A little town with a big heart: Eagle River offers small-town feel with big-city amenities.

• Author: Bohi, Heidi
• Position: TOWNS IN TRANSITION

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According to U.S. Census data, people in Chugiak-Eagle River are nicer, smarter, richer and better looking than their Alaska counterparts. Of the estimated 35,000 residents living in the communities that are included in this area, 37 percent have at least a bachelor's degree--compared to 24 percent nationally and statewide--33 percent make more than $100,000 a year and more than 80 percent own their homes.

So, how does the federal government measure the nicer and better-looking criteria? Well, okay, that isn't really part of the census, Susan Gorski, executive director of the Chugiak-Eagle River Chamber of Commerce says laughing. "But you must admit, "many of those numbers are very striking," she says of a population that is also slightly older, and more likely to be married and working in the private sector.

A PLACE APART

Offering residents and businesses both small-town charm and the big city amenities of neighboring Anchorage, Eagle River--the most-common local reference for the collective area that includes the communities of Eagle River, Chugiak, Eklutna, Peters Creek and Birchwood. Locals will tell you that, besides the quality of life, what sets this community apart is that it is only 20-30 minutes from downtown Anchorage and the mid-town business district, but at the same time has its own distinct sense of place that locals are so defensive of that many continue to wage a go-nowhere battle to secede from the municipality.

"It comes up over and over again," Gorski says of the petition and home-rule vote efforts that date back to 1975. In 1975, Chugiak and Eagle River became annexed to the Municipality of Anchorage (MOA), which extends from Girdwood to Eklutna, when the City of Anchorage and the Greater Anchorage Area Borough were unified. Although Eagle River is part of the municipality, it has its own distinct service areas so that it does not rely on Anchorage for street maintenance, parks and recreation, and community development. Although the local opposition has yet to demonstrate the financial viability of separation, Gorski says the fact remains that "there is still a fire in the belly" of this movement.

"Show me the numbers," is the position of the chamber, Gorski says. While the idea of independence is appealing to old-time Eagle River residents who don't like the growth and urban gentrification, to date, the loosely organized succession movement has yet to provide an economic analysis and realistic...