State objects to Anchorage's park rezone of 7.9 acres of port land

About 7.9 acres of heavy industrial land above the Don Young Port of Alaska would carry parks and recreation zoning under an ordinance the Anchorage Assembly takes up Tuesday, Sept. 1. Nothing is decided that night. AO 2026-109 is on the agenda for introduction, and the public hearing where residents can testify is set for Oct. 6.

The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities has objected. Part of the land sits in the Knik Arm Crossing alignment, and the department objects to the rezoning "until this parcel has been formally subdivided through a platting action," calling it "premature" and warning it "will create a split zone parcel not allowed under Title 21."

The subdivision has not happened yet. A separate platting case, S12879, is pending before the Platting Board to split the 48-acre tract into Tracts J-1 and J-2, with J-2 set aside for future park use and J-1 staying heavy industrial. The ordinance becomes effective only when a suitable replat is recorded.

The land sits within Tract J of the Port of Anchorage Subdivision, Addition Number 2, east of Ocean Dock Road, south of Terminal Road, west of Arctic Warrior Drive and north of East Bluff Drive. The rezone would shift it from I-2, heavy industrial, to PR, parks and recreation, carrying out parkland the Assembly dedicated in AO 2023-82AA and AO 2026-78.

The Anchorage Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval on July 6, the Planning Department finds the approval criteria met, and the Anchorage 2040 Land Use Plan designates the site as Park or Natural Area. The Government Hill Community Council is the community council of record.

At the Platting Board's July 1 meeting, member Brenda Mills said she would support the motion "based on the existing port tract being subdivided into two tracts. It still remains industrial. It's intended for future parkland, like Track J2."