PLATTING BOARD MEETING - Municipality of Anchorage

PLATTING BOARD MEETING Page 12
May 4, 2005
recommendation from Mr. Rinckey to resolve, not eliminate, condition 5.b. CHAIR
PHELPS asked if the result would be either moving the driveway or abandoning the
driveway. MR. RINCKEY was agreeable to changing the language to “Resolve the need
to abandon…" believing the wording "must be abandoned" was too strong. CHAIR
PHELPS suggested “Resolving the need for abandonment or relocation.” MR.
RINCKEY was amenable to this change.
CHI KONG TO, representing the owner of the driveway, thanked the Board and Staff for
their time and work. He explained that it is important for that property to have access
onto 56 th Avenue because the use on the property is a heavy equipment dealer that moves
equipment in and out of the site. Closing the access to 56 th Avenue would have a very
negative impact on the business. He indicated he is not opposed to the development
proposed by WalMart, but he remained concerned with access to this property. To date,
neither the petitioner nor his representatives have approached the owners of the property
regarding this driveway access.
BOARD MEMBER CARESS noted that condition 5.b references the Old Seward
Highway and 56 th Avenue, which he thought was the intersection, but is instead a
driveway. MR. RINCKEY indicated on an aerial photograph that the driveway appears to
be in the right-of-way. BOARD MEMBER CARESS indicated he had misunderstood
condition 5.b, which he thought referred to a property near the Old Seward Highway,
when in fact it is Construction Machinery Inc.’s property.
BOARD MEMBER LINNELL asked that Mr. Kong To identify the property to which he
was referring. MR. KONG TO used the aerial photograph to locate the property. He
feared the condition was to abandon the driveway on his property. MS. O’BRIEN
clarified that this lot was not the subject of condition 5.b. MR. KONG TO apologized for
his confusion. He asked that the ingress/egress to his property not be impacted by traffic
flow.
MARK MAGNUS stated his customers and those of two other businesses use the
driveway at the intersection in question. Eliminating that driveway would create
difficulties for his customers in accessing his business.
CHAIR PHELPS asked if this driveway is currently used. MR. MAGNUS replied that his
and two other businesses use the driveway at this time.
BOARD MEMBER CARESS understood that 56 th Avenue west of the Old Seward
Highway is not developed. MR. MAGNUS indicated that it is a driveway. BOARD
MEMBER CARESS asked if Mr. Magnus understood that a driveway within a certain
distance of an intersection is in violation of regulation. MR. MAGNUS suggested that
perhaps the driveway relocation could be addressed with the design of the traffic light.