Meadow Lakes Comprehensive Plan

Project Date: 2003 - 2005
Project Manager: Chris Beck
Clients: Matanuska Susitna Borough
Location: Meadow Lakes

Project Description

Meadow Lakes is a small, rapidly-growing community in southern Matanuska-Susitna Borough. This unincorporated area just west of Wasilla offers rural living, proximity to jobs and services and low cost land, and is proving to be one of the more popular places to live in the Borough. With a population of 5,310, Meadow Lakes contains more residents than Palmer and is nearly as large as Wasilla.

Beginning in 2003, residents of Meadow Lakes recognized that the population was growing, land uses were diversifying, and ways of life were being impacted. The community approached the Matanuska Susitna Borough and requested assistance in preparing a comprehensive plan.

The community began the process by formally establishing a planning team. The next step, working with Borough staff, was to conduct a community survey to better understand residents' concerns and values. In late 2003, with Matanuska-Susitna Borough Planning Department funding and technical assistance, the community launched its comprehensive plan. Agnew::Beck Consulting was hired to assist the Planning Team community throughout the entire planning process.

In April 2004, the Meadow Lakes Planning Team and Agnew::Beck Consulting released a "Meadow Lakes Issues and Goals Report." A brochure summarizing the report was sent to all box holders and property owners of the Meadow Lakes Community. The report set the stage for the first Comprehensive Plan Workshop held in May 2004, in which over 100 residents of the community participated.

The Planning Team met monthly throughout the process, working with consultants and the Borough to prepare and refine the key chapters of the Draft Comprehensive Plan. In April 2005, a second workshop was held to gain community-wide input on the draft comprehensive plan. Key issues included creating a town center, controlling impacts of uses like sand and gravel mining, and maintaining community character through encouraging low density residential development. The Planning Team, the Matanuska-Susitna Borough Planning staff, and Agnew::Beck Consulting worked together to complete drafts of the plan, all available for community review and comment. In October 2005, the Meadow Lakes Comprehensive Plan was passed and adopted by the Matanuska-Susitna Borough Assembly.

Publications

Meadow Lakes Comprehensive Plan (6,399 KB)