Anchorage Assembly to consider Eagle River rezone Aug. 18

The Anchorage Assembly is scheduled to vote Aug. 18 on an ordinance that would lift special limitations from a 1.04-acre commercial lot in Eagle River.

The parcel sits south of Santa Maria Drive, west of West Prince of Peace Drive, north of Vista Ridge Loop and east of the Old Glenn Highway. It is Lot 1, Block 3, Schroeder Subdivision East Addition, Parcel ID No. 050-062-01. The rezone would move it from CE-B-3 SL, general business with special limitations, to CE-B-3, general business without special limitations. Blythe Alaskan, LLC requested the change, filed as AO No. 2026-105 and Planning and Zoning Commission Case No. 2026-0065.

The Anchorage Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval after a public hearing June 8 and adopted its resolution July 6. The commission found the request met every rezoning criterion in the Anchorage Municipal Code and that no reviewing agency objected. Public comments raised concerns, but commission member Andre Spinelli said in the resolution: "The building permit process should address a lot of the concerns brought up by the public comments."

The record does not state what those concerns were, or which specific special limitations the rezone would remove. The 2006 Chugiak-Eagle River Comprehensive Plan Update already designates the site "Commercial." The Assembly memorandum accompanying the ordinance states the change would have no private-sector economic effects and local government effects below $30,000. The ordinance would take effect immediately if the Assembly passes and approves it.