Planning commission approves Holden Hills PUD and 39-lot plat with conditions after Girdwood residents press drainage, trail and rental concerns
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Summary
After hours of testimony from Girdwood residents about drainage, trail protection and local housing needs, the Planning and Zoning Commission approved the Holton/Holden Hills planned unit development and preliminary plat (cases 2026-0005 and S12867) subject to amended conditions including a 50-foot right-of-way dedication for Holton Hills Circle, dark-sky lighting consideration, and requirements for HOA review of bylaws and plat notes.
The Planning and Zoning Commission on Jan. 6 recommended approval of the Holden Hills planned unit development (case 2026-0005) and the associated preliminary plat (S12867), approving requested variances and adding several conditions after extended public testimony from Girdwood residents and local organizations.
Staff framed the proposal as the product of a long planning timeline, citing the 2006 Crow Creek Neighborhood Land Use Plan and the more recent 2025 Gerber comprehensive plan. Daniel McKenna Foster of the planning department said the site has been identified for housing in municipal planning documents and that the application proposes 39 lots with two tracts, planned open space for wetland protection and a private internal drive (Holton Hills Circle). Planning staff recommended approval subject to conditions including submission of HOA articles/bylaws and final proof of site plan and zoning action filing.
Residents raised repeated concerns during public comment. Amanda Tuttle, a local business owner and longtime Girdwood Fire Department board member, urged the commission to "postpone the approval of the conditional use permit for a planned residential development due to the lack of environmental data and reviews" and argued that installing a road without a downstream assessment has altered surface flow and increased runoff. She told the commission, "This is a large scale land disposal and development that has not even gone through a phase 1 investigation or had a tenth conveyance route defined as required by MOA code." Planning staff and the petitioner said additional drainage analysis, watershed review and geotechnical work would be required during the subdivision and civil-design review phases.
The Girdwood Board of Supervisors (GBOS) submitted four resolutions asking, among other items, that the developer pay for the Iditarod Trail realignment, that lighting be dark-sky friendly, that the Halton/Holton Hills Circle not be a private road, and that at least some lots be reserved or restricted for community housing. Mike Headington, GBOS co-chair, asked the commission to "require future conveyances of each of four lots to include 30-year restrictive covenants" to prioritize housing for local workers.
Developer representatives said a wetlands delineation already exists, that drainage and watershed review would occur in subsequent design phases and that the development team has agreed to pay for the Iditarod Trail relocation. Brandon Marcotte, engineer for the petitioner, said the PUD approach is intended to "deliver needed housing with meaningful and enforceable conditions" while respecting wetlands and topography.
Legal and staff advice: Municipal attorneys and planning staff told the commission some of GBOS's requested owner-occupancy covenants would be difficult to enforce and several aspects had been considered during the assembly's disposal ordinance (AO 2023-137). Ben Bowman, assistant municipal attorney, explained the assembly already addressed restrictions in AO 2023-137 and that the commission can review HOA documents and add conditions required by code, but that some occupancy proposals present enforcement and fairness challenges.
Road ownership, variances and lighting: Commissioners debated whether Holton Hills Circle should be a private access tract maintained by an HOA or dedicated as a 50-foot public right-of-way. Staff explained the amendments required to make the road public (remove plat notes that bar municipal acceptance and dedicate right-of-way). The developer said they could accept a public road if required. The commission later approved a variance to allow a cul-de-sac length of approximately 670 feet (exceeding the 600-foot standard) citing topography and site constraints.
Final motions and conditions: Commissioner Radhika Krishna moved to approve the conditional use (PUD) subject to the staff'recommended conditions 1'. The commission passed the motion. On the subdivision and variances, commissioners adopted an amended set of conditions: they deleted two plat notes and a private-access plat note, added a new condition dedicating a 50-foot right-of-way for proposed Holton Hills Circle, and added language to require street lighting in accordance with AMC 21.09.070g "with consideration for dark-sky friendly lighting strategy" as condition 11(d). The commission also confirmed that HOA documents and bylaws will be reviewed by the commission at a future informational item and that the developer had agreed to pay for the trail realignment.
What's next: The commission's recommendations will be forwarded to the Assembly for final action on any ordinances tied to the disposal or rezone; subsequent subdivision and building permits will require engineering-level drainage, geotechnical, and stormwater review before construction.
