We lost a battle on April 4, 2000. Proposition 1 passed strongly, allowing Hilltop to clear-cut an additional 60 acres of the park. The grim results are below (From http://www.muni.org/elections/elections2000/props1.ami at 10am 4/5/00.)
| Propositions | Yes | No | ||
| Votes | % | Votes | % | |
| PROP. 1 -
HILLTOP SKI AREA LONG-TERM LEASE |
26,763 | 58.59 | 18,913 | 41.41 |
This result will be perceived by some as a mandate for chopping up the park.
It more likely is proof that the ordinance was cleverly worded to confuse voters.
Either way, it will make protecting the Park from further losses even more of a challenge. If you like it wild and open for all users, you have to pitch in and work as hard as the people who want to develop it to their own single uses.
Your "NO" vote will PRESERVE Far North Bicentennial Park for ALL KIDS.
Your "NO" vote will SAVE the Spencer Loop trail, natural habitat, wild spaces and scenic views.
Your "NO" vote will CONSERVE this unique wildlife area for ALL PARK USERS year-round.
Your "NO" vote will SUPPORT Hilltop's existing permit for 200 acres. Hilltop Ski Area will operate as it has for the last 20 years. It will allow them to host the snowboard competition for the Special Olympics. It will allow them to build the lodge with the $1.2 million in tax dollars they have already received.
Your "NO" vote will BENEFIT ALL the youth of Anchorage: this generation and generations to come.
This section
is "under construction." If Proposition #1 is approved,
Far North Bicentennial Park will be "under
construction," too! Let's not let that happen! Vote NO to
Proposition 1!
The wooded area to the left
would be clear-cut for the expansion of Hilltop. It is a diverse
area used year round by runners, hikers, skiers, equestrians. It
offers a quick escape from the city.
This is a view to the south down the "gasline." The gasline is a popular multi-use trail that will also be lost to Hilltop's Expansion.
The shaded area on the picture at the right shows the increased area Hilltop desires. It’s a critical part of the park. It encompasses the hugely popular Spencer Loop trail. The sustained climb this trail offers is not available anywhere else in Anchorage. (Click on the map to go to a large and very detailed topo map of the area.)
For a little history of the development of Far North Bicentennial Park, click here.
Hilltop
says "Vote Yes for Youth." Is this expansion really
good for kids?Expanding Hilltop will provide some small benefit for beginning downhill skiers and snow boarders. It will hurt adults and children who now use the area year round to run, ski, bike, hike, bird watch, orienteer etc.
Kids who downhill ski or snow board don't gain much since the expansion will not result in more challenging slopes, just more beginner slopes. "We'll hang on to a new skier for about 2 years and then they'll move on" Steve Remme, director of the ski area, conceded. "One of our biggest jobs is finding those new skiers." (Anch Daily News May 12, 1994) Once kids learn how to ski at Hilltop, they look for more challenging terrain. The Hilltop expansion will not provide that.
Lots of young athletes use the exceptional cross-country ski trails that will be lost. These kids continue to use this area as adults.
Hilltop
says they do it all with "No local tax money!" Is that
true?That is not true.
Hilltop has been in the public's wallet consistently since it opened. In 1980 the State of Alaska authorized a $250,000 grant to Hilltop for construction of a ½ mile ski lift. The Municipality helped with $60,000 in 1988 and $40,000 for liability insurance in 1989. In 1992 Hilltop's major creditor wrote-off over $400,000 in outstanding debt that Hilltop failed to pay.
The $1.2 million in public funds committed to Hilltop for a "community chalet" will be for a building that will be primarily for Hilltop's business offices and for their food and ski shops.
Hilltop Ski Area's Business Plan is ripe with plans that require public funds:
We all expect our local businesses to operate without public support. There are hundreds of businesses in Anchorage that cater to the needs of kids. Hilltop is just one of them. Should we be subsidizing this business?
Will the
rent Hilltop pays help the city?Hilltop's lease requires that it pay 2% of gross revenues to the city. That's a very sweet deal for Hilltop. But, it gets even better since expenses for capital improvements can be counted against that payment. Hilltop's rent is not really cash in the till for the city.
Compare this with the actual 5% of track pin revenues that the Nordic Ski Club pays the city.
If this is
about expansion, why doesn't the ordinance say so?Hilltop's expansion has been a contentious issue in many forums for a decade. Hilltop has learned to fine tune its message.
Minutes of the Youth Exploring Adventure, Inc (dba Hilltop) board meeting on November 30, 1999 show a motion approved to "Agree to a public vote subject to approved language." Hilltop had a strong hand in writing the ordinance so it would increase the chance of passing. They got the wording they wanted and now we get to vote on a misleading ordinance.
Have they managed to confuse the issue? They sure have! Even the Anchorage Daily News was confused when their editorial board recommended you vote "yes" for the lease extension and "no" for the expansion (ADN March 31, 2000). We don't have that option, folks! Only your no vote will stop the expansion!
Is there a
need for Hilltop to expand? Hilltop has never demonstrated a need to expand. Hilltop's business plan acknowledges that their future operations only require a new day lodge and improvements to the parking lot. Hilltop was recently awarded $1.2 million in public funds to make those improvements. No new ski runs are necessary.
According to Ski Industry guidelines (Alyeska's Master Plan) and Hilltop's own data (1995 presentation to the Dept. of Cultural and Recreational Services), Hilltop can more than double their maximum crowds on their current 32 acres of skiable terrain.
Since the 1989-90 ski season the number of skiers at Hilltop has steadily declined. Alyeska has also experienced a decline in skiers during this same period from 1989-1997, in spite of improving lifts, snowmaking capabilities, and the base lodge. Meanwhile Alpenglow failed.
In spite of this, Hilltop is seeking public and private money to finance the more than $6 million necessary for their planned improvements.
"So
the choice is: Do we grow trees or healthy children."
(George Wuerch, Anchorage Assembly)We all want healthy children! And kids need trees.
Proposition 1 encourages piecemeal assault on the open space, wildlife, and recreational values of Far North Bicentennial Park. As others follow Hilltop's footsteps and continue to chip away at Anchorage's last legacy of wilderness, the attributes that attracted so many to this city will no longer be apparent. That is not good for kids.
A common justification for any clear-cutting is "our kids need places to play." Yes they do. And woods are a great place to play. Let's save a few for the future.
We need to
provide our kids with a healthy place to play. Will Hilltop's
expansion give kids more recreational opportunities?Testimony at public hearings has shown overwhelmingly that the area proposed to be clear-cut is a very busy place. Hilltop has not made a convincing case that expansion will lead to more use.
It's hard to say if more kids downhill ski or cross-country ski. Service High alone has over 160 kids on its cross-country ski team. Cross-country ski races draw hundreds of kids. Downhill races draw just a few.
Hilltop offers ski lessons for kids.There are several similar youth groups that use the area. The "Alaska Winter Stars" has a strong cross-country ski and year round fitness program for kids that uses the area Hilltop wants to grab. The Anchorage Junior Nordic League, with 500 kids, also uses these trails.
Hilltop is great for young kids learning how to ski. Once they
learn how to ski, there’s not much to do there. Should we be
developing our parks just for kids 10 - 14 years old? What about
when your kids are adolescents and adults looking for outdoor
opportunities and challenges? 
Is Hilltop
affordable recreation for Anchorage's kids?Downhill skiing is an elitist sport. It costs $16 a day for kids to ski. More if you have to rent skis. If Mom and Dad go with two kids, it will cost them at least $72!
Hilltop expects that lift tickets will increase to help pay for the expansion. (Kay Brown radio show March 28, 2000.)
Is the
expansion necessary for Hilltop's year round programs? The expansion won’t help Hilltop's year round youth programs. The summer programs do not require more clear-cut area. The small summer programs appear to use mostly wooded areas of the park. According to Hilltop's Business Plan, the limitation on the summer program is the lack of base facilities. That has been solved with the $1.2 million in public funds they have received for their new lodge.
According to Hilltop, the summer camp "... activities include mountain bike, rock climbing, canoeing, swimming, bowling, ice-skating, inline skating and much more. Join us every week as we embark upon new adventures and visit exciting places." Hard to see how a bigger clear-cut area will be used for any of that!
Who cares
if Hilltop clear-cuts the park? The trees in that area are dying
from spruce bark beetles anyway!
The beetles do not kill every tree. The area is thick with young spruce that will not be killed and will quickly grow to replace the mature trees that die. The abundant birch trees are doing fine. There is a variety of vegetation that will remain when the beetles are through.
The top of the area Hilltop wants is mostly birch. Near the bottom of the hill there are more spruce. On the entire hill, where there are large spruce doomed by the beetle, there are small spruce ready to take their place.
Nothing the spruce bark beetles do over several years can approach the impact of one logger with a chain saw.
Is a new chair lift needed? Are there long
lines waiting for the chair lift?
Lines are rare. A study by Joe Kurtak et al in 1994-95 showed an average wait of only 41 seconds! (Click here for more details on that study.)
Hilltop ski area operates below its capacity. An easy solution to get skiers to the top more quickly is to get a faster 4-seat lift. Hilltop's own Business Plan recognizes this. In a section titled "Hilltop’s Weaknesses in the Winter Market" one of 12 points listed was, "Long lift lines during peak periods due to slow lift." (Vol II, p. 46)
The picture at the right was taken on March 12, 2000. A sunny, warm Sunday afternoon. The snow was soft and very skiable. Where are the crowds on this glorious day to be skiing?
(For those of you unfamiliar with Hilltop Ski Area, the picture shows the only steep part of the run. The other 80% of the slope can require occasional double poling to maintain forward momentum!)
It’s
such a small area that will be clear-cut.
What’s the big deal?We eat our cake one bite at a time. Then it's gone.
Hilltop's expansion will clear-cut about 42 acres. In addition, new cross-country ski trails to replace the loss of the Spencer loop could result in another 20 acres or more of trees being cut down. Hilltop's plans call for another ski lift, 50 - 1,000 watt sodium floodlights and 50 - 400 watt highway lights, and a doubling of their snowmaking equipment. Quite a bit of industry in our quiet park!
Expansion proponents like to point out that they only want another 1% of the Park. The size of the area isn't really the issue. The question remains: "Is Hilltop's expansion the best use for this part of your Park?" No it is not!
Since the Park’s original 5,000 acres were transferred from the BLM, about 25% has been carved out for buildings and single purpose uses. Each of these transfers viewed individually could be considered just a small incursion. Cumulatively, they are a significant loss to the park.
Hilltop's own plans do not stop with the expansion at issue here. According to their Business Plan ".... Other improvements which have been or are currently under consideration are, addition of an ice rink, additional soccer fields, a skateboard park, a par-3 golf course, and a summer slide..." (Vol 3, p. 1)
There is a lot of pressure to ‘develop’ Bicentennial Park. There is currently a proposal to carve 20 acres for little league fields. Just last year, a wooded area adjacent to the park was cleared for a new elementary school. Another area was traded by the city for ball fields off Klatt Road. Proposals to extend Bragaw and Boniface Streets through the Park are huge threats. There is a misperception that Bicentennial Park is an unused area waiting to be developed. It is time to say, "Enough!"
Open space in other parts of Anchorage is also under pressure. Kincaid Park and areas along the Coastal Trail will be dramatically diminished by expansion of the Airport. Public forums consistently show that Anchorage residents value the open spaces in town. Bit by bit we let them slip away.
"Undeveloped" does not mean "unused." Bicentennial Park is a very busy playground. Your "NO" vote on Proposition 1 is a "Yes" vote for parks!
The vote
is only to give Hilltop a longer lease. Don't they still have to
meet tough requirements to develop?The vote is being watched as a mandate for expanding the ski area. The commissions in charge of reviewing Hilltop’s plans are controlled by the mayor. A mayor who feels there is a mandate to expand the downhill ski area can expedite the process.
Proposition 1 changes the rules so Hilltop can expand in stages. The current permit requires Hilltop to show that they have the financing in hand for the entire expansion.
A "NO" vote makes a strong statement that the park should not be developed.
Hilltop is
asking for a smaller area. That’s good, right?
The area for the proposed lease is not really smaller than the current area. They cut from the lease an area that is already developed and added area that is not developed. The area they want is more surgically defined to include just what they want to develop.
The actual "footprint" of the downhill ski area will more than double. The current ski runs cover 32 acres. The new runs will clear-cut an additional 42 acres. (This does not include acreage cut to replace the lost Spencer Loop.) The grey area in the picture to the right shows the additional area Hilltop would like to consume.
Will it be a better ski area if they can
make it bigger?The terrain the expansion will take is not suitable for a
downhill ski area. It's mostly flat and rolling. It will only be
more bunny slopes. 
The picture at the right shows in living color the slopes the current and proposed ski areas offer. The yellow, light blue and green areas are all "bunny slope" quality. Only the blue and red offer suitable downhill challenges. The color categories are based on standard ski area classifications.
(Click on the picture to go to a larger version. It is a large file and may take time to load! It shows the scale and contour lines.)
The expansion will make Hilltop bigger, but not better. Skiers will still go to Alyeska every chance they can.
If it were
such a bad thing, why isn’t the Nordic Ski Club opposed to
it?The board of the Nordic Ski Club has chosen to be neutral on the issue. That is hardly a unanimous position from the membership. There is lots of opposition from Nordic skiers to the loss of a great and irreplaceable ski trail.
It is also wrong that the issue is cross-country skiers vs downhill skiers. The area that would be clear-cut for the downhill skiers is used by runners, bikers, hikers, equestrians, kids, adults ... loads of people all year round. It’s a great place to go to get away from the city.
Does
Hilltop needs a longer lease to survive?Anchorage Youth Recreation, Inc. (AYR) says: "Our land use permit expires at the end of 2000 and we need a long term lease to continue to provide the professional programs you have come to expect from us since 1984." (From www.hilltopskiarea.org)
The long term lease is not necessary for the continued operation of Hilltop. AYR has admitted this at Anchorage Assembly hearings. A long term lease may be necessary for Hilltop to get the money they need to expand. And that is what this vote is all about: Hilltop's expansion.
They have been doing a great job with the area they have and with the generous lease they have enjoyed for years.
Is the
expansion necessary to host the 2001 Special Olympics World
Games?The issues are not related. Hilltop will do a great job hosting the Special Olympics 2001 snowboard competition with the facilities they have. Hilltop has already secured public funds to build a lodge that will be ready for use at the Special Olympics.
In 1990, 1994, 1995, and 1998 Hilltop went before the Parks and Rec. Commission with an expansion plan. It wasn't until the Dec. 14, 1999 assembly work session that Hilltop asked for a long-term lease under the guise that it needed it to host the Special Olympics. At the January 25, 2000 assembly hearings Hilltop officials testified that they did not need to expand their runs or need a new lift in order to host the Special Olympics or to obtain the $1.2 million in Special Olympics money for the new lodge.
Must
Hilltop expand to take advantage of the $1.2 million for the new
day lodge?The issues are not related. The public funds for the day lodge are approved and Hilltop is already planning the lodge so it will be ready for the Special Olympics in 2001.
At the January 25, 2000 assembly hearings Hilltop officials testified that they did not need to expand their runs or need a new lift in order to host the Special Olympics or to obtain the $1.2 million in Special Olympics money for the new lodge.
Anchorage
has developed some world class downhill skiers who started at
Hilltop. Doesn't this show it’s a great program that should
be expanded?Expanding the ski area will not improve it. It will still be beginner slopes.
Anchorage has also developed World Class cross-country skiers. Anchorage youth consistently rank as the best cross country skiers in the country. Are they less important than the downhill skiers?
What
effect will additional snowmaking requirements have on the
ecology of Campbell Creek?Hilltop asked this very question in a document they published
in February 1994. However, they never answered it. Studies have
not been conducted and the question remains unanswered.
The Far North Bicentennial Park Plan recognized the need to
preserve this space for watershed protection. Clearing trees and
bulldozing the landscape will increase runoff and erosion into
Campbell Creek. In December 1984, Hilltop used over 580,000
gallons of water per day from Campbell Creek. By doubling their
snow making capacity Hilltop will tax their theoretical maximum
withdrawal of 979,000 gallons per day from the creek from October
through December.
Does
Hilltop's expansion make business sense?Hilltop has not shown that there is a demand in this town for more beginner ski slopes.
Hilltop estimates they need 8,000 more skier visits per year, a 20% increase over 1998, to pay for increased operating expenses after the expansion. Use of Hilltop has declined from 58,000 visits in 1989-90 to 40,000 visits in 1998-99. The school age population in Anchorage is expected to decline for at least the next 5 years. Hilltop's expectation of increased use is very hopeful.
Where will these kids, age 10-14, Hilltop's major customer base, come from? Who will be paying the high price of a lift ticket and equipment rental costs to pay off $6 million in loans over the next 30 years?
Before it closed, Alpenglow Ski Area drew up to 65,000 skiers a year. After it closed, there was hardly any increase at Hilltop. That's because Hilltop offers only beginner slopes. The market for beginners is small. Expanding the ski area will not create greater demand by beginner skiers.
Hilltop's current operation offers a lot to Anchorage. The current permit allows it to operate sensibly and with confidence that it will continue it's programs. Expanding Hilltop is a brash business move that puts Hilltop's valuable programs at risk.
Will the
expansion of Hilltop broaden the economic base of the city and
create jobs?To some people, the sound of a chain saw is the sound of a healthy economy. But the truth is, it's never smart economics to spend good money on a bad project.
The time, energy, talent and money Hilltop has spent promoting an ill advised expansion could be used to revitalize an excellent ski area at Alpenglow. Alpenglow is a vastly superior ski area that will provide opportunities to all abilities and is more easily accessible to north Anchorage and Eagle River.
Expanding Hilltop will never make it an appealing downhill ski destination for tourists. The cross-country ski trails, including the Spencer Loop are exceptional skiing worth a trip to Anchorage.
I want
Anchorage to be a great place to live. How should I vote?Your "NO" vote on Proposition 1 is a vote for ALL KIDS in Anchorage.
Your "NO" vote allows Hilltop to continue its great programs while preserving the many other uses of Bicentennial Park. That's good for Anchorage! For information on where and when to vote, click here.
Don't let the smokescreen about the "lease extension" fool you. This cleverly crafted proposition doesn't even mention expansion. But that is what it is all about.
We are voting on whether to allow Hilltop to expand into the area now occupied by the Spencer Loop, clearing over 40 acres of the Hillside, putting up a ski lift, more lights, more snowmaking equipment and eliminating a piece of the park that is being used year round for the enjoyment of wildlife, woods, walkers, skiers, horseback riders, runners, mountain bikers, orienteers and a host of family activities.
A letter to the editor can inform lots of people. Write one! They prefer 250 words or less. Be sure to say clearly "Vote NO on Proposition 1!" email your letter to:
The Anchorage Daily News at letters@adn.com
The Eagle River Star editor@alaskastar.com
Click on the leading sentences to read the rest of the letter.
Let's encourage Hilltop to be BETTER, not bigger...
Chris Birch’s letter (ADN 2/23/00) regarding the Hilltop Expansion is misleading when ...
"Hilltop Expansion or Watershed Protection?...
We're down to the wire. It's up to you to vote and to get your friends to vote!
Friends of Bicentennial Park are meeting at the Dark Horse Coffee Company at 8am on Friday April 7 after election. The Dark Horse Coffee Company is next to Blockbuster in the mall just south of the Dimond Center.
The pictures above were taken along the gasline on Sunday afternoon March 13, 2000.
Anchorage has over 60,000 active nordic skiers according to two surveys (Dittman, 1990 and Institute of Social and Economic Research, 1991). Most are recreational skiers who enjoy the exercise and the natural beauty of park and greenbelt surroundings.
Hilltop caters to about 4,000 users in a year. In a good year, they get about 50,000 "visits" and according to their estimates the average customer visits them 12 times in a year. That calculates to less than 4,200 users.
For a look at pictures taken along the parts of the Spencer Loop trail that will be lost click here.
If you have, pictures, email them and we'll post them!
Municipality of
Anchorage http://www.ci.anchorage.ak.us
Nordic Ski Association of
Anchorage http://www.alaska.net/~nsaa
Arctic Orienteering Club
http://www.alaska.net/~oalaska
Arctic Bicycle Club
http://www.arcticbike.alaska.net
Hilltop Ski Area
http://www.hilltopskiarea.org
Voter Information: http://www.ci.anchorage.ak.us/Assembly/Clerk/election.html
The wording of Proposition 1 makes it look pretty tame: it's just a "lease extension." If you've read this page, you know it's really lots more than that! Now that you know the score, you can help us let others know.
Send email
to everyone you know and ask them to look at this site.
Print this
sign and put it in your car window or use it to make a sign in
your yard. Kids Need Parks Sign
Put our
link on your website! Copy the icon and send people our way!
It
takes money! We need some of yours! Print this form and
send us a check! Donation Form
e-mail: Tom Newins newins@gci.net
Or call: Ann Gabler 338-0719, Teri Pauls
345-6152 or Judy Moerlein 346-3784