Historic Preservation Plan Update

Scope

The Matanuska-Susitna Borough (Borough) is updating its Historic Preservation Plan (HPP), which was adopted in 1987.

In June 2019, the Borough received a certified local government grant from the State Historic Preservation Office to begin this update. The purpose of this grant is to complete Phase I of the update:

• creation of an inventory of the Borough’s past historic preservation efforts
• public outreach to gain important knowledge about the Borough’s history, and
• the development of community goals, priorities and a vision for preservation planning in the Borough, which will be crucial when the plan is drafted in Phase II of the update.

Phase I is an opportunity to learn from historic knowledge bearers and the greater community about the rich and diverse histories of the Borough. The robust public outreach process in this phase will allow us to develop a plan that will address the priorities of the community.

Public outreach to include:

• 1 on 1 interviews (April-May)
• Stakeholder meetings (Ongoing)
• General public meetings (Ongoing)
• Final Report (May)

Upcoming Public Meetings:

May 9th 6-8pm Location TBD

Project Benefits

While the histories represented in the 1987 plan haven’t changed, the Borough has changed significantly. The Borough is currently the fastest-growing region in the state of Alaska, a trend that is expected to continue. With the expanding population, there are both increased pressures on historic preservation, and opportunities to educate and expand our collective thinking on what preservation means. This project will increase awareness of preservation needs and priorities in the Borough and will help to develop a strategic plan for managing the Boroughs's cultural resources.

Benefits of Preservation Planning:

• History creates a local sense of place and helps to build a sense of community identity
  • Community identity is an integral part of community development and it informs decision making
• Preservation planning is a proactive way to assess historic resources, determine what needs to be preserved to maintain the character of the community, and develop methods to preserve those important resources
• Thoughtful preservation planning allows for the best use of historic assets and allows the community to capture the many social and economic benefits, historic preservation