Hello, advocates for greenbelts and trails, I am concerned that the municipality is missing or rejecting one-time opportunities to improve our local network of trail easements and greenways in accordance with in adopted land use plans and policies.  I have sent the attached letter to Tom Nelson, Director of Planning, to request clarification of the municipality's efforts to acquire greenbelts and public trail easements.  I am hoping that the attached case will be a springboard for examining, and better implementing, our adopted policies to acquire missing segments in greenbelts and trails across the city.  My letter was prompted by a recent re-zoning and platting case (Canyon View Estates, 2008-090 and plat S-11680, heard by P&Z on October 6, 2008).  A willing private owner offered to the Municipality a 170-foot-wide conservation easement tract and a public pedestrian easement along Little Rabbit Creek.  The trail easement would have connected to existing trails or easements at both ends.   Planning staff strongly rejected this opportunity both in their written recommendations and at the P & Z hearing.   The staff position seems to have disregarded several adopted policies and strategies that specifically call for greenbelt acquisition along Little Rabbit Creek, as well as past practices; and also the green infrastructure and trail policies proposed  in the draft Hillside Plan.  This policy review is merited because our land use plans call for public/private collaboration to achieve a network of trails and greenways; and one of the most fruitful places for that to occur is during staff pre-view and negotiation with applicants for planning and platting cases.   I have asked Mr. Nelson to look at the greenbelt and trail easement policies to see if policies were followed in the Canyon View Estates case.  In the short term, the Canyon View Estates case has been re-platted without a stream conservation tract and without any public trail easements.  (It is now appearing before the Platting Board February 4 as S11680-2 Creekview Estates Subdivision, if you are able to comment on-line or attend.)   In the near term, I hope that you will air your thoughts about obstacles or strategies for acquiring missing pieces of the trails and greenways system through municipal land use actions, especially private/public collaboration.  I have asked Mr. Nelson if a meeting of interested parties would be useful after he has considered the attached case. Thank you, Nancy Pease 345-8738 nancypease@alaska.net I should add that this letter represents only my own thoughts.  I am a former board member of the Anchorage Trails and Greenways Coalition and the Rabbit Creek Community Council.  I am currently on the Planning and Zoning Commission.