Dear Neighbors,

I spoke to many people at the public meeting about the proposed plan for DeArmoun Road on October 9. Many expressed concerns about the impact that plan will have on their homes, road safety, and the neighborhood in general. However, I felt the meeting did not provide an adequate opportunity for people to provide their comments to the project staff. Therefore, I think it's very important that I provide the following information.

As required by federal law, transportation project plans and changes to those plans are driven by citizen input, not by the Legislature. In the Anchorage area, that public input most often comes from local community councils, who provide direction to AMATS (Anchorage Metropolitan Transportation Study -- http://www.muni.org/transplan/amats.cfm) for projects within their boundaries. For example, community councils often submit resolutions to suggest projects, approve proposed projects, or ask for changes. AMATS then considers all Anchorage projects and the input received from the councils, and provides direction about project design and priorities to the Department of Transportation (DoT) who gets on with the work.

Obviously, it is very important that residents who are interested in local transportation projects attend and participate in their local community councils. If you are interested in the DeArmoun Road project, get involved with your local community council, express your concerns, and ask that the council express those concerns to AMATS. People with whom I spoke at the meeting belonged to the Rabbit Creek Community Council, which meets the 2nd Thursday of each month at 7 PM at Rabbit Creek Community Church or the Mid Hillside and Hillside East Community Councils, which meet the 3rd Thursday of each month at 7 PM at O’Malley Elementary School. I encourage you to get involved. For more information about these councils, go to http://www.alaska.net/~councils/.

It is also very important that people provide their personal input about a proposed transportation project. If a majority of people want the design of a project changed, DoT will do so. You can send your comments to:

The public comment form on the project website at http://www.brooksandassociates.info/Hillside/Dearmoun.

The Contracting Agency
Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities
Therese Stokes, P.E., Project Manager
4111 Aviation Avenue
Anchorage, Alaska 99519
Phone: (907) 269-0592 Fax: 243-4409

The Design Consultant
VEI Consultants
Vern Roelfs, P.E., Project Manager
1345 Rudakof Circle, Suite 201
Anchorage, Alaska 99508
Phone: (907) 337-3330 Fax: 338-5386

For more information about the DeArmoun Road project, or other Hillside road projects, go to http://www.hillsideroads.com.

As always, please contact me if you would like to discuss this or any other topic of interest to you.

# # #

All addresses are "blind" for your privacy. A strict "no spam" policy is observed. If you don’t wish to receive "Legislative Update", just let me know. If you know a friend or neighbor in District 18 who has not received "Legislative Update" but would like to be included, I will be glad to include them if they contact me. Your replies, comments, questions, and/or suggestions are welcome. Constituent comments on legislation and policy issues may be tabulated, shared with other legislators, or quoted in speeches. Names, however, will be kept private.