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Questions & Answers
What do I do if I am interested in buying a homesite?
What if I have questions about the project that is not answered on the website or other resources available to me?
I have heard about erosion along the Matanuska River, what about erosion at River Bend?
What about the wind?
How long does it take to get from Anchorage to River Bend?
What will happen to the park?
What about the water system?
What about sewage?
What other utilities are available?
Is the trails system completed?
Can I fish in the salmon spring?
When are the fish in the spring?
What recreation is available in the floodplain?
Ask a question that is not here.
What do I do if I am interested in buying a homesite? The lots are listed with Ed Erickson at Prudential Vista in Eagle River. You may contact him at (800) 610-6464 or (907) 227-5275. His website is www.alaskahomes-properties.com. His email is e.e.erickson@att.net. If you are working with another real estate agent they will be able to work you through it.
What if I have questions about the project that is not answered on the website or other resources available to me? The developer would be happy to answer your questions. You can fill out the box below and email the question or call 745-0500. In fact, the developers’ knowledge of the property may be very beneficial to you and he is happy to meet you on site to answer questions if necessary. Don’t expect any high pressure sales, the developer wants to sell homesites to people who want to live in River Bend.
I have heard about erosion along the Matanuska River, what about erosion at River Bend? Currently the flow of the river is approximately three-quarters of a mile due south of River Bend (see the aerial photos at this site). That has been the approximate location since the early 1990s. The area that you may have heard about is over one mile from River Bend. You should note the differences in the physical characteristics of the two areas. There are two recent reports, one by Tetra Tech Inc (2003). and one by Polar Star Environmental (2005),that indicate that the river will likely stay in that general vicinity for some time. In the event the river flows along River Bend, Glacier Ridge has addressed that possibility in several ways. First, Glacier Ridge had a riprap (fractured stones up to 2000 pounds that lock
together) structure engineered and constructed into the bluff at River Bend which contains over seven tons of rock per lineal foot. One of the real advantages of this proactive approach is that the structure was constructed when the river was not present which allowed for better placement. Glacier Ridge had the structure completely buried into the bluff and the bluff was regraded for a more stable slope and then vegetated.. Glacier Ridge also has provided access if future maintenance is ever necessary, which will be the homeowners’ responsibility.
What about the wind? There are two primary winds in the area. The Matanuska winds which blow from the Northeast and the Knik winds which comes from the southeast. Usually the Matanuska winds do not blow at River Bend even when the wind is howling from downtown Palmer to downtown Wasilla. The Knik wind is less frequent and usually comes with a warm front in the Winter, but most frequently in the Spring and only occasionally in the Summer and Fall.
How long does it take to get from Anchorage to River Bend? Of course driving time can always be affected by weather conditions or congestion. If conditions are good and you drive the speed limit, it takes 26 minutes to go from Muldoon to the Glenn/Parks interchange and six minutes from the interchange to River Bend. The route is simple- Glenn Highway to Inner Springer to Badger. One of the real advantages of the Springer area is that it has a road grid of collectors that feed directly to the Glenn Highway. This road grid makes for efficient movement of traffic in and out of the area.
What will happen to the park? Glacier Ridge has reserved the right to develop two additional homesites from the park tract. Then the park will be turned over to the River Bend Community. There is currently a trail around the park, four trails leading out of the park, the waterwell, wellhouse and a pond. The park will be approximately eight acres. The homeowners will decide how to maintain and use the park. The wetlands (approximately ¼ of the park) that are in the park have been designated by the US Army Corp of Engineers as an isolated wetland.
What about the water system? River Bend has a community water system that will be turned over to the community by August 2006. The water is stubbed to each lot. A competent excavation constructor can make the simple connection from the system to your house. There is no connection fee, but there will be a small monthly usage fee that will cover the operation and maintenance costs.
For comparison, in subdivisions with individual water wells, a functioning well will cost from $4,000 to $15,000. In addition there is the chance that you will not find water, have inadequate water due to seasonal conditions or new development or there could be water quality problems. At River Bend you do not have to take those chances. The well at River Bend was tested at a 450 gallon a minute rate (that was the maximum volume of the testing equipment). The quality is excellent. See the attached water tests. In addition you do not have to worry about separation distances from the wastewater system.
What about sewage? Each property will have an individual on-site septic system. The soils are very good. Typically there is one foot of organics and loam with three to four foot of silt and then sand and gravel. The soil profile is not exactly the same from site to site.
What other utilities are available? The other available utilities are Matanuska Electric (electricity), Enstar (natural gas), Matanuska Telephone (telecommunications) and GCI (telecommunications). You should contact these utilities for particular questions regarding their services.
Is the trails system completed? Though mostly complete there are a few things to do during the summer of 2006. The bluff trail needs additional work. There will be a connection from the bluff to the east end of the trail. There will also be a connection from the trail to the riverbed and a bridge (permit depending) across the spring. The retaining wall on the bluff trail also needs to be redone and finished. Then the remaining chips will be placed on the trail. The controlled access gate needs to be installed on the entry to the bluff trail.
Can I fish in the salmon spring? The spring in the area of River Bend is a spawning area. However people do go downstream to fish. You should always check the State’s fishing regulations. But even when you can’t fish the fish are fun to watch.
When are the fish in the spring? Fish start coming in the first week of August and run continuously to October, the last of the stragglers have been seen as late as October 31. The early run is predominately Chums and the later runs are predominately silvers.
What recreation is available in the floodplain? Walking, jogging, fourwheeling, snowmachining, salmon fishing, moose hunting, duck hunting and bird watching are some of the recreation activities that may be available in the floodplain subject to State and Federal regulation. There is an extensive trials system in the flood plain that you can utilize. Remember that these activities must conform to relevant state and federal regulations and of course good sense.
Do you have a question that isn't answered here? Simply fill out the form and someone will get back to you shortly.
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