Last week’s Assembly discussion on the universal identification check requirement at Brown Jug’s Tikahtnu Commons location got me thinking a bit more about how our community regulates liquor sales. To explain a bit every establishment in our community that sells alcohol, whether they’re a beverage dispensary (bars & restaurants, though there are different kinds of licenses in this category) or a package store (retail outlets that sell beer, wine & liquor), requires a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) under Anchorage Municipal Code (Title 21). This allows community councils and the Assembly to recommend neighborhood-specific practices for those businesses to follow, and to provide those recommendations to the Alcoholic Beverage Control board, where they are generally adopted.
Yesterday morning’s article in the local paper provides a pretty good synopsis of the circumstances surrounding the Campbell Creek estuary. For those unfamiliar with the issue, here’s a little background:
Many years ago a friend observed parallels between the legislative process and elephants mating; most of the activity occurs above the average person’s head, there’s a great deal of blaring and other noise, and it generally takes 22 months to produce tangible results. I suppose it was his way of explaining the difficulties of governance (and I apologize if any elephants are offended by the comparison).
Camp abatement. It’s not a new summer opportunity for your kids, instead it’s the surprisingly complicated issue of how our community deals with camps established by our homeless population on municipal lands. As background information, last year the Assembly approved an ordinance that allowed for the Anchorage Police Department to post notices at illegal camp sites and for eviction (removal) to commence 12 hours later. But that’s not how the law has been employed.
Yes, the moment you’ve been waiting for – another meandering blog post! Away we go…
Next Port committee meeting:
Weather-wise the past few days in Anchorage have been pretty spectacular with warm, sunny conditions hinting at the promise of a spectacular Alaska summer. After all, few things make locals happier than compulsory lawn-watering to keep up with hot June sunshine.
If you live or work in the neighborhoods surrounding Ship Creek (Downtown, north Fairview & Government Hill) you likely heard some louder and longer train horn noise than usual today – I certainly did. And, since I know a few folks who work at the Alaska Railroad Corporation, I called to find out what was going on.
If you’ll indulge me a moment I’ll briefly step away from Assembly matters and offer some kudos to a terrific neighborhood effort. It started during the winter with a Clark Middle School counselor, Dustin Hawes, who happens to be an ardent runner, dreaming up the idea for a spring run in Mountain View. Thus was born the “Faster Than a Falcon” 5k.
Zoning, and enforcement thereof, are amongst the primary functions of local government but the issues stemming therefrom are some of the most complicated faced by residents and local officials alike. At the heart of most disagreements is the age-old conflict between individual and community rights. Put another way, “it’s my land and I can do what I want to,” versus, “how can you allow that guy to disrupt our neighborhood?” And sins of the past, like sub-standard or non-existent planning, only exacerbate present challenges. A good example in our community are industrial lands that abut residential areas. The latter tend to be noisy, the former tend to seek peace and quiet, and the lack of a commercial- or park-land buffer results in a plethora of hard feelings.
Thursday, January 14, marked the monthly meeting of the Fairview Community Council. The primary item on the agenda was RuralCAP’s tentative proposal to convert the Red Roof Inn into housing and, unsurprisingly, it drew a large turnout.
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