3.0 Affected Environment - Knik Arm Bridge and Toll Authority

Knik Arm Crossing DraftFinal EIS
Affected Environment
Figure 3.49. Key view 10: Third Avenue toward Ingra and
Gambell Streets, facing east
Figure 3.49, the tenth key view, is of the 3rd Avenue and Gambell Street intersection. A
vacant lot behind chain-link fencing in the foreground is the remnant of a hospital that was
razed in the early 1990s. Beyond the open lot is a greenbelt of trees that follows the contours
at the top of the bluff that frames the south side of the Ship Creek valley. The lot shown in
the photo is atypical of the general area because almost all land within the immediate vicinity
have been developed over many years, while this lot has remained undeveloped, in
anticipation and accordance with the Official Streets and Highway Plan (MOA 1996b), that a
roadway improvement project will extend Gambell and Ingra Streets into the Ship Creek
area. The general area fronting 3rd Avenue, as shown in Figure 3.37, is typified by
residential buildings transitioning to commercial use, as well as by small commercial
structures that have in-filled where residences had been. Five-foot-wide sidewalks are located
on both sides of 3rd Avenue. Visual quality is low-to-moderate, owing to the residential
character of the general neighborhood and the distant views to the Chugach Mountains.
Views are diminished in quality by the presence of overhead powerlines and the chain-link
fencing with barbed-wire top.
3.7 Section 4(f) Resources
This section provides information on properties known as Section 4(f) resources, which
include parks, recreation areas, wildlife and waterfowl refuges, and publicly or privately
owned historic properties. Section 3.6.1 provides greater detail on archaeology and historic
preservation. Section 3.6.2 has more information regarding recreation resources, parks, and
wildlife refuges in the Study Area.
3-162 12/18/07