03/10/2024
Land Use
NEW: The Planning Department published its staff report on HOME for the March 18, 2024 Planning & Zoning Commission meeting. Although there are a few disputable assertions, the report states that HOME “sets a good direction, at least in concept” and offers a few positive notes on zoning reform (It also appears to be suggesting that the reforms should allow up to four units on a lot):
“Reforming single-family-only zoning may be a way to allow more housing in the neighborhoods that already exist and relieve the residential land supply deficit… There is a mismatch between the share of land zoned only for single-family homes versus the contemporary housing needs of Anchorage’s residents, and the size of housing they can afford.” pg.15
“A careful assessment may also find that the public hearing draft proposal to limit all former single-family-only and two-family zoned areas to no more than two principal residences per lot, and name the merged zone as a “Single and Two Family” district, may not yield adequate housing to meet Anchorage residents’ needs…This could constrain the community’s land capacity to supply needed “missing middle” housing types such as townhomes, triplexes, and fourplexes in areas with adequate infrastructure and access” pg.15
The document also builds on the HOME changes by mentioning a number of needed fixes that were supposed to be resolved since the 2040 Land Use Plan was adopted but were never completed, including finally rezoning areas still zoned B-4 or D-2 (districts which haven’t existed in current code since 2014).
NEW: Another community council asking for better street design: The Spenard Community Council brought forward a resolution for more people-friendly street design including lower design speed, continuous bike lanes, and less wide car lanes. Note that this Council has apparently been asking the MOA for these same improvements for several years (see this resolution from 2023, and this agenda item from 2022). Also recall Northeast Community Council’s February resolution requesting that the MOA stop building unnecessary roads in their area, South Addition’s recent resolution asking AKDOT for slower speeds and narrower lanes, North Star’s recent resolution asking for someone to deal with driving noise, and Rogers Park’s recent resolution to protect an existing park from highway expansion.
PASSED: Rezone without special limitations. The Assembly passed a rezone without the additional rules added on by the planning department. Some interesting discussion by members, including this comment by Assembly Member Brawley: “...B-3 appears to be to be a really great option for housing and in fact people are opting to do that because it’s the least restrictive. So I think the question is really what is so restrictive about our current residential zoning that people are opting not to use it for housing projects…”
POSTPONED: Short Term Rentals AO 2023-110 Postponed to 3/19 assembly meeting.
POSTPONED: National Archives Site Rezone to R-4A AO 2024-25 postponed to 4/19 assembly meeting, apparently for two main reasons: 1) Interest in daylighting fish creek around the property and 2) whether or not the Anchorage Health Department could be sited here as either an “office” or as “government administration/civic facility”. The discussion didn’t seem totally resolved, so here’s a bit further detail (for the true gluttons for zoning complexity):
The definition of “office” in 21.05.050F.3.a includes the stipulation that: “Government offices are classified under “governmental administration and civic facility”
Code section 21.05.040C.4.b.ii within the definition of “government administration and civic facility” states that government offices are supposed to be downtown: “The priority location for major federal, state, and municipal administrative offices and civic facilities is in the central business district. Satellite government offices and civic functions are intended to be located in other regional centers, mixed-use centers, or town centers designated in the comprehensive plan. When a government administrative and civic facility use is proposed at another location, approval is contingent on a finding by the planning and zoning commission, using the approval criteria of a public facility site selection process (21.03.140), that locating the major use in the central business district or a satellite use in a designated center would not be feasible, would not be compatible with the urban center, or would not serve the public interest.”
Policy #19 of the 2020 Comprehensive Plan states: “Locate municipal, state, and federal administrative offices in the Central Business District.”
Based on the recording, it sounded like there might be a work session on the item in the next few weeks.
LAST WEEK: Assembly members held a webinar on the HOME proposal on March 4, 2024.
Transportation
NEW: Anchorage had 3 pedestrian deaths last week, the most recent when a driver hit someone crossing the Seward Highway. “Charges had not been filed as of Friday morning, according to police” Story in ADN. Anchorage has been discussing “Vision Zero,” a “strategy to eliminate all traffic fatalities and severe injuries” since at least 2016. Recent article on the larger context of this problem.
THIS WEEK: AMATS Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) meeting on 3/11/2024 at 6:30 pm.
FORWARDED: The AMATS Technical Advisory Committee voted to forward comments on the Seward/Glenn PEL to the AMATS Policy Committee at their March 7 2024 meeting. Interesting discussion of the comments and the project in general here.