KNIK ARM CROSSING
CONCEPTUAL STAGE
RELOCATION PLAN
FINAL
AGREEMENT NO: P 42070
FEDERAL PROJECT NO:
ACSTP-0001(277)
AKSAS PROJECT NO: 56047
Prepared for:
Knik Arm Bridge and
Toll Authority
th
550 W. 7 Ave., Suite 1850
Anchorage, AK 99501
Alaska Department of
Transportation & Public Facilities
P.O. Box 196900
Anchorage, AK 99519-6900
Federal Highway Administration
P.O. Box 21648
Juneau, AK 99802
Prepared by:
HDR Alaska, Inc.
2525 C Street, Suite 305
Anchorage, AK 99503
January 2006
Knik Arm Crossing
Conceptual Stage Relocation Plan
Table of Contents
Executive Summary ........................................................................................................................ 1
1.0
Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 2
2.0
Project Description ............................................................................................................. 2
2.1 Description of the Proposed KAC Project Study Area............................................. 4
2.2 Alternatives............................................................................................................... 6
2.3 Preferred Alternative ................................................................................................ 6
3.0
Methodology ...................................................................................................................... 7
4.0
Affected Area ..................................................................................................................... 8
4.1 The Mat–Su .............................................................................................................. 8
4.2 Southern Alignment Bridge Alternatives ................................................................. 8
4.3 Anchorage................................................................................................................. 8
4.3.1 Characteristics of Affected Community ......................................................... 8
5.0
Impacts and Environmental Consequences ........................................................................ 9
5.1 Direct and Construction Impacts .............................................................................. 9
5.1.1 No-Action Alternative .................................................................................... 9
5.1.2 Mat-Su Approach Alternatives ....................................................................... 9
5.1.3 Southern Alignment Alternatives ................................................................... 9
5.1.4 Anchorage Approach Alternatives.................................................................. 9
5.1.5 Housing Resources ....................................................................................... 12
5.1.6 Business, Farm, and Non profit Resources................................................... 13
5.1.7 Temporary versus Permanent Displacements............................................... 13
5.2 Mitigation Measures and Permit Requirements ..................................................... 13
6.0
References ........................................................................................................................ 15
List of Tables
Table 1. Displacement summary ................................................................................................... 12
Table 2. Residences for sale in $200,000 to $300,000 price range ............................................... 12
Table 3. Anchorage rental housing availability............................................................................. 13
List of Figures
Figure 2.1. Proposed Project Route..................................................................................................3
Figure 2.2. KAC Draft EIS Study Area............................................................................................5
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Knik Arm Crossing
Conceptual Stage Relocation Plan
Executive Summary
The Knik Arm Bridge and Toll Road project would create a new crossing over the Knik
Arm, reaching from Point McKenzie in the Mat-Su Borough to Anchorage, and would
increase access to portions of the Mat-Su Borough from the Municipality of Anchorage
for commuter, commercial, and freight movement. It would also bring the recreational
lands of Mat-Su closer to the population of Anchorage. This report focuses on the
families, non-profit organizations, farms, and businesses that will be displaced by the
project.
”Conceptual stage plan” is the term of art used for this technical report. It was prepared
for use during project alignment studies and as a part of the environmental analysis of the
proposed KAC project. Two future relocation steps would take place during planning for
this project:
•
•
At the time real estate acquisition would commence for each phase of work, an
acquisition stage plan would be prepared for those properties. This planning
would generally commence with individual interviews of each family and
business/non-profit organization/farm to be displaced.
Then, in conjunction with each parcel acquisition, a detailed statement of benefits
would be provided each displaced person based upon the circumstances at the
time the acquisition of the property is started.
The project would require the acquisition of new rights of way in both Mat-Su Borough
and the Municipality of Anchorage. The relocations caused by each alignment were
evaluated. The charts below summarize the levels of displacement identified for each of
the route segments or alternatives.
The relocation impacts of this project would be most heavily focused upon the
Government Hill Community within the Municipality of Anchorage. This historic
district, as the first community of Anchorage, is the crossroads of the area and presently
serves as the portal to Elmendorf Air Force Base. The project design alternatives through
Government Hill would be placed in a tunnel, a design that minimizes the permanent
displacements by the project.
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Knik Arm Crossing
Conceptual Stage Relocation Plan
1.0 Introduction
This Technical Report provides documentation of the Conceptual Stage Relocation Plan,
in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough (Mat-Su) and the Municipality of Anchorage
(Anchorage) that would be affected by the proposed Knik Arm Crossing (KAC) project.
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is preparing a Draft Environmental
Impact Statement (EIS) as part of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
process to evaluate a Knik Arm crossing sponsored by the Knik Arm Bridge and Toll
Authority (KABATA). This Technical Report is limited to the Study Area and to the
alternatives further evaluated in the EIS. The Study Area, the proposed alternatives, and
the projected impacts from their implementation are described below.
2.0 Project Description
More than 80 years of transportation, land use, and economic plans and studies for the
Upper Cook Inlet region of Alaska have addressed the need for a Knik Arm crossing
project to connect Anchorage with the Mat-Su.
In 2003, the Alaska State Legislature established the Knik Arm Bridge and Toll
Authority (KABATA) as a public corporation and an instrumentality of the State of
Alaska within the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities
(ADOT&PF). The specific mission of KABATA is to “… develop, stimulate, and
advance the economic welfare of the state and further the development of public
transportation systems in the vicinity of the Upper Cook Inlet with construction of a
bridge to span Knik Arm and connect the Municipality of Anchorage and the MatanuskaSusitna Borough.” (Alaska Statutes chapter 19.75)
In accordance with this mission, the purpose of the proposed KAC project would be to
provide improved access and connectivity between Anchorage and the Mat-Su through
an efficient and financially feasible crossing of Knik Arm, including adequate
connections to the committed roadway network on both sides of Knik Arm. A Knik Arm
crossing would:
• improve regional transportation infrastructure to meet existing and projected
population growth in Upper Cook Inlet
• enhance the movement of people, freight, and goods between Anchorage, the Mat-Su,
and Interior Alaska
• offer safe, alternative connections between regional airports; ports; hospitals; and fire,
police, and disaster relief services for emergency response and evacuation
The proposed bridge crossing of Knik Arm would be located approximately 1.25 miles
north of Cairn Point and would span approximately 2.5 miles (see Figure 2.1). The
roadway connection on the Mat-Su side of Knik Arm would be Point MacKenzie Road
near the Port MacKenzie District. The roadway connections on the Anchorage side of
Knik Arm would be the A-C and Ingra-Gambell Couplets, generally in the Port of
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Conceptual Stage Relocation Plan
Anchorage (POA)/Government Hill/Ship Creek area. The total length of the project from
the intersection of Point MacKenzie and Burma Roads to the intersections of the A-C and
Ingra-Gambell Couplets with Third Avenue would be approximately 19 miles.
Design and construction features of
the proposed KAC project would
include, among other details:
• a toll plaza
• a rural principal artery
• phased construction
The proposed project would be a
controlled access toll facility with a
toll plaza located in the Mat-Su near
the western bluff of Knik Arm. The
proposed project would be classified
as a rural principal arterial in the
Mat-Su and across Knik Arm,
transitioning to an urban principal
arterial in Anchorage in the vicinity of
the POA. The proposed project would
be phase-constructed as travel demand
would warrant and would be
anticipated to generally be an initial
two-lane facility with expansion to a
four-lane facility by the design
Figure 2.1 shows that the proposed project begins
year 2030. Initial construction would
at Burma Road and ends in Downtown Anchorage.
include a connection to the existing
Components common to all routes being
considered are also identified.
A-C Couplet on the Anchorage side
and, by approximately 2022–2025, a
connection to a new viaduct (elevated bridge) across the Ship Creek rail yard to connect
with the Ingra-Gambell Couplet.
Right-of-way (ROW) widths for the project would vary by specific design element. The
proposed project ROW in the Mat-Su would be approximately 400 to 450 feet in width.
In the Anchorage portion of the proposed project, the ROW would be approximately
260 feet along the east shore of Knik Arm down to the future expansion of the POA, and
then vary from 200 to 350 feet as it passed behind the port. As it climbed Government
Hill, the ROW would expand to 985 or 585 feet wide to accommodate a cut-and-cover
tunnel and access points along either a Degan Street- or Erickson Street-area alignment,
respectively. Continuing southward it would cross the Ship Creek rail yard along an
approximately 80-foot-wide, pier-supported viaduct ending at Third Avenue, the
proposed project terminus.
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Knik Arm Crossing
Conceptual Stage Relocation Plan
2.1 Description of the Proposed KAC Project Study Area
The Study Area for the proposed KAC project is located within the boundaries of
Anchorage and the Mat-Su in the Upper Cook Inlet region of Southcentral Alaska
(Figure 2.2). The Study Area has a combined population of nearly 350,000, which
represents over 50 percent of Alaska’s total population. The Anchorage and Mat-Su
portions of the Study Area are separated from one another by Knik Arm, a 30-mile-long
waterway, which varies in width from 2 to 6 miles. Anchorage is located approximately
3 miles across Knik Arm from Port MacKenzie and the adjacent Port MacKenzie District.
Although the physical separation between these two areas consists of a short span of
waterway, the only current surface transportation access between Anchorage and the Port
MacKenzie District (Port District) is by 80 miles of existing roadway around the head of
Knik Arm.
Located along the eastern shore of Knik Arm, Anchorage encompasses 1,961 square
miles, 84 percent of which is occupied by National Forest, State Parklands, and tidelands,
with an additional 6 percent occupied by military reservations. Only about 10 percent of
the entire municipality is inhabited and available to accommodate existing and future
growth. Most residents of Anchorage live in the Anchorage Bowl, the most urbanized
portion of the municipality. The Anchorage Bowl occupies approximately 112 square
miles and is bounded by Chugach State Park, Knik and Turnagain Arms, Elmendorf Air
Force Base (Elmendorf), and Fort Richardson Military Base (Fort Richardson).
Anchorage residents outside the Anchorage Bowl live either further north in the suburban
communities of Chugiak-Eagle River or in small residential areas along the Glenn
Highway and Turnagain Arm. Also located within this portion of the Study Area are the
POA—a vital intermodal facility—and the adjacent Ship Creek industrial area.
On the western shore of Knik Arm, the Mat-Su consists of an area of 24,683 square
miles, which encompasses approximately 23 percent of all private land in the state of
Alaska. Because there is a substantial amount of undeveloped land available in the
Mat-Su, the area provides an alternative to more costly and limited residential,
commercial, and industrial lands within Anchorage. This availability has resulted in
numerous changes that have recently occurred or will be occurring in the Mat-Su,
including construction of Port MacKenzie in the late 1990s, existing and planned
expansion of the connecting transportation network to and from Port MacKenzie, and
planned development of the 9,000-acre Port District. The Mat-Su Borough is also
developing a ferry link between Port MacKenzie and the POA; the ferry is projected to
begin operation in 2008.
4
Figure 2.2. KAC Draft EIS Study Area. The Study Area has no
specific, fixed boundaries because the Study Team has created
a unique Study Area for each resource or issue assessed in the
Draft EIS. The term Study Area, thus, has a context-specific
meaning that shifts from one resource to another.
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Knik Arm Crossing
Conceptual Stage Relocation Plan
Knik Arm Crossing
Conceptual Stage Relocation Plan
2.2 Alternatives
The proposed KAC project would begin at the intersection of Point MacKenzie and
Burma Roads and follow the existing roadway alignment south to the western boundary
of the Port District. From here, there would be two alternative routes for getting to the
proposed bridge crossing. The proposed Point MacKenzie Road Alternative would use
the existing Point MacKenzie Road most of the way through the Port District before
deviating from the established road and heading toward the proposed bridge crossing near
the western bluff. The proposed Northern Access Alternative would skirt the core port
area on the north side on a new alignment. With either proposed alternative, there would
be a toll plaza and intersection/access road to allow access to and from Port MacKenzie.
The proposed bridge would be within the Southern Alignment, a corridor beginning
approximately 1,500 feet south of Anderson Dock on the Mat-Su side and ending
1.25 miles north of Cairn Point on the Anchorage side. The crossing structure would be
either 8,200 or 14,000 feet long. The Southern Alignment also includes the eastern bridge
abutment, where the proposed Anchorage approach road would travel southwest on fill
along the tidelands and below the bluff (termed the proposed “Below-the-Bluff
Roadway”), toward Cairn Point, then turn southward, closely following the natural curve
of the shoreline.
From this point the proposed roadway would parallel the eastern boundary of the POA,
where the route would connect to the existing A-C Viaduct and the proposed IngraGambell Viaduct by way of either of two routes: the Degan Alternative or the Erickson
Alternative. The proposed Degan Alternative would follow the alignment of Degan Street
through a cut-and-cover tunnel that would initially connect to East Loop Road with an atgrade, T-intersection (Phase 1). As travel demand would warrant, the route would
continue on the proposed new Ingra-Gambell Viaduct over the Ship Creek rail yard
before tying into the Ingra-Gambell Couplet at 3rd Avenue. At that time, Loop Road
would be elevated over the proposed KAC route to provide access to Government Hill
and Elmendorf. The proposed Erickson Alternative would be similar, but the cut-andcover tunnel would align with Erickson Street and connect directly into Loop Road in
Phase 1 (ramps would continue to provide access to Government Hill and Elmendorf). In
Phase 2, when travel demand would warrant, the route would continue in a parallel cutand-cover tunnel under Erickson Street onto the proposed Ingra-Gambell Viaduct, tying
into the Ingra-Gambell Couplet at 3rd Avenue.
2.3 Preferred Alternative
FHWA screened the range of alternatives against criteria for purpose and need and
technical criteria to identify reasonable alternatives for detailed study in the Draft EIS.
Based on these screening criteria and subsequent detailed evaluations, FHWA has
identified a Preferred Alternative.
The preferred approach route to the proposed Knik Arm Bridge from the Mat-Su side is
the Northern Access Alternative: Point MacKenzie Road from its intersection with
Burma Road, south to the Port District, and connecting through to the Port District along
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Knik Arm Crossing
Conceptual Stage Relocation Plan
the northern alignment. FHWA chose this route because it would avoid wetlands, would
not impact Port MacKenzie operations, and is favored by Mat-Su Borough and Port
MacKenzie officials.
The proposed Southern Alignment is the preferred route for the bridge to cross Knik
Arm. The Southern Alignment, with its accompanying proposed Below-the-Bluff
Roadway on the Anchorage approach, would be the most technically feasible and
practical alignment that would avoid the Cairn Point Trench (a submarine trough), would
not affect military mission and operations at Elmendorf, and would minimize potential
impacts to beluga whales that congregate in areas of Knik Arm further to the north.
An 8,200-foot-long pier-supported bridge is preferred over a 14,000-foot-long piersupported bridge because, in addition to lower construction costs, a shorter bridge would
require fewer piers—meaning shorter in-water construction time and, therefore, less
construction noise and pile-driving impacts that might adversely affect beluga whales and
marine fishes.
The preferred Anchorage approach to the proposed bridge would be a cut-and-cover
tunnel under Government Hill, using either the proposed Degan or Erickson Alternative
to connect initially to the existing A-C Couplet and, in Phase 2, to the Ingra-Gambell
Couplet.
All reasonable alternatives evaluated in the Draft EIS are under consideration and have
been developed to a comparable level of detail. Final identification of a Preferred
Alternative will not occur until the alternatives, impacts, written comments on the Draft
EIS, and comments received at the public hearings have been fully evaluated and
considered. The final Preferred Alternative will be provided in the Final EIS.
3.0 Methodology
Aerial photographs and maps showing estimated right-of-way limits for the project were
used to identify properties that would be acquired or severely affected by the proposed
KAC project. Information on those properties was obtained from public real estate
records and from an external visual inspection of the properties and neighborhood. Where
the right-of-way limit would cross improved lots smaller than 20,000 square feet and
would also touch buildings on those lots, the properties were considered to be entire
acquisitions for planning purposes. This assumption allows for a study that addresses the
most probable impact the project would have on displacement when final design is
completed.
Research into available housing resources was conducted with a local real estate broker
and the related listing databases of property listings. Data was also gathered on and near
the project site from properties posted for sale, and from leasing offices of apartment
complexes. All of this data was as of September 2005. At the time properties are
acquired, a specific search for homes comparable to those from which the persons are
being relocated will be identified, and supplemental housing payments offered based
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Knik Arm Crossing
Conceptual Stage Relocation Plan
upon the provisions in State and Federal laws. A similar analysis of commercial and
industrial properties available in the Anchorage area identified in excess of 100 properties
of varying compatibility to the businesses that would be displaced.
The relocation impacts of this project would be most heavily focused upon the
Government Hill Community within the Municipality of Anchorage. This historic
district, as the first community of Anchorage, is the crossroads of the area and presently
serves as the portal to Elmendorf. The proposed project would not change that tradition,
because it would cross under the central part of the community by way of a tunnel, which
that minimizes the permanent displacements.
4.0 Affected Area
4.1
The Mat–Su
Up to 30 agricultural or industrial parcels exist along each of the proposed Mat-Su
approach alternatives. No homes or businesses in the Mat–Su portion of the Study Area
would be anticipated to be affected by the proposed KAC project.
4.2 Southern Alignment Bridge Alternatives
The proposed Southern Alignment would require acquisition of right-of-way; however, it
is not anticipated that any homes or businesses would be affected by the proposed KAC
project.
4.3
Anchorage
In the Anchorage portion of the Study Area, the A–C Couplet phase of the proposed
KAC project would traverse the Government Hill neighborhood along Degan Street or
Erickson Street, as described in Section 2.0. While the tunnel design would minimize
permanent displacements, proposed KAC project staging areas, construction techniques,
and final tunnel design would affect the number of relocations and construction impacts.
The Ingra–Gambell Couplet phase of the proposed project would affect a number of
residents of the Sunset Park area of Government Hill and then traverse parcels in the rail
yard industrial area as well as parcels owned by the Municipality of Anchorage.
4.3.1 Characteristics of Affected Community
Family and other characteristics of the community affected in Anchorage as identified in
the 2000 U.S. Census data Block Group 1, Census Tract 5 show a neighborhood
approximately evenly split between homeowners and renters, with over 90 percent of the
households being four-person or less in size. The racial makeup of the population is
estimated to be 72.6 percent White, 6.6 percent identifying themselves as Black or
African American, 9.3 percent identifying themselves as American Indian or Alaska
Native, and the remaining 11.8 percent claiming other racial heritage.
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Conceptual Stage Relocation Plan
The housing is among the older stock in Anchorage, with approximately 55 percent of the
dwelling units constructed prior to 1960. Approximately 70 percent of the renters pay
rents typically considered to be within their financial means, meaning they pay less then
30 percent of their gross income for housing. Only 7 percent of the residents in the
community do not have a vehicle available to them for use, and over 90 percent of the
residents who work commute by private vehicle.
The characteristics set forth in the census data for this block group are consistent with the
population characteristics observed during field reviews of the project site. No
concentrations of low-income or minority populations would be expected to be displaced
by the proposed KAC project.
Field reviews of the project site did not identify any specific persons with physical
impairments or other special needs when being relocated. Because individual interviews
were not conducted with persons who could be displaced by the proposed KAC project, it
is not known whether any low-income or minority persons would be displaced.
5.0 Impacts and Environmental Consequences
5.1 Direct and Construction Impacts
5.1.1 No-Action Alternative
The No-Action alternative would have no relocation impacts; no residents, businesses or
non-profit organizations would require relocation.
5.1.2
Mat-Su Approach Alternatives
5.1.2.1 Point MacKenzie Road Alternative
The proposed Point MacKenzie Road alternative would require acquisition of right-ofway on property from up to 30 parcels; however, this alternative would not require the
relocation of any residents or businesses.
5.1.2.2 Northern Access Alternative
The proposed Northern Access alternative would require acquisition of right-of-way on
property from 28 parcels; however, this alternative would not require the relocation of
any residents or businesses.
5.1.3 Southern Alignment Alternatives
The Southern Alignment alternatives would require acquisition of right of way from 30
parcels, but would not have relocation impacts.
5.1.4
Anchorage Approach Alternatives
On the Anchorage side, the proposed project would involve building a cut-and-cover
tunnel under the Government Hill neighborhood following either Degan Street or
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Conceptual Stage Relocation Plan
Erickson Street as described in Section 2.1.2. The tunnel design would minimize
permanent displacements. Project staging and construction techniques as well as tunnel
design would affect the number of relocations. While not requiring removal for the
proposed project, up to two houses, one business and one nonprofit organization,
depending on the alternative selected, may be impacted by the construction activities. The
occupants of these properties would be given the option to relocate either temporarily or
permanently.
The residents of the housing directly affected by the proposed KAC project alternatives
were not interviewed as a part of this process. No special relocation needs were identified
during field reviews in the community or from other secondary sources.
5.1.4.1 Degan Alternative
This alternative is a cut-and-cover tunnel under the Government Hill neighborhood
following Degan Street.
This alignment would require acquisition of eight residential parcels housing 14 families
between East Bluff Street and the East Bluff Greenbelt. In addition, property presently
used as parking for the Calvary Baptist Church, the buildings housing the Anchorage
Curling Club and the Anchorage Round and Square Dance organization located in a
public park, La Viva Espresso, and Video Update would be acquired.
Although two residential parcels housing three families, as well as Calvary Baptist
Church would be immediately adjacent to construction, removal may not be required as a
part of the proposed project. This would allow for the option of either acquiring the
properties and permanently displacing the occupants, or providing for temporary vacation
of the property during impairment of access and construction disruption on the property.
The acquisition of parking across Degan Street from the Calvary Baptist Church could be
accommodated by providing replacement parking across East Bluff Street, until the
parking area has been restored and made available for use.
The viaduct connecting Government Hill and the Ingra-Gambell Couplet would require
the acquisition of properties from one private owner, the ARRC, and the Municipality of
Anchorage, together with the acquisition of any improvements located on these parcels
(owned by tenants) which may be required to be removed as a result of construction.
Although no residences would have to be acquired, approximately seven industrial
properties may be displaced by the Ingra-Gambell viaduct that would be built over the
Ship Creek industrial area. One of these displaced industrial installations contains two
fuel oil tanks used by ML&P to power emergency generation facilities on an adjacent
site.
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Conceptual Stage Relocation Plan
5.1.4.2 Erickson Alternative
This alignment would require the acquisition of nine dwellings housing 16 families, three
improved commercial properties, in addition to affecting the entrance to a major
employer in the city. Displacements on the four commercial properties would include the
Sourdough Visitors Lodge, Video Update, La Viva Espresso, and the Tesoro Gas Station,
all located proximate to the intersection of East Loop Road and Hollywood Drive. Access
impacts would be experienced by employees and visitors to the AT&T Alascom
Building.
One commercial property would be immediately adjacent to construction but may not
need to be removed as a part of the project. This would allow for the option of either
acquiring the properties and permanently displacing the businesses, or providing for
temporary vacation of the property during impairment of access and construction
disruption on the property.
The viaduct connecting Government Hill and the Ingra-Gambell couplet would require
the acquisition of properties from one private owner, the ARRC and the Municipality of
Anchorage, together with the acquisition of any improvements located on these parcels
(owned by tenants) which may be required to be removed as a result of construction.
Although no residences would have to be acquired, approximately seven industrial
properties may be displaced by the Ingra-Gambell viaduct that would be built over the
Ship Creek industrial area. One of these displaced industrial installations contains two
fuel oil tanks used by ML&P to power emergency generation facilities on an adjacent
site.
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Table 1 gives a summary of displacements for each of the alternatives.
Table 1. Displacement summary
Alternative
Displacements
Residential
Owner
occupied
units
Business
Tenant
occupied
units
Total
units
Commercial
businesses
Industrial
properties
Nonprofit
organizations
No-Action Alternative
0
0
0
0
0
0
Point MacKenzie Road
Alternative
0
0
0
0
0
0
Northern Access
Alternative
0
0
0
0
0
0
KAC including Belowthe-Bluff Alignment
0
0
0
0
0
0
Acquisition
6
8
14
2
7
3
Temporary Displacement
1
2
3
0
0
1
7
10
17
2
7
4
8
8
16
4
7
1
0
0
0
1
0
0
8
8
16
5
7
1
Degan Alternative
Total both phases
Degan Alternative
Erickson Alternative
Acquisition
Temporary Displacement
Erickson Alternative
5.1.5
Housing Resources
Two properties were identified for sale in the Government Hill Community. Comparable
neighborhoods were identified as including the Chugach Foothill, Foothills, and
Brookridge areas. Table 2 shows the property listings that were available during the
Study.
Table 2. Residences for sale in $200,000 to $300,000 price range
Style
Single family
house
Attached
dwelling
1 Bedroom
0
0
2 Bedrooms
1
0
3 Bedrooms
10
4
4 Bedrooms
2
0
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Rental housing resources were researched, and the following summary reflects properties
on the market in Anchorage at the time of this study. The rental rates for these properties
were generally compatible with the probable financial means of the persons that would
potentially be displaced by the proposed project. Apartments are readily available in the
Government Hill Community as shown in Table 3.
Table 3. Government Hill rental housing availability
Style
Single family
house
Duplex
Apartment
1 Bedroom
0
0
5
2 Bedrooms
2
10
10
3 Bedrooms
1
3
3
4 Bedrooms
2
0
0
5.1.6 Business, Farm, and Non profit Resources
Replacement properties for use by the potentially displaced businesses were identified as
being generally available in the Anchorage market. Most of the potentially displaced
businesses cater to the direct retail market and benefit from customer exposure that major
streets provide. No added business sites on the prime business street in Government Hill
would be created by the proposed project, so existing businesses would need to consider
alternative locations should they choose to stay in the same business.
An analysis of commercial and industrial properties available in the Anchorage area
identified in excess of 100 properties of varying compatibility to the businesses
displaced. These represent a range of properties and opportunities, and none were
intended to be specific matches for the organizations that would be displaced. Based upon
a comparison of the businesses that would be displaced and the sites available, all
businesses and non profit organizations would be able to relocate. Project planning would
provide adequate time to identify specific suitable relocation sites, as well as to plan these
often complex moves.
5.1.7
Temporary versus Permanent Displacements
Persons whose home, business, or non-profit site would be affected by long term denial
of access to the site because of construction activities would be offered an option by
KABATA to accommodate this impact. KABATA would design this program to provide
payments for temporary displacement or for acquisition of the impacted real estate and
entitlement to relocation program services and payments.
5.2 Mitigation Measures and Permit Requirements
As a means of providing uniform and equitable treatment for those persons displaced by
federal or federal aid projects, the federal government passed the “Uniform Relocation
Assistance and Real Property Acquisitions Policies Act of 1970” (Uniform Act). This
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legislation provides for uniform and equitable treatment of persons displaced from their
homes, businesses, or farms by federal and federally assisted programs and establishes
uniform and equitable land acquisition policies for federal and federally assisted
programs. Whenever the acquisition of real property for a program or project using
federal monies displaces anyone, the acquiring agency is required to reimburse the
displaced persons (residential, commercial, and nonprofit) for moving and increased
housing costs and to provide relocation planning assistance and advisory services.
Residents displaced by a federal program generally are relocated to existing housing in
the community, although present market conditions may require relocation outside the
community of present residence. Further, people asked to move because of transportation
projects frequently choose to relocate into housing circumstances significantly different
than their present housing. Changes typically made are different communities, different
housing styles and sizes, and occupancy status between owner and renter. Businesses are
generally relocated to similar business settings and in accordance with the Uniform Act.
At the time the acquisition process is to commence, KABATA would prepare an
acquisition stage relocation plan that would identify the specific needs and desires of
each business.
People asked to move due to projects frequently choose to relocate into housing
circumstances significantly different than their present housing. Changes made might be
selection of different communities, different housing styles and sizes, and changes in
occupancy status between owner and renter.
As a part of the KABATA project, all persons that would be permanently displaced from
their homes would be offered the relocation assistance benefits provided for in the
Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970
(Uniform Act). This assistance would include personal services to assist in locating
housing; monies to pay for the cost of moving personal property from acquired
dwellings; and housing payments to assist in the cost of securing either rental or purchase
decent safe and sanitary housing to move into. If no replacement housing is available, last
resort housing would be provided as required by the Uniform Act.
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Knik Arm Crossing
Conceptual Stage Relocation Plan
6.0 References
Anchorage Daily News. September 16, 2005. Classified Ads.
Coldwell Banker Fortune Real Estate. Jacques, Butch, Associate Broker, Coldwell
Banker Fortune Real Estate, September 14 – 19, 2005. Personal communication with
Sandra Dooley and Glenn Bridger, HDR Alaska, Inc.
North Pointe Apartments. Site Manager, North Pointe Apartments, 905 Richardson Vista
Rd, Anchorage, AK 99501, September 14, 2005. Personal communication with Sandra
Dooley and Glenn Bridger, HDR Alaska, Inc.
Internet real estate resources
Rent Clicks, 2005. Rental housing and apartment availability, September 20, 2005.
http://www.rentclicks.com
Craigslist, 2005. Rental housing and apartment availability, September 20, 2005.
http://anchorage.craigslist.org/apa/
Anchorage housing information, 2005. Rental housing and apartment availability, September 20,
2005. http://anchorage.ak.house.info/
Municipality of Anchorage Community Development, 2005. Housing assistance services and
resources, September 8, 2005. http://www.muni.org/cdbg/housing.cfm
Alaska Multiple Listing Service, Inc. 2005. Listings of residential, commercial, and industrial
properties available from real estate brokerage firms, September 8, 2005.
http://www.alaskarealestate.com/
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