DRAFT HISTORIC PRESERVATION PLAN FOR ANCHORAGE’S FOUR ORIGINAL NEIGHBORHOODS PUBLIC REVIEW DRAFT | MAY 11, 2012 Dear Reader, Thank you for reviewing the “Public Review Draft” of the Historic Preservation Plan for Anchorage’s Four Original Neighborhoods. Please focus your review on the message and content of this draft plan, which does not include any graphics. The consultant team is currently working on illustrations, which will be included in the Public Hearing Draft (anticipated to be completed in August 2012). The consultant team will also work with a professional copy editor to ensure that any stylistic and grammatical inconsistencies that may have been overlooked are addressed before the publication of the next version. Through the course of compiling this “Public Review Draft,” it became clear that many in the Anchorage community have additional information to share that may inform the various components of the HPP. The consultant team will be conducting interviews with interested residents to gather this information over the coming months. Comments on this document? Useful information to share? Questions? Contact Kristine Bunnell at [email protected] or 907.343.7993 by June 30, 2012. Please visit the project website at www.anchoragehpp.com or find us on Facebook for important updates and announcements! - The HPP Project Team Cover images, clockwise from top left: Water tower on Harvard Avenue, in Government Hill; 4th Avenue Theatre (listed in National Register); Typical residence, West Fairview; CAA/FAA Duplexes at W. 12th Ave & I Street (potential historic resources in the South Addition) PAGE i TABLE OF CONTENTS To be included in future draft: Letter from Mayor Letter from Anchorage Historic Preservation Commission (AHPC) AHPC Resolution of Support Acknowledgements I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................. III II. INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................... 1 PURPOSE OF THE HPP ...................................................................................................................... 1 PLAN AREA BOUNDARIES ................................................................................................................ 2 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION .................................................................................................................... 3 HPP METHODOLOGY AND ORGANIZATION .................................................................................... 5 LIST OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS .................................................................................... 6 III. HISTORIC PRESERVATION IN ANCHORAGE TODAY .................................................. 7 FEDERAL HISTORIC PRESERVATION LAWS .................................................................................... 7 ALASKA STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE ....................................................................... 10 ALASKA STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION LAWS ......................................................................... 12 PRESERVATION & ALASKA NATIVE PEOPLES ............................................................................... 13 MUNICIPALITY OF ANCHORAGE PRESERVATION PROGRAMS .................................................... 14 ANCHORAGE MUNICIPAL CODE .................................................................................................... 17 ANCHORAGE PRESERVATION ORGANIZATIONS ........................................................................... 20 IV. PAST AND CURRENT PLANNING IN ANCHORAGE .................................................. 23 ANCHORAGE 2020: ANCHORAGE BOWL COMPREHENSIVE PLAN .............................................. 23 ANCHORAGE DOWNTOWN COMPREHENSIVE PLAN (2007) ........................................................ 25 OTHER PLANS AND DOCUMENTS .................................................................................................. 27 V. HISTORIC CONTEXT & SURVEYS ............................................................................. 29 ALASKA NATIVE PEOPLES HISTORY .............................................................................................. 30 HISTORY OF ANCHORAGE .............................................................................................................. 35 CONSOLIDATED HISTORIC RESOURCE INVENTORY .................................................................... 40 VI. PRESERVATION VISION, GOALS & POLICIES .......................................................... 49 1 | QUALITY OF LIFE / LIVABILITY ................................................................................................... 53 2 | LANDMARKS TO SAVE ............................................................................................................... 57 3 | INTERPRETING HISTORY & CULTURE ....................................................................................... 62 4 | COMMUNITY & PARTNERSHIPS ................................................................................................ 69 5 | GROWTH & CHANGE .................................................................................................................. 74 6 | ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT....................................................................................................... 79 7 | PROCEDURES & REGULATION .................................................................................................. 85 HPP FOR ANCHORAGE’S FOUR ORIGINAL NEIGHBORHOODS PUBLIC REVIEW DRAFT | MAY 11, 2012 PAGE ii VII. NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTER, GOALS & POLICIES ................................................ 93 SHIP CREEK ...................................................................................................................................... 93 GOVERNMENT HILL ......................................................................................................................... 97 DOWNTOWN ................................................................................................................................. 103 SOUTH ADDITION .......................................................................................................................... 109 FAIRVIEW ....................................................................................................................................... 115 VIII. IMPLEMENTATION PLAN ....................................................................................... 123 HOW TO IMPLEMENT THE PLAN .................................................................................................. 123 IMPLEMENTATION MATRIX .......................................................................................................... 125 IX. CASE STUDIES & FURTHER READING ................................................................... 155 X. BIBLIOGRAPHY ....................................................................................................... 163 ENDNOTES ..................................................................................................................................... 163 IMAGE CREDITS ............................................................................................................................. 163 XI. APPENDICES .......................................................................................................... 165 A. FEDERAL HISTORIC PRESERVATION LAWS .......................................................................... 165 B. ALASKA HISTORIC PRESERVATION ACT ................................................................................ 167 C. ALASKA HISTORICAL DISTRICT REVOLVING LOAN FUND .................................................... 171 D. ANCHORAGE HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION ...................................................... 173 E. ANCHORAGE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN (21.05.030) ............................................................... 175 F. ANCHORAGE HISTORIC PRESERVATION FUND .................................................................... 178 G. ANCHORAGE 2020: RELEVANT POLICIES .............................................................................. 180 H. ANCHORAGE 2020: RELEVANT IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES ........................................ 181 I. ANCHORAGE 2020: RELEVANT PLANNING PRINCIPLES ....................................................... 183 J. DOWNTOWN COMPREHENSIVE PLAN: EXISTING CONDITIONS ANALYSIS ........................ 184 K. DOWNTOWN COMPREHENSIVE PLAN: RELEVANT POLICY OBJECTIVES ........................... 186 L. PARTNERS FOR PRESERVATION ............................................................................................ 187 HPP FOR ANCHORAGE’S FOUR ORIGINAL NEIGHBORHOODS PUBLIC REVIEW DRAFT | MAY 11, 2012 PAGE iii CHAPTER I: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY As Anchorage approaches its centennial in 2015, the city has been presented with a valuable opportunity to celebrate its history—both the built environment of its oldest neighborhoods and its intangible cultural heritage—and to plan for responsible, sustainable development in the future. This Historic Preservation Plan (HPP) for Anchorage’s Four Original Neighborhoods provides a chance to explore new ideas and creative solutions for the preservation of each neighborhood’s unique character. PURPOSE OF THE PLAN The Historic Preservation Plan (HPP) for Anchorage’s Four Original Neighborhoods is a community-based plan focused on preserving historic