Alder Top Village Master Plan and Subdivision

The City and Borough of Wrangell conducted a master planning and subdivision process at the former Wrangell Institute property located a 5 mile Zimovia Highway to evaluate community needs for development opportunities. The master plan evaluated constraints and opportunities for the property along with risks and costs and developed a subdivision based on community input and identified needs for a phased development approach.

A draft plan was submitted to staff to review in November 2016.  Based on costs to develop proposed Phase I and the unknown potential of an education component, staff asked for Corvus Design to propose and Alternative Phase I option that could provide land and infrastructure at more affordable cost.  The draft plan was resubmitted in March 2017.  Should the stars align with all development options proceeding ahead of schedule, the Preferred Plan  below was approved. However, if there are delays in portions of the development (ie ANSEP or Assisted Living), Alternative Phase I below was approved in order to get land out for sale quicker than later. 

Corvus Design Inc and their associates is the planning firm assisting the Borough with the due diligence required.  

The first public meetings were held Feb. 29 and March 2.  There was  great input provided with a variety of needs to address, including variety of residential uses, vocational education, assisted living, cottage homes, multifamily.   After developing multiple conceptual schematics,  seven were presented to the public at the second meeting to identify components the public wants to see, development options that are preferred. Using the community input, the planning team  narrowed down the conceptual designs  for the  meeting on June 13, 2016.  The community was very evenly split on various elements of three schematics that were presented. The team did a great job trying to consolidate comments to come up with a preferred design presented on June 15, 2015. 

An educational development proposal from the Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program (ANSEP) has been proposed to locate on this site and a short presentation regarding this proposal was presented and community interest was favorable to include space on the property for potential development. The Assembly approved a resolution in support of the ANSEP concept June 28, 2016. Tlingit Haida Central Council approved a resolution in favor of the project in April 2017.

Check out the project website at http://wrangell-institute.blogspot.com/ .