As some community councils and a planning department report raise concerns, supporters say the changes are needed to combat the city’s severe housing shortage.
The debate over an Anchorage Assembly proposal to dramatically overhaul zoning across the city is intensifying.
This week at a public hearing of the Planning and Zoning Commission, the measure’s sponsors agreed to take steps to propose change to those long-range planning documents by May 20. The Planning and Zoning Commission is acceptingCritics say that won’t give the public enough time to weigh in changes to the long-range plans,
She points out that the drop in permits predated recent construction issues, such as higher building costs and mortgage rates that jumped after the pandemic.Brawley says the zoning rules aren’t the only factor limiting housing construction. But they’re important ones that add costs for developers. It’s also something the Assembly can control, she says.
Today’s higher building costs have been anticipated for decades, due to the shortage of buildable land in Anchorage, he said. It has often left small vacant lots for development or required costly demolitions and rebuilds, mostly in urban areas.He said the Assembly sponsors have launched a worthwhile effort, but they need to engage the public in a broader discussion because the proposed changes are so profound. There should be forums with community input and a two-way conversation, he said.
She said the sponsors plan to continue pursuing the measure’s broad, citywide approach, rather than the smaller, targeted effort recommended by Planning staff.Volland said the measure as currently designed will already have much more of an impact on urban areas. Meanwhile, it’s not a lot to ask that a huge Hillside tract potentially support a duplex instead of just a single-family house, he said.
Cheryl Richardson, who lives in the South Addition neighborhood near downtown, is a member of the Anchorage Citizens Coalition, a group that for decades has focused on zoning and other issues affecting Anchorage’s quality of life. Buildings of downtown Anchorage are seen beyond homes in the South Addition neighborhood. He was essentially homeless last summer, after a living arrangement ended as expected in May.
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