Matanuska-Susitna Borough Erosion Ordinance

Project Date: January 2007 - 2008
Lead: Chuck Lett of Alaska Rim Engineering
Client: Matanuska-Susitna Borough
Location: Matanuska and Knik River areas - Matanuska-Susitna Borough

Project Description

The Matanuska-Susitna Borough has teamed with Alaska Rim Engineers and Agnew::Beck Consulting to prepare a river erosion hazard ordinance for areas along the Matanuska and Knik Rivers.

Historically, there has been considerable loss of land and homes due to erosion along the Matanuska River. As the Knik and Matanuska River valleys become more developed, people and property will be increasingly subject to erosion hazards. The purpose of this ordinance is to identify erosion hazard areas and develop land use guidelines to protect life and property within the hazardous areas.

The ordinance addresses erosion issues for property in the vicinity of the Matanuska and Knik Rivers. The ordinance will include policies for property immediately adjoining the river and, in some instances, property well back from the river’s edge.

Public Participation

Landowners along these rivers and other interested parties are invited to participate in the development of this ordinance. Public workshops were held March 7th & 8th as described below. Public comment is welcome on the available documents. Please submit comments by March 16th.

Public Workshops
March 7 & 8, 2007
Wednesday, March 7 - Butte Elementary School
Thursday, March 8 - Palmer High School
Open house & snacks 6:00-6:30 PM; Workshop 6:30-8:30

The first public workshops introduced this plan to the community, including a presentation of the project's scope and schedule. The goals of the workshop were to review river erosion issues, discuss options for the erosion ordinance and solicit public comments on three key elements:

• Preliminary maps of river erosion hazard areas
• Policies for regulation of new development in hazard areas
• Policies for existing uses in hazard areas

Meeting notes and comments have compiled from these two workshops and are available below.

Steps in the Preparation of the Ordinance

A summary of the proposed ordinance has been released for review. This summary was prepared by the consultants and borough staff, working with a citizen advisory committee established for this purpose. The public is invited to submit comments on this material at the workshops, or by mail or email, through March 16th. The initial schedule is being modified to accomodate a slower timeline to incorporate these comments.

After this initial round of public feedback, a full ordinance will be prepared, and then presented for review and approval at public hearings with the Matanuska-Susitna Borough Planning Commission and Assembly. Additional public and agency feedback will be invited at that time.

Want More Information?

Contact Alaska Rim or the Matanuska-Susitna Borough if you have questions, or if you want to get more information on the process and how to be involved. If you would like to be informed on upcoming workshops please send your email address and other contact information to Tomas Jensen and we will keep you posted.

Publications

Matanuska-Susitna Borough Erosion Hazard Ordinance

• Meeting Flyer - March 7,8 (189 KB)
• Meeting Notes - March 7 (58 KB)
• Meeting Notes - March 8 (58 KB)
• Project Summary (924 KB)