Girdwood housing fight isn’t over

Girdwood is about to change, whether people like it or not.

A long-fought housing project just cleared its final planning hurdle behind Girdwood Elementary. The Planning and Zoning Commission approved Phase 1 of Holtan Hills, allowing 39 residential lots on about 16 acres to move forward. The vote came despite heavy neighborhood pushback over affordability, traffic, and environmental impact.

Unless the decision is appealed, construction could start as early as summer 2026. That’s a big deal in Girdwood, where buildable land is scarce and new housing almost never moves quietly. These homes would sit uphill from the school, in an area that’s stayed mostly untouched for years.

For families trying to stay in town, any new supply matters, even if it’s controversial. For neighbors nearby, daily routines, traffic patterns, and views could look very different soon. Girdwood doesn’t get many moments like this, and when it does, they tend to stick.

We’ll see how loud the appeals get.