Anchorage Assembly delays final vote on Girdwood comprehensive plan after hours of testimony

The Anchorage Assembly postponed a final vote on the Girdwood comprehensive plan Tuesday after a marathon public hearing that drew dozens of residents, planners and stakeholders.

The hearing, on ordinance AO 2024-114 and its S version, opened with a staff overview and more than two dozen speakers from Girdwood and Anchorage who gave mostly opposing views about two recently proposed changes that would allow new low-intensity residential development near Virgin Creek and allow mixed-use development on about 72 acres north of the Girdwood airport (frequently called “the mitten” or “Enchanted Forest”).

Why it matters: The plan is intended to guide land-use, recreation and housing decisions in the Girdwood valley for years. Opponents said the contested changes would remove irreplaceable old-growth forest and fragment a core trail network; supporters said the amendments create limited new housing opportunities close to services and utilities.

Dozens of residents testified. Gabrielle Markle, who identified herself as born and raised in Girdwood, urged the Assembly to “maintain the mitten as open space and not make it…