Goldstream Moose Creek Service Area

Road News

 

Fall 2006

 

The Goldstream Moose Creek Service Area Commission met on September 28 at the Ken Kunkel Community Center. Two commissioners and six other residents attended. Since a quorum was not established, no official action could be taken, but discussion was still held. The following is a synopsis of the business discussed, as well as other news and notes from our road commission.

 

Summer Work Completed

Brushcutting along Moose Mountain Road and the resurfacing of Keystone Road were completed this summer. Sanding boxes for the bottom of Keystone and Moose Mountain Road are still in the works. A contractor has been found, but it was unclear whether work could still happen this fall.

At least one resident at the meeting was concerned about the level of washboard that accrued on Moose Mountain Road this summer, citing safety as an issue. Commission chair Clint Meyer explained that he has been trying to conserve funds for upgrades. There was discussion about needing more revenue if residents want a higher level of maintenance.

 

Photos Show Moose Mountain Culvert Slowly Collapsing

Commission chair Clint Meyer displayed photos of the Moose Mountain Road culvert, which is slowly collapsing. These photos as well as an earlier set have been filed with the Fairbanks North Star Borough’s Rural Services and Public Works departments so that this issue’s progress is documented. This is a safety issue as well as a maintenance issue, since Moose Mountain Road is the only access route for this area.

Just replacing the culvert would run in the neighborhood of $90,000, a sum that, at our current taxation rate, would take around 20 years to save if we did no other road maintenance except snowplowing and grading.

Sources of additional funding were discussed. Raising the mill rate could be part of the solution. Another part might be a matching grant program for special projects that is being considered by the Borough as part of a distribution of some federal money. For the time being, in November each service area in Fairbanks will receive a one-time sum of $1,000 per mile from this federal grant, which will mean about $8,200 for our area.

There has also been discussion of rerouting this portion of Moose Mountain road, rather than just reconstructing what is already there. The plan includes moving the stream crossing upstream a bit so that there is a flat section of road after the stop sign and before the main uphill portion begins.

 

New Moonlight Acres Subdivision Surveyed and Submitted to Platting Board

A proposed new subdivision, mostly off the north side of Spinach Creek Road, has been surveyed and a preliminary plat will be submitted to the FNSB Platting Board for consideration at its November 29 meeting (rescheduled from the October 25 one). The subdivision, named Moonlight Acres, will be in the GMC service area, so our road commission received a form to comment on any road issues related to the new development. Some residents at the meeting were concerned with the increased traffic turning onto Spinach Creek Road, which is steep and often icy in winter.

Other issues that residents raised included the preservation of existing trails, especially the one to the top of the hill; lot placement relative to power lines and trail easements; and zoning. So far, the area is zoned for general use, as is much of the rest of the property in our service area.

The current FNSB proposal subdivides a total of 375 acres into three lots of about 2.3 acres each and 10 tracts ranging in size from 4.8 acres to 113 acres. The three lots are at the western corner formed by Spinach Creek Road and Hardluck Drive. The 10 tracts run along the north and south side of Murphy Dome Road, the east side of the lower portion of Moose Mountain Road, and the west side of Moose Mountain Road up to the end of Keystone.

The current proposal would sell off most of this last portion in two tracts of 113 and 58 acres, an 11-acre tract at the northeast corner of Spinach Creek and Moose Mountain Roads, and the three Hardluck lots. They would be offered in a June 2007 auction. A 4.8-acre tract on the north side of the upper end of Keystone as well as a 55-acre tract along Moose Creek (on the east side of lower Moose Mountain Road) would be retained for public use for trails. The proposal also grants our service area the right-of-way necessary to reroute the stream crossing on the lower portion of Moose Mountain Road in the way mentioned above (see “Culvert” item above).

The tract on the south side of Murphy Dome Road opposite the intersection with Spinach Creek Road will continue to be leased by the University of Alaska. The remaining tracts along Murphy Dome Road will be retained by the Borough and undeveloped at this time

The public hearing on this proposal is scheduled for the Platting Board meeting on Wednesday, November 29, beginning at 3 p.m. in the Borough Assembly Chambers at 809 Pioneer Road in Fairbanks. Anyone may speak during the public comment period. Prior to the meeting, written comments, questions, or concerns can be submitted to Tom Hancock, FNSB Platting Officer, at 459-1280, fax 459-1254, e-mail thancock@co.fairbanks.ak.us or by mail to FNSB, P.O. Box 71267, Fairbanks, AK 99707-9977. Agendas and Platting Board actions can be found at www.co.fairbanks.ak.us/Meetings/PlattingBoard. Staff reports may be available at ftp://co.fairbanks.ak.us/plattingboard/.

 

Did You Know?

The Goldstream Moose Creek Service Area maintains 8.2 miles of road and is one of 109 service areas in the Fairbanks North Star Borough. The property in our area had a 2006 taxable assessment of $23,160,326. At a mill rate of 1.723, our fiscal year 2007 tax revenue will be $38,370. FNSB Rural Services estimates that “healthy” service areas spend $4,000 to $6,000 per mile per year on regular maintenance and projects. Our service area spends in the middle/low end of this range, and Rural Services currently recommends our mill rate be 2.005.

 

Next Meeting: End of March

The next meeting of the GMC Service Area Commission was tentatively set for a Thursday evening near the end of March.

 

GMC Road Commission Seats Open

As of the road commission meeting in late September, there were three seats and one alternate seat left unfilled. If you might be willing and interested in serving on the Goldstream Moose Creek Road Commission, please call a current commissioner for information or call Rural Services to get the latest on what seats need to be filled and to get an application. Thank you very much to our recently retired commissioners: Doreen Fitzgerald, Pete Simpson, Ed Herrgard, and Mario Gho.

 

The Goldstream Moose Creek Service Area is responsible for the maintenance of 8.2 miles of road near Murphy Dome Road in the Goldstream Valley, Fairbanks North Star Borough. The complete minutes for the meeting referenced above will be available at http://home.gci.net/~moosemt/spinach/index.htm (click on “News”). Note that this website will soon be relocated to www.spinachmoose.net. If you have questions or comments about Goldstream Moose Creek Service Area business, please contact a commissioner: Clint Meyer, chair (meyerclint@alaska.com or 456-6959), Alfred Sturmann (alerna@worldnet.att.net or 455-6693), Diane Herrmann (herrmann@gocougs.wsu.edu or 455-9073). FNSB Rural Services, located at 3175 Peger Road, can be reached at 459-1223. PLEASE NOTE that this newsletter is only occasionally sent out by mail. If you need to update your e-mail address on our list, please send your name and e-mail address to Diane Herrmann at herrmann@gocougs.wsu.edu or call her at 455-9073. Hard copies are available on the bulletin boards in our service area. Thank you for your interest!