Juneau residents have until Jan. 9 to weigh in on a survey seeking input on how to redevelop the city’s four-acre Telephone Hill property.
“We’re trying to figure out what the needs are and how we can use Telephone Hill to fulfill those,“ said Nick Druyvestein, the project’s manager.
The online survey opened Tuesday and includes descriptions of four concepts the city’s design contractors shared with the public this fall. Participants can select their favorite option and suggest improvements.
All four options include adding more housing to the area. The lowest-density option includes 32 units, while the highest-density option would add 200. The city estimates 17 people live on the hill currently.
Druyvestein said the survey results will be key in directing what the project will look like.
“What we’re trying to figure out is our needs in Juneau that could be fulfilled with the land on Telephone Hill,” he said. “And then also presenting just our development concepts and getting input based on those.”
The units range from townhomes to apartments and hotels. Some of the designs incorporate public gathering spaces and tree canopies.
Many residents who live on Telephone Hill have opposed the city’s plan to redevelop the area. At two community events for gathering public input on the project, most who spoke said the city should preserve the existing houses and not add more housing.
One of the proposed designs does preserve the old houses, but it still suggests developing around them.
The survey can be found on the city website. Druyvestein said the next step will be to send the findings to the Assembly for further direction. That will likely happen at the end of January.
