As a resident of the Hillside, it’s been disappointing to see some of my neighbors come out in such strong opposition to zoning changes that might bring a little more density to our neighborhoods. Because of our well and septic needs, it’s nearly impossible to build apartments on the Hillside, so what we are really looking at is a few more duplexes and some smaller lots, scattered here and there in the few places left that have room for them.
For the majority of us, those scenarios mean that we’d have to pack up and move to a different part of town that we might not like as much as our current neighborhood. For instance, I live on the hillside because I want to live within walking distance of a trailhead. There are many in Anchorage, especially on the Hillside, who wish to downsize from their big family homes now that the kids are grown, but they don’t want to leave their neighborhood, so they stay.