be room for asidewalk separate from the road.

Fig. 9-13Diagram of

consolidated serviceand delivery areas in

the Town Square.

Fig. 9-14Ski View

Condominiums


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Townsite Development South ofAlyeska Highway

General Character. Although buildings inthe southern portion of the New Townsiteare likely to be larger than buildings in thenorthern (town square) area, their desiredcharacter is still expected to be compatiblewith Girdwood’s mining town origins. Atthe least, this means controlled buildingmassing and aggregations of simple formsto reduce apparent scale; varied rooflines;protected entries; traditional windowforms; well detailed retail frontages; andnatural materials.

Development Potential. The sketch planfor the southern townsite illustratesbuilding footprints that total up to 80,000square feet of commercial/retail space onthe ground floor. (This is in addition to

civic and municipal uses.) Developmenthugs the street edge of the Hightowerextension in order to create a continuouspedestrian experience and is generallyconcentrated in two pods of commercialand retail uses that are intermixed with(and linked by) civic and communityfacilities. On-street parallel parking spacessupplement the surface parking lotsbehind the buildings. (There are nosurface lots fronting directly onto thestreet.) The total area of the commercialparcels shown on the south side isapproximately ten acres.

To strengthen the connection between thenorth and south portions of the NewTownsite, the northernmost commercialpod has been pushed as far toward thehighway as possible without sacrificing theForest Fair Park or encroaching into the

Fig. 9-15Conceptual plan for newcommunity andcommercialdevelopment along thesouth Hightowerextension

IditarodTrail


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highway right-of-way. The pod consists ofa landmark building in the most visiblelocation at the highway intersection (up to10,000 sq.ft.) and a row of small buildings(totaling up to 12,000 sq.ft.) that takeadvantage of adjacency to Forest FairPark. Other than that one new building onthe southwest corner (the Little Bearssite), no other development is proposed atthat key Hightower intersection. The plandepends on framed views into the townsiteon both sides to reinforce the connectionand create the visibility desired for the newmain street.

The smaller buildings in the northern podcould be developed either as acoordinated, phased project by a singledeveloper or as individual small parcelswith some latitude for zero lot line plans.In either case, owners would share (andcontribute to the cost of) a surface parkinglot on the tennis court/skateboard site,which on weekends could be used forpark activities. Municipal and communityuses, including a visitor center, theexisting fire station, and the proposedcommunity center/library, line the oppositeside of the street.

The southern commercial pod occupiestwo corners of a new intersection atHightower and the proposed newconnector road from Alyeska Highway. Itconsists of a grocery store (or other largerretailer up to 25,000 sq.ft.), associatedretail attached to the grocery (5-10,000sq.ft.), and, across the street, a row ofsmaller mixed-use buildings (up to a totalof 20,000 sq.ft.) with parking behind. Likethe northern cluster, this pod could be builtby a single developer in a phasedsequence responding to market demand.Or, it could be platted and sold in smallerindividual parcels, in which case thephasing would be harder to control.

Between the two commercial pods is abeautiful site for a multi-denominationalchapel and multi-use community facility. Itis strategically positioned at theintersection so that a landmark buildingelement or steeple could be the focal pointin the view from the new connector road.This facility could house the daycarecenter that replaces Little Bears, as wellas spaces for any other desired civic andcommunity activities. On Sundays, thechapel could share the parking lotattached to the adjacent commercialdevelopment.

Both the chapel site and the communitycenter relate well to a greenbelt orimproved park along Glacier Creek. Bothfacilities can easily be connected to theIditarod Trail and the ball field across thestreet. Major pedestrian crosswalks andconnections link all destinations withparklands on both sides of the street.

In both commercial pods, it would bepossible to add housing and/or offices in asecond story as long as the site plans forindividual parcels accommodate sufficientparking to support residential uses.

The Radio Station. Proponents of thecommunity radio station have requestedspace for their broadcast function - and forother related activities that benefit thecommunity - on land somewhere in theNew Townsite. There are a number ofcentrally located sites that will give thestation good access to trails, open space,and other businesses and civic uses in theNew Townsite. Both the Glacier Valley

Fig. 9-16Little Bears in the

south NewTownsite

Fig. 9-17The plan

recommendsmoving Hightower

to the other side ofthe fire station to

improve thepedestrian

experience on thestreet


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Development Corp. and the Heritage LandBank have expressed willingness to helpthe station identify a new home. A specificsite for the Girdwood Community Club andradio station will be identified andpreserved prior to any new commercialdevelopment occurring in the newTownsite area south of Alyeska Highway.

Recommendations for Parcelization. Eventhough projects on the south side ofHightower will not be constrained by thesmall lot sizes that have hampereddevelopment in New Townsite, theintended character of the futurecommercial development in the southtownsite is similar to the small-scaledindividual buildings on the north side.With the possible exception of a singlelarger structure that may house a grocerystore, all larger building footprints shouldappear as a composition of smallerattached structures. This does notpreclude the platting of large parcels fordevelopment by a single entity, but it doessuggest that considerable attention will begiven in the master site plan review to howsquare footage will be distributed andbuilding masses differentiated. Attached,but architecturally individualized buildingscould in the aggregate exceed the 20,000sq.ft. limit specified in the draft land useregulations for the GC-5 district.

Alignment of the South HightowerExtension. The alignment of an improvedSouth Hightower Road diverges from theexisting platted right-of-way. It has beenrouted around the west side of the existingfire station in order to make room foractivities on both sides of the street. Thisis important because a continuoussequence of activity is needed tostrengthen the connection between thetwo sides of the townsite on either side ofthe highway. If the street were to be left inits present alignment, there would be verylittle room for development of any kind onthe east side of the street.

The Sewer Intercept Line. There is anexisting sewer line in the platted right-of-way of South Hightower Road. Because itwould be expensive, though notimpossible, to move this line, the MasterPlan assumes it will stay in place and hasnot sited any new buildings in the existing

right-of-way, even though the street itselfhas been realigned. It is possible thatChugach Electric will use the same right-of-way for a new underground electricalfeeder line to Girdwood.

Master Plan Implications in the GolfCourse Lease Area. In order to implementthis plan for the south side, it may benecessary for the Municipality to work withGVDC to shift the boundary of thecommercial area included in the golfcourse lease area northward.

The King Estate Parcel. There has beenlittle mention of this parcel of undevelopedland south of Alyeska Highway and westof Timberline Drive in Alyeska BasinSubdivision, although it is designated forlimited commercial uses. Presentlyisolated from other existing commercialareas in Girdwood, it could neverthelessbe an appropriate site for a variety oflodging types and could become anintermediate destination along animproved pathway network linking theNew Townsite with the Old Resort Baseand the residential neighborhoods inbetween.

Vehicular Circulation

By clarifying access to and circulationwithin the New Townsite, a number of theroadway improvements identified in theTransportation Master Plan (Chapter 7)will be important to the core area’scommercial success. These include:

• The new connectors from AlyeskaHighway and Crow Creek Road toHightower Road.

• The realignment and reconfigurationof the South Hightower extension asa collector road. The exact alignmentand re-routing to the opposite side ofthe fire station must be studied inmore depth and worked out inconjunction with fire officials toassure that their operational needsare met.

• Traffic-calming modifications toAlyeska Highway beginning at ornear the curve at Crow Creek Road


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to reduce speeds and mark the entryto the town core with a change inroadway character. (Considerrenaming the upper section ofAlyeska Highway to something thatimplies it is a community street, not ahighway, such as Alyeska Parkway orForest Boulevard.)

• Intersection improvements forpedestrians crossing the highway atHightower.

In addition, the Master Plan recommendsformalizing the short curving spur fromHolmgren in the town square to AlyeskaHighway because another point of egressfrom the square could help to makecommercial development more viable onthe properties along the square’s west and

south sides. (Using this road as a point ofaccess from the highway, requiring thatnorthbound cars make a left turn acrossoncoming traffic, is more problematic andwould probably be discouraged by DOT.)It also recommends that the CaliforniaCreek culvert under Alyeska Highwayeventually be replaced with an attractivelandmark bridge that celebrates the creekcrossing.

Parking

North Side Parking (Town Square). Thesketch plan for the north New Townsitearea relies on both on-street diagonal andparallel parking and on community parkinglots to satisfy parking demand. If diagonalon-street parking were maximized on bothsides of all streets surrounding the square,there could be as many as 220 to 265 on-street parking spaces. (This number mayultimately be reduced by crosswalks,dedicated service and delivery areas,private driveways, bus stops, andwintertime snow storage. Also, on-streetparking on the east side of Hightower maynot be possible unless some existingproperties redevelop.) In addition, newmunicipal parking lots to the north, westand east (as proposed in the adopted1995 supplemental parking plan) containanother 175 public spaces at the sizedrawn. Together, the lots and on-street

Fig. 9-18Diagram of highwaymodifications at theNew Townsite entry

Fig. 9-19Section through proposed highway modifications


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parking total about 400 public spaces.

The Master Plan recommends that theproposed on-street parking be constructedin the first phase as part of a larger effortto formalize vehicular traffic lanes andpedestrian walkways around the square.It is important that the streetimprovements are done in an early phaseanyway in order to encourage commercialdevelopment in and around the square,and that project would create a largereservoir of on-street parking at the sametime. The lot to the east of Hightowercould be completed in a second phase.Then, when needed, the public lot to thewest, along Holmgren Avenue, could becleared in a third phase (and, if necessary,paved in a later phase of work). TheMaster Plan recommends holding off onconstruction of the eastern lot until theadequacy of first-phase on-street parkingcan be evaluated, development plans oneast Hightower lots evolve, and anagreement on access to the lot can beworked out among the property owners. Ifthe post office can be relocated, possiblyto the parcel north of the square atHightower and Linblad, its new parking lotcould serve overflow needs at night. On-site parking within the square is notencouraged or recommended.

While some may oppose the idea ofpaving the streets in the New Townsiteand adding curbing and sidewalks, theconsultants feel strongly that this step – orsomething comparable - is necessary toprotect the pedestrian network from cars,especially in winter. This recommendationis based on observation and experience inother resort towns in snowy climates. Anypaving, however, in the New Townsite,needs to be done in the context offloodplain management and pollutionpotential.

On-street diagonal parking is a corollarybenefit of paved streets with definededges. On-street parking does not work inthis climate unless the physical separationbetween street and walkway is very clear.Once engineering and schematic designare initiated on the street improvements, itis entirely possible that a number ofdesign solutions may be found toaccomplish the same goal in a style and

with materials that the community feelsare compatible. While the final design willevolve through public process, it will becritical in any design to define the edge ofthe pedestrian zone and clearly separate itfrom parking areas.

An alternative to doing on-street parking,curbs and paved streets first is to build thepublic parking lots first. Although this maysolve the parking shortage in the short-term, it does nothing to address theequally pressing issue of year-roundpedestrian connections.

The area of the 22 commercially zonedlots inside the square (not counting thepark) totals about 166,000 sq.ft. The sixsimilarly sized lots on the east side ofHightower total another 69,000 sq.ft., for agross land area of approximately 235,000sq.ft. (about 5 ½ acres). If all 28 small lotsopt to erect the largest structure allowableunder the draft land use regulations (7,500sq.ft., which planners consider unlikely),the total building area could equal 210,000sq.ft. Of this, only 117,500 sq.ft. can beon the ground floor (at the 50% sitecoverage ratio proposed in the draft code).If that space is all commercial, requiring 3cars per 1,000 sq.ft., and the remaining92,500 sq.ft. is used for housing above(115 dwelling units at 800 sq.ft., eachrequiring 1.5 parking spaces),approximately 525 to 550 parking spaceswould be required in the vicinity. This isabout 150 spaces more than can beaccommodated in the on- and off-streetparking areas shown on the plan. With

Fig. 9-20 (a+b)Section and planviews of Hightoweras main street inthe New Townsite,near the square


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more restaurant uses in the area, thisshortfall increases.

It is likely that the north townsite will havedifficulty supporting this muchdevelopment without worseningcongestion and parking shortages. It isrecommended, therefore, that theallowable building area be reduced and/orthat the allowable building height bereduced from three stories to two on thesmall lots around the town square.Allowable residential density should alsobe reconsidered (see “DevelopmentStandards” section at the end of thechapter).

It is anticipated that residential andcommercial development on the largerparcels north of the square, currentlyzoned Commercial/Residential andCommercial, will be required toaccommodate their parking needs on-site.

South Side Parking. The parking shownon the south side plan exceeds theamount required by code if all buildingswere single-storied. At a ratio of threeparking spaces per 1,000 sq.ft. for thecommercial space, 240 parking spaces

would be required to support the 80,000sq.ft. shown on the plan. (The requiredparking will vary from that numberdepending upon the amount of spacedevoted to restaurants and bars, whichmust provide 1 space for every three orfour seats.) The plan shows 355 off-streetsurface parking spaces, plus just under100 more in the parking areas associatedwith the fire station and community center.In addition, there are approximately 90 on-street parking spaces, for a total of 465spaces on the south side.

Transit Service to the New Townsite

The Master Plan for the New Townsiteanticipates that a core area shuttle busservice within the townsite and between itand the Alyeska Prince Hotel would beimplemented as a first phase of theproposed internal transit system. Routesconnecting both sides of the NewTownsite will be facilitated by the additionof new connector roads from Crow CreekRoad to Hightower and from AlyeskaHighway to Hightower. The sketch planfor the area assumes bus stops onHightower at regular intervals, but doesnot foresee the need for a dedicated busor transit terminal in the core.

Pedestrian Linkagesand Improvements

A number of specific projects have beenidentified in the New Townsite area thatwill enable the creation of a morepedestrian-oriented environment:

Fig. 9-21On-street and off-

street public parkingin the town centersouth of Alyeska

Highway


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• Improved pedestrian crossings ofAlyeska Highway. Formalizedpedestrian crossings at theintersection of Hightower and AlyeskaHighway will encourage continueddevelopment of the New Townsiteand will provide connections betweenthe New Townsite and the public andprivate development south of AlyeskaHighway. Of similar importance willbe a pedestrian underpass from thetown square to the south side of thehighway, which will provide a keypedestrian link between the north andsouth commercial areas of the NewTownsite as well as access to parks,creek greenbelts, and the Forest Fair.

• Improved pedestrian circulation alongHightower Road to the school. Thisrequires adding sidewalks along bothsides of the roadway as well ascrosswalks throughout the NewTownsite. These improvements areessential to support main streetcommercial development alongHightower Road.

• Sidewalks throughout the NewTownsite. The Master Plan proposessidewalks along all the other streetsaround the town square inconjunction with paving them. Inaddition, protected walkways(arcades, porches, etc.) on the streetside of all townsite buildings shouldbe a requirement to preservepedestrian connections during winter,when the sidewalks at the street edgemay become impassable. While thismay seem a redundant system insummertime, it will be the only usablenetwork most of the time in winter.(See discussion in the “DevelopmentStandards” section at the end of thechapter.)

• Sidewalks and crosswalks required inall future commercial development.These elements will not be a publicinfrastructure project, but rather aregulatory requirement imposed indevelopment review.

• Warning and advisory signs. Signssuch as “Yield to Pedestrians inCrosswalks” should be installed at

Fig. 9-22Transit servicediagram in thetown center

Fig. 9-23Pedestrianconnectionsdiagram in thetown center


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key points throughout the upperValley.

• Pedestrian amenities. Add porchesfacing the street and public rights ofway, path and street lighting, anddirectional signage.

Parks and Public Spaces

Recreational activities are as important ascommercial and retail activity in the appealof the community to residents and visitors.As one local participant commented,“Girdwood is a place to do stuff, not justbuy stuff. Living here is about doingthings.” Girdwood’s parks and recreationnetwork is a fundamental identity-givingelement and the glue that binds thephysical elements of the communitytogether. It is also the basis for a strategicprogram to grow low-impact tourism in thevalley, as trails and natural open spacehave proven to be powerfully attractivedestinations in other like-sized mountaincommunities. Resources of particularimportance include:

Forest Fair Park. In this plan, the parkretains its present character and existingrecreational uses. It also remains virtuallythe same size, except that the tenniscourts and the skateboard park have beenrelocated to permit commercialdevelopment on those sites. (A possiblenew site for these facilities is in the areagenerally east of the proposed communitycenter, in the Glacier Creek open spacecorridor.) The ball field has shifted slightlyto ease the space between it and theimproved extension of Hightower Road,but it remains in essentially the samelocation. The Marlow Pavilion isunaffected. More trail connections intoand through the park are recommended.The pedestrian underpass at AlyeskaHighway and the improved Hightowerintersection should further improve theconnectedness of the park and the abilityto distribute the parking for peak periodevents to the proposed new parkingsupply around the square. Weekendoverflows in the park can benefit fromshared use of nearby commercial parkinglots.

To satisfy the community’s recreationalneeds in the longer term, the Master Planrecommends that Girdwood undertake aprogramming exercise to identify desiredrecreational facilities that could be locatedin an improved Forest Fair Park complex.Among the ideas that came up at publicmeetings were an outdoor ice skating rink,a roller blade track, children’s and tots’play areas, and a second play field.

Fig. 9-24The Marlow

Pavilion in ForestFair Park

Fig. 9-25Section throughsouth Hightower


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Greenbelt Trail Corridors. Glacier Creekand California Creek represent unusualopportunities for a high-quality,comprehensive greenbelt trail system. Inaddition to the planned Iditarod Trail alongGlacier Creek, other trails might beexplored to create a network of pedestrianlinkages between open space and builtareas. Also, a survey of the naturalfeatures in these corridors isrecommended in order to assure thatsensitive environmental and visualresources are designated as parkland andpermanently protected or reserved forrecreational uses.

Lions Club Park. The Lions Club maywish to continue improving the small parkat the intersection of Alyeska Highway andHightower in an effort to make it a morevisible landmark at the entry to the towncore and to connect it more effectively toother parks and trails. Alternatively, theclub could consider moving to anothersite, such as the parkland strip along thenorth side of Alyeska Highway (see nextsection) or a site that is more integrallyconnected to Forest Fair Park. This wouldleave the four municipally owned lots atthat prominent intersection available for avisitor information center or other civicuses.

Parkland along Alyeska Highway. A smallstrip of land between Alyeska Highwayand Girdwood Place in the town square isdesignated as a public park but isunimproved and largely impassable. Itwould be a considerable improvement toclear out the thickets of undergrowth andbroken trees and to open up framed viewsinto the town square area from thehighway. A unique stand of birch trees inthe strip should be identified andpreserved. Planting flower gardens and amore park-like ground cover would furtherenhance the entry to the town center andmake the park more usable for passiverecreation.

The Town Square. The Master Planencourages the development of smallpublic spaces and seating areas along thetown square streets and park, as well asthe improvement of the park in the interiorof the block so that it can function as thecommunity’s best (and only) central

gathering place. Concepts for parkimprovement should be developed by thecommunity in concert with adjacentproperty owners, but could involve suchamenities as a band shell or picnicpavilion, sheltered pathways and seatingareas, shade arbors, community vegetableand flower gardens, a tot lot, and specialpath lighting. Properly equipped, thesquare could be the venue for anythingfrom children’s summer programs to jazzconcerts, Rotary breakfasts, and sportingevent awards celebrations. It is alsorecommended that commercialdevelopment adjacent to Town SquarePark be encouraged to relate to the parkwith terraces and outdoor eating areas.

Fig. 9-26 (a+b)Enlargement of TownSquare Park – overlaywith plat showingrelationship to existingbuildings and conceptenlargement.


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Fig. 9-27a New Townsite north of Alyeska Highway with existing conditions underlayFig. 9-27a New Townsite north of Alyeska Highway with existing conditions underlay to concept drawing information

Fig. 9-27b New Townsite south of Alyeska Highway with existing conditions underlay to concept drawing information


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Fig. 9-28 New Townsite Concept Plan

IditarodTrail

IditarodTrail


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Valued or Historic Structures. It isrecommended that the community identifyany structures in Girdwood that havehistorical or community value and developa regulatory mechanism to protect them insome way. If desired, there may be oldbuildings in the original Girdwood townsitethat could be moved into Forest Fair orGlacier Creek Park and adapted forrecreational uses.

Housing and the Golf CourseDevelopment

The golf course proposal includes aresidential component. The Master Planendorses the concept of locating housingas close as possible to the commercialdevelopment in the south New Townsiteso that residents can walk to the servicesthey need. In addition, some upper-storyresidential units are encouraged withinmixed-use commercial developmentprojects undertaken by GVDC (or otherdevelopers).

Utilities

Water. Development generally east ofGlacier Creek, including the AlyeskaPrince Hotel, is served by a Municipal-owned water system. The water source,storage, and distribution system areowned and operated by the Municipality ofAnchorage, dba Anchorage Water &Wastewater Utility (AWWU).

The New Girdwood Townsite andproperties west of Glacier Creek are not inAWWU’s water service area. Residencesand businesses west of Glacier Creek areserved by private or community wells; it isbelieved that some of these may not meetstandards for potability.

The New Townsite commercial district isserved by a community well located justnorth of the town square. It is believed thatthe water system may not meet pressureneeds and cannot provide high volume(fire) flow capacity. An improvedcommunity water system with adequatefire flow capacity is essential to the area’sfuture.

AWWU’s 1994 Water Master Planconceptualizes how AWWU might extendwater service to the entire GirdwoodValley and anticipates extending its mainsand services to the west side of GlacierCreek. The 1994 Water Master Planidentified the need for an additional watersupply. In July 1999, AWWU completed awater source study (Girdwood/AlyeskaWater System: Pre-Design Analysis –Water Source-Related Improvements) forthe Girdwood area. Included in thestudy’s recommendations were:

• A one million gallon reservoir adjacentto the existing reservoir;

• Extension of a 16-inch watertransmission main from AlyeskaAvenue, along Alyeska Highway andacross Glacier Creek to HightowerRoad;

• Further evaluation of the Cherrier-King-Cherrier well east of HightowerRoad; and,

• Identification and development of anadditional well source in the GlacierCreek Valley.

Following the 1999 source studyrecommendations, AWWU will perform abroader evaluation of water sources withinthe Glacier Creek Valley. Funding fordesign and construction of future waterfacilities in the Girdwood area will be paidin part by a $1.7 million Federal grant.However, this grant requires a local matchof $1.4 million, which is currentlyprogrammed in the AWWU six-year capitalbudget for the year 2004, the earliestfiscal year that AWWU can allocate fundsfor any of this work without raising rates tothe entire AWWU customer base. Itshould be noted that the AWWU fundsbudgeted in 2004 will not pay for all thework recommended in the 1994 WaterMaster Plan nor in the 1999 source study.Work will proceed on a prioritized basisand as funds become available. Thepublic will be included in the process ofidentifying the use of the Federal grantfunds for these AWWU facilities.

Sanitary Sewer. A public sanitary sewer(or wastewater) collection system is


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available to most of the properties in thestudy area. The wastewater collectionsystem and treatment facility are ownedand operated by AWWU. The capacity ofthe facility is adequate to accommodatethe level of development contemplated inthe Commercial Areas Master Plan.Additionally, AWWU regularly reviews andanalyzes development and capacityissues to plan for anticipated growth.

Natural Gas. This service was recentlyinstalled and capacity is adequate.

Electricity. Electrical capacity is adequateto handle Girdwood’s anticipated growth,but system reliability is an issue. ChugachElectric has adequate capacity, but thelines are overhead, and heavy snowfallfrequently causes power outages.Chugach would like to add a secondfeeder line to create a looped system thatwould allow them to provide service fromanother line when the first one is down.New service will have to go underground.They also want to add a secondtransformer at the Old Townsitesubstation, but this is controversialbecause the community wants thesubstation relocated.

Above-Grade Utilities. The Master Planrecommends that the location of anyelectrical transformers or other above-grade utilities be approved as part of alldevelopment plans, particularly in thesouth townsite area. Utility boxes, switchcabinets, transformers, poles, and vaultsshould not be allowed on the street side ofcommercial areas nor where they wouldobstruct pedestrian passage. Whereverpossible, they should be located behindbuildings and fully screened frompedestrian areas. The samerecommendation applies to utilityimprovements that are not part of privatedevelopment plans. Utility providers areencouraged to work with MOA plannersbefore installing any above-grade utilitiesto assure that the intent of the Master Planis respected. All new electrical servicelines must be underground.

RECOMMENDEDDEVELOPMENT STANDARDSAND DESIGN GUIDELINES

To encourage the desired pattern ofpedestrian friendly main streetdevelopment throughout the NewTownsite, these specific modifications inthe draft of the Title 22 Land UseRegulations are recommended:

Guidelines Common to All NewTownsite Districts(North and South) (GC-5, GC-6,GC-7, GC-8, GC-9 and GC-10)

Arcades and Covered Walkways. Thedraft code encourages, but does notrequire, covered walkways. To promotepedestrian connections in all weather, theMaster Plan recommends requiringarcaded or roofed walkways along thestreet face of all new buildings, elevated atleast 9 inches above grade. In the gapsbetween buildings, free-standing coveredwalkways are encouraged, and privatelymaintained walkways are required.Owners of existing properties with groundfloor commercial uses are encouraged tofollow suit and would be required to add acovered walkway as part of anyapplication for modification orredevelopment of their property. Thearcades do not have to be fully attached tothe building (although this would bepreferable) or of uniform design along thestreet frontage; they can vary and stepwith the line and style of the buildings towhich they belong. A landscaped strip for

Fig. 9-29Pedestrian arcade,Main Street JacksonHole, Wyoming


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snow storage at least 5 feet in widthshould parallel the arcade and separate itfrom the street.

Parking Lots. The Master Plan illustrationshows a number of surface parking lotsbehind buildings that are intended tosatisfy the parking requirements formultiple commercial properties withoutdetracting from the quality of thepedestrian environment along the street.In some cases, it will be necessary thatthese shared public lots exceed 40 cars.The draft code requires that parking areasof that size or larger be distributed in lotsof up to 20 cars and separated by 20-footlandscaped buffers. Where parking isconsolidated in larger lots, multiplelandscape islands vastly complicate snowremoval. The Master Plan proposesinstead a required 20-foot landscapedbreak in any line of parking spaces over20 cars long and a minimum 15-footlandscaped strip between every double-loaded bay of cars. An exception shouldbe made for the larger parking lot attachedto the potential grocery store at the southend; in this case, a landscaped strip 20feet in width could be required betweenevery other bay.

Lighting. Pedestrian scaled lighting(bollards, post-mounted, or attached to thebuilding) should be required as part of thedesign of covered walkways.

Additional Guidelines for the TownSquare and Hightower Area(Districts GC-7 and GC-9)

If the town square area is to develop as atrue mixed-use core commercial district, itis strongly recommended that morespecific guidelines be added to the code

to reflect its unique scale and character.The smaller rectangular lots within thesquare and along the east side ofHightower need to be treated differently inthe land use code from other, less centraland more auto-oriented commercialnodes. The following recommendationwould apply to all of the properties inthese two districts:

Front Setbacks. The draft code specifiesa minimum of 13 feet for the front setback,but does not specify a maximum, which isequally important to achieve the relativelyunified street frontage that the Master Planhas described in the north New Townsite.It is strongly recommended that aprovision specifying a maximum frontsetback of 20 feet be added to the draftcode language. (Some limited portions ofa building frontage might be allowed tostep back further from that setback tocreate usable small public spaces in thefront.)

Additional Guidelines for Lots thatAdjoin Town Square Park (GC-7)

The dedicated interior park makes thisdistrict of narrow lots unique. Thecommunity’s clear intent is that the districtshould be finely textured and wellconnected, and that the park shouldbecome a public amenity supportinggreater use, but remaining natural incharacter. Unless specific guidelines arewritten for the lots adjoining the park, thatintent is unlikely to be realized.

Under the standards proposed formaximum building area (7,500 sq.ft.),building height (35 feet), site coverage(50%), and setbacks in this commercialdistrict, buildings on the smallest lotswould be forced into very small footprintsand three stories in height to yield the fullallowable square footage. The table anddiagram on the following column illustratethe building area that would be possibleon three typical lot sizes in the NewTownsite.

Even if an owner builds out to all setbackson the smallest lots (50’ x 130’), sitecoverage would be closer to 40% than50%. It is unlikely that all owners would

Fig. 9-30Parking lot guidelines


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opt to maximize their buildings, but if theydid, the image that evolves of skinny

LOT A B C

Lot Dimensions 50 x130

70 x130

80 x130

Total Lot Area (sf) 6,500 9,100 12,000

Site area withSetbacks and % ofTotal Lot Area1

With zero lot lineone side

3,680(56.6%)

5,520(60.6%)

7,840(65.3%)

With 10’ setbackEach side

2,760(42.5%)

4,600(50.5%)

6,720(56%)

Allowable SiteCoverage (sf)

@ 50% 3,250 4,550 6,000@ 60% 3,900 5,460 7,200

MaximumAllowableBuilding Area (sf)

DraftRegulations 7,500 7,500 7,500RecommendedModification 6,500

Square Feet inTwo Stories 7,800 10,920 14,400

Notes:1. Assumes 13’ front, 25’ rear, 10’ sides

3-story buildings with uniform spacingbetween them may be inconsistent withthe community’s desired character. Itseems reasonable to adjust themaximums for this district to yield morerealistic and equitable standards – and toproduce a neighborhood that meets thecommunity’s expectations. Specificrecommendations include:

Site Coverage. To maximize availablecore area commercial/retail space, whichis usually on the ground floor, manycomparable small towns have increasedallowable site coverage in their downtownareas. Vail’s pedestrian scaled Bridge

Street shopping district, for example,allows 80% site coverage, and Aspen is inthe process of increasing allowable sitecoverage downtown from 75% to arecommended 90% after concluding thatthe 25% required open space did notcontribute positively to the quality ofpedestrian space. There is no maximumin Steamboat’s historic downtown.Admittedly, these downtowns are moreintensively developed than Girdwoodenvisions for its town center. Still, a highersite coverage ratio in the town square– atleast 60% is recommended -- would allowowners to dedicate more of their totalbuilding area to ground floor retail orcommercial uses if they wish. Further, inconjunction with modified setbacksrecommended below, it would engender agreater sense of connectedness betweenbuildings and along the town squarestreets.

Side Setbacks. The code specifies aminimum side setback of 10 feet on bothsides (or 20 feet on both sides if a lot islarger than 21,780 feet, which none inthese two districts are). In some cases,where adjoining property owners wish toconnect their buildings or cooperate in thedesign of a public passageway orcourtyard between them, a zero lot linewould be appropriate. It is recommendedthat the draft be modified to allow a zerolot line plan on one side if adjoiningneighbors agree. Buildings that connectacross a property line, using the zero lotline option, must still appear to be twodifferent buildings. Spaces betweendetached buildings should remain at least20 feet. In concert with the requirementthat all ground floor space be dedicated tocommercial uses, the spaces betweendetached buildings should be designed toaccommodate outdoor public useswherever possible, and service areas inthe side (or rear) setbacks must bescreened. Maintenance of the sidesetback area between buildings isessential.


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Side Setbacks along Public Rights-of-Way. In the townsite plat, there are four20-foot-wide public rights-of-way thataccess the interior town square park. Withsensitive building and site design on bothsides, these passageways can becomespecial spaces. However, if the lots onboth sides are required to maintain a 10-foot side setback, the resulting 40-foot-wide passageways are more likely tobecome a no-man’s-land. What happensat their edge greatly affects whether theywill be used. It is recommended that theproperty owners adjoining theseaccessways be given the latitude, withconditional review, to build improvementsup to the property line if they relate to thepublic space. No blank building walls orsight-obstructing fences should beallowed. Intimate public and semi-privatespaces and low separations that createvisual interest, such as plantings, lowpicket fences and garden gates, should beencouraged along these edges.

Corner Lots. Language should be addedto the draft to clarify the setbackrequirements on corner lots. It isrecommended that front setbackrequirements should apply to all streetfront property lines and that side setbackrequirements should apply to all propertylines shared by other lots and not

adjoining the park. This means thatcorner lots will not have a defined rearsetback.

Rear Setbacks and the Relationship toTown Square Park. The 25-foot rearsetback specified in the draft code isworkable and consistent with the changeproposed in the site coverage ratio above.However, uses allowed in the rear setbackshould focus on public activity rather thanbeing fully private (see “Double-LoadedRetail” in the next section). Landscapetreatments should continue the naturalisticthemes recommended for the park.Outdoor spaces such as terraces, porchesand decks should relate to the park andbe allowed to encroach into the rearsetback. Service areas in the rear shouldbe strongly discouraged; if unavoidable,they must be screened from the park.(Conveniently distributed consolidatedservice areas for the block arerecommended.) On-site parking in therear setback should not be allowed.Overall, the goal is to create the bestpossible relationship between the parkand the commercial uses on the groundfloor inside the building.

Double-Loaded or Double-SidedRetail/Commercial. Buildings on thesquare should be designed with ground

Fig. 9-31Guidelines for

Setbacks in the NewTownsite north


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floor commercial space and/or retail shopsthat open onto the park as well as thefront side. This will mean “double-loaded”buildings (i.e. commercial spaces alongboth the front and the back of a building,sometimes accessed from a centralhallway) or “double-sided” (shops, officesor restaurants that extend all the way fromfront to back, such as Humpy’s inAnchorage). In no case should blankwalls or alley-like uses be permitted on thepark side. Food and bar establishmentsare particularly encouraged in sunnyexposures at the park edge (like Chair 5).

Gross Building Area. A reduction inbuilding area from the 7,500 sq.ft.specified in the draft regulations to 6,500sq.ft. is recommended to reflect thesmaller lot dimensions in this area.

Building Height. The Master Plansuggests that a two-story maximum ismore realistic on the small lots in thisdistrict, although the code could permitowners to build limited portions of abuilding, but not an entire floor, up to threestories. A neighborhood of predominantlyone- and two-story buildings may becloser to the community’s “small town inthe wilderness” image.

Residential Density. The draft code allowsresidential densities from 10 to 20 unitsper acre with a conditional developmentreview. While housing is a desirablecomponent of development in the NewTownsite, density this high could cause asignificant issue with parking, whether it ison-site or off-site. It is unlikely that densityof this magnitude would be achieved,given the other development standards onthese lots (especially the requirement thatall ground floor space be commercial).Accordingly, it seems more realistic toreduce the allowable density to 6 to 8dwelling units per acre with a conditionalpermit.

Parking Requirements for Upstairs Units.It is recommended that a provision beadded to the code to permit developers ofupstairs dwelling units in the NewTownsite to satisfy the parkingrequirements off-site and that discourages(or prohibits) on-site parking for theseunits. No on-site parking should be

expressly required. If on-site residentialparking is allowed, it should beaccommodated in the side setback,preferably in a garage.

On-Site Parking and Driveways. On-siteparking for commercial uses on these lotsshould be prohibited in the code. Thedraft clause that permits parking in thefront setback of lots in GC-7 and GC-9should be deleted for GC-7, as it will makea cohesive pedestrian network on thestreet side impossible and is notnecessary if on-street parking and publiclots are provided. Driveways are alsodiscouraged, but may be necessary forservice or garage access; these should beconsolidated wherever possible tominimize the disruption to pedestrians.Driveways to parking spaces or garagesfor upstairs residents should be subject toa conditional review, not a use by right.

Snow Storage Areas. Snow removal inthe town square will become morecomplicated as the area develops, andsome snow may eventually have to betrucked out. Snow storage areas in theside and rear setbacks should bedesignated where they will not interferewith or damage public spaces orpassageways between buildings. See“Arcades” above for snow storage in thefront setback.

Fences. Property line fences should notbe allowed. Privacy walls or fences thatmatch the materials of the building couldbe permitted around private terraces onthe ground floor or to screen serviceareas. As noted above, any fences orwalls bordering the public rights-of-wayinto the town square park should be lowenough that children can see over them(36-42”).

Guidelines for the South NewTownsite Area (GC-5)

A master site plan is required in the GC-5district. It may be appropriate in the landuse code to allow negotiation of somedevelopment standards (setbacks, parkingconfiguration, etc.) during the reviewprocess rather than to quantify them priorto parcelization of the commercial tract.


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Language in the code applying to thisdistrict should differentiate between thesmaller commercial projects or structures(as shown along the south Hightowerextension), where a main street charactersimilar to the north townsite is intended,and the development pod at the southend, where larger uses are contemplated.The code might also acknowledge that theGC-5 district could shift northward if themaster plan is adopted, but that thedevelopment standards and guidelineswould shift with it.

Maximum Building Size. The draft codelimits buildings to a maximum of 20,000sq.ft. It is possible that a grocery store orother larger retailer would eventually needas much as 25,000 or 30,000 sq.ft. Also,it is possible that the grocery would haveother attached retail associated with thestore, as suggested in the sketch plan. Inthis district, where a single developer maycoordinate the phased development of alarger parcel, it may be enough to requirethat attached retail structures look likeseparate buildings.

Setbacks. Larger (or smaller) setbacksmay be appropriate for the large grocerystore site. For the smaller commercialbuildings shown on the south Hightowerextension, front setbacks should be thesame as those that apply to the GC-7 andGC-9 districts (13 to 20 feet). Setbacksshould be negotiated as part of the mastersite plan review.

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