The cost of sprawl:

"Because people are so spread out, both inside and beyond the Anchorage Bowl, police have to drive for miles  going from one call to the next, and municipal plow operators are responsible for clearing over a thousand lane miles of road crisscrossing the city. There is a cost to  sprawl, Brawley said.  “It’s not just about money, it’s not just about the miles and the gas, it’s also about the time. We don’t think about the time cost enough,” she said.

"In my time with DOT I don’t believe there was ever an official solicitation of nominations from the MPO, from AMATS, so seeing that in writing here is pretty significant..."

DOT surprises AMATS, Bragaw Street is getting a pedestrian-friendly face-lift, the FCC is holding a "How To" series on Community Council membership, and the Assembly makes another attempt at collecting short term rental information.

DOT is in the news again. We have to wonder, are the problems with the STIP a reflection of deeper issues with DOT leadership?

Other news: Site plan reviews, sales taxes, and demolition of abandoned buildings, and Valdez takes the lead on residential zoning code changes. Also, is the Assembly breathing new life into an underused zoning process: an AO to make the PUD process simpler and less restrictive was introduced at the last meeting.

Euclidean zoning’s obsession with conformity, nonconforming uses, an interesting RFP out of Fairview, sales tax discussions, housing/homelessness, and yet another person suffers serious injury on a DOT road.

The Biden-⁠Harris Administration moves to support housing development: “Building rental units and homes faster means lower costs for consumers: not only will more units get to the market faster, but increasing the speed of construction lowers building costs.”

DOT has a difficult week, again.

And garage condos establish a firm foothold in Anchorage.

Assemblymember Volland shifts focus, SLs in the limelight yet again at PZC, and CEDC discusses the infamous Taxable Value per Acre graphic.

We’re in the midst of a housing crisis and it’s easier to build condos for cars than it is for people?

Also in this week’s Bulletin: A new transit center, South Addition’s Neighborhood Plan calls for downzoning, and special limitation zoning protects the neighborhood against…a greenhouse…at an eldercare facility.