MEMORANDUM - Anchorage, Alaska 2016-24 cea_fnb… · MEMORANDUM Project: ... understands that the...

MEMORANDUM

INTRODUCTION & BACKGROUND Chugach Electric Association, Inc. (CEA) is requesting a 100-ft.-wide easement in Far North Bicentennial Park to accommodate overhead transmission lines and related facilities. Parks and Recreation staff understands that the existing equipment was installed in the late 1950s and is currently maintained under a renewable license from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC License 2170). The requested easement would be “perpetual” and supersede the federal license with respect to the subject transmission line.∗ Far North Bicentennial Park lands were patented to the Municipality in 1981 and formally dedicated for park purposes in 1984. A master plan for the park was prepared in 1974 and updated by the Municipality in 1985. The transmission line corridor is identified as an existing “utility right-of-way” in the 1985 plan. The electrical lines and proposed easement generally parallel the north boundary of the park east of Tudor Road, then parallel the easterly boundary to a point south of Campbell Airstrip Road/Stuckagain Heights, crossing ten parcels. The overall length of the proposed easement within the park is approximately 2.8 miles, affecting approximately 34 acres total. Additional information about the project is attached. CEA periodically clears substantial vegetation from the corridor; the proposed easement alignment is mostly clear at this time and CEA plans additional clearing in next winter. A soft-surface trail known as the “Chugach Foothills Connector Trail,” used by the public for a number of years, extends along most of the segment of the power line corridor between Regal Mountain Drive and the east park boundary. The Parks and Recreation Dept. with Anchorage Park Foundation, Youth Employment in Parks Program, improved much of the trail surface recently, with plans to complete the upgrade in the coming months in consultation with CEA.

* The license applied to the transmission line when the line primarily served the Cooper Lake Hydroelectric Project. According to the License, the line now is “an integral part of the connection between the Anchorage/Alaska Railbelt grid and the Kenai Peninsula grid and various distribution points.” (p. 13)

Date: July 7, 2016

To: Parks & Recreation Commission

Cc: Josh Durand, Parks Superintendent

From: Tom Korosei, Park Planner

Project:

PRC 2016-24 – Chugach Electric Association, Request for

Electric Utility Easement at Far North Bicentennial Park

Municipality of Anchorage, Alaska Parks & Recreation Department

632 W. 6th Avenue, Suite 630 P.O. Box 196650

Anchorage, AK 99519 Tel 907-343-4355

URL www.muni.org/departments/parks

http://www.muni.org/departments/parks

PRC 2016-24 Request for Easement—Far North Bicentennial Park July 7, 2016 of 2

P A R K S & R E C R E A T I O N D E P A R T M E N T M u n i c i p a l i t y o f A n c h o r a g e , A l a s k a

The Updated Far North Bicentennial Park Plan does not appear specifically to address the existing transmission line. The plan discusses phasing out “incompatible uses” such as those of an “industrial nature” in general, and suggests mitigating adverse visual and other impacts that detract from the character of the park. The Plan identifies equestrian and other trails, as well as a neighborhood park, in the vicinity of the proposed easement. Parks and Recreation staff believes that the conditions noted below would help mitigate visual impact and impacts to park users in the future. The granting of the requested easement would not appear to result in any immediate change to the affected park area; however, it may reduce the possibility that the transmission equipment would ever be relocated outside the park. STAFF RECOMMENDATION For the reasons noted above, and subject to the conditions below, the Department has no objection to the proposed resolution regarding granting a non-exclusive easement generally as requested to maintain existing electrical utility facilities.

1. Any legal issues shall be resolved including the need for voter authorization for conveying interest in dedicated park lands.

2. CEA shall pay MOA fair market value compensation for the interest conveyed, with the funds to be for use by MOA Parks and Recreation Dept.

3. Except in the case of unusual safety hazard, CEA or its agents shall not unreasonably impair public access to and use of the area for park and recreation purposes.

4. The MOA may construct, maintain, and improve trails and other reasonable facilities including landscaping, for public access, recreation, and visual enhancement. MOA shall make reasonable efforts to locate such future facilities and improvements so as to minimize potential conflict with CEA operations and maintenance.

5. In the event such improvements are damaged by CEA in CEA’s maintenance activities and other permitted use of the area, CEA shall repair such damage within a reasonable time period to condition equal to or better than prior to such activity.

6. Should towers or other above-ground equipment be added, or need replacement or substantial repair or alteration, such addition, replacement, or substantial repair or alteration shall be designed by an architect, landscape architect, or other qualified design professional, subject to MOA and public review and approval, to mitigate adverse visual impact and enhance the aesthetic quality of the park.

Attachments Cc: Karen Keesecker, Chugach Electric Association, Inc. Steve Schmitt, MOA Project Management and Engineering Dept. Tammy Oswald, MOA Real Estate Dept. Quincy Arms, MOA Attorney’s Office

Municipality of Anchorage, Alaska Parks & Recreation Commission

632 W. 6th Avenue, Suite 630 P.O. Box 196650

Anchorage, AK 99519

Resolution No. 2016-19

Request for Utility Easement at Far North Bicentennial Park for Electrical Transmission Line Facilities

WHEREAS, the Anchorage Parks and Recreation Commission serves in an advisory capacity to both the Mayor and the Assembly; and WHEREAS, the Anchorage Parks and Recreation Commission has the responsibility and duty to provide for the long term vision of our park system by ensuring that a balance of parks, natural resources, and recreation facilities provides for the health, welfare, and safety of all residents of the Anchorage Bowl; and WHEREAS, Chugach Electric Association desires to continue to maintain electric utility transmission through Far North Bicentennial Park to serve portions of the Anchorage region; and WHEREAS, the overhead lines and related facilities have been in place since the late 1950s and remain by renewable federal license; and WHEREAS, Chugach Electric Association desires to obtain an easement of similar extent to supersede the corresponding license area for long-term maintenance of the facilities; and WHEREAS, the area of the proposed easement was conveyed to the Municipality of Anchorage in 1981 and dedicated for public park purposes in 1984; and WHEREAS, the subject transmission lines appear to be a recognized utility in the Updated Far North Bicentennial Park Master Plan; and WHEREAS, the public has used the area for park and recreation purposes since at least the time of Municipal ownership and the Municipality desires that the area be open to the public for park and recreation use consistent with reasonable safety standards and applicable plans and policies; and WHEREAS, the public has established trails in the area which trails along with other potential park and recreation improvements the Municipality desires to further maintain and improve for the long-term benefit of the public; now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Anchorage Parks and Recreation Commission would not object to the granting of a non-excusive easement to Chugach Electric Association, generally as shown on the attached diagrams, for maintenance and operation of existing electrical utility facilities, subject to the following conditions:

1. Any legal issues shall be resolved including the need for voter authorization for conveying interest in dedicated park lands.

2. CEA shall pay MOA fair market value compensation for the interest conveyed, with the funds to be for use by MOA Parks and Recreation Dept.

Parks and Recreation Commission Resolution 2016-19 Page 2

3. Except in the case of unusual safety hazard, CEA or its agents shall not unreasonably

impair public access to and use of the area for park and recreation purposes.

4. The MOA may construct, maintain, and improve trails and other reasonable facilities including landscaping, for public access, recreation, and visual enhancement. MOA shall make reasonable efforts to locate such future facilities and improvements so as to minimize potential conflict with CEA operations and maintenance.

5. In the event such improvements are damaged by CEA in CEA’s maintenance activities and other permitted use of the area, CEA shall repair such damage within a reasonable time period to condition equal to or better than prior to such activity.

6. Should towers or other above-ground equipment be added, or need replacement or substantial repair or alteration, such addition, replacement, or substantial repair or alteration shall be designed by an architect, landscape architect, or other qualified design professional, subject to MOA and public review and approval, to mitigate adverse visual impact and enhance the aesthetic quality of the park.

PASSED AND APPROVED by the Anchorage Parks and Recreation Commission this 14th day of July 2016. ______________________________________ Chair Parks and Recreation Commission ATTEST: _____________________________________ John H. Rodda, Director Parks & Recreation Department

Tudor RoadTudor Road

StuckagainHeights

Road

StuckagainHeights

Road

4.54.5

3.43.4

AnchorageSubstationAnchorageSubstation

UniversitySubstationUniversitySubstation

CampbellAirstrip

CampbellAirstrip

2-7

2-7

2-8

2-8

2-6

2-6

2-10

2-10

2-11

2-11

2-12

2-12

3-1

3-1

3-2

3-2

3-3

3-3

3-4

3-4

3-5

3-5

3-6

3-6

1-11-1

1-61-6

1-91-9

1-81-8

1-21-2

1-51-5

1-41-4

1-31-3

1-2

1-2

1-71-7

1-3

1-3

1-4

1-4

1-5

1-5

1-6

1-6

1-11

1-11

1-12

1-12 2-1

2-1

2-2

2-2

2-3

2-3

4-34-3

4-44-4

4-54-5

5-15-1

5-25-2

5-35-3

5-45-4

5-55-5

5-65-6

6-16-1

6-26-2

6-36-3

1-7

1-7

1-8

1-8

1-10

1-10

1-101-10

2-4

2-4

2-5

2-5

2-9

2-9

1-9

1-9

1-6A1-6A

1-13

1-13

3

Cooper Lake ProjectFERC #2170

Figure

1. Mapping completed by HDR Alaska, Inc.

2. All data shown is projected in Alaska stateplane zone 4,North American datum of 1927

0 1,000 2,000

Feet

NN

Anchorage Substation

Legend

Land Ownership

USFS

Military

State of Alaska

Chugach State Park

MOA Parks

Heritage Land Bank

Kenai Pen. Borough

MOA

USFWS

BLM

Alaska Mental Health

Private Land

ARRC

Project Roads/ Access Routes

Passable

Overgrown

Proposed

Transmission Line

ROW Route - Passable

ROW Route - Overgrown

Power Structures

Date: 1/06/2005

File: Final Access Route Report_6ls2.mxd

Author: LS

Berm

Bridge

Gate

Ditch

Wetlands Crossing

Railroad

Stream

Wetlands/ Water

Culvert

Fish Streams

Mechanized Impass

Alaska Appraisal & Consulting Group, LLC File #14-580.REV.1 Page 24 203 W. 15th Ave. Suite #206, Anch. AK 99501 907.677.7701 / [email protected]

Overview Map of the Subject Parcels – Plat Map – Parcels P1 – P10


Individual As-Built Survey’s – Parcel – P1

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