Anchorage planners recommend rezoning two Ivan Drive lots so owners can build duplexes

Anchorage planning staff recommend rezoning two lots on Ivan Drive so property owners Stacey Dean and Cody Lee can replace the single-family homes there with duplexes, as their application proposes. The Planning and Zoning Commission hears the request Monday, Nov. 2, at 6:30 pm at the Z.J. Loussac Library.

The two lots, about 0.48 acres combined, sit west and north of Ivan Drive, east of Valentine Circle and south of East 66th Avenue, in the Abbott Loop Community Council area. They would move from R-5, a low-density zone meant for up to five dwelling units per acre, to R-2D, a two-family zone meant for five to eight. The owners are represented by Tony Hoffman of The Boutet Company.

The staff report, prepared by Senior Planner Claudia F. Farias and reviewed by Planning Director Mélisa Babb, says R-2D directly carries out the lots' "Single-family and Two-family" designation in the Anchorage 2040 Land Use Plan. That plan describes such areas as low-density neighborhoods that can include two-unit buildings and says compact housing will support affordable housing opportunities.

The report finds the rezone meets all three approval criteria: it fits the comprehensive plan, poses no objective risk to health or safety and does not conflict with other laws. State and city reviewing agencies did not object. The Anchorage Water and Wastewater Utility said the lots' existing 3/4-inch water service lines may need to be upsized for future development.

The Planning Department mailed 18 hearing notices Oct. 8 and notified the Abbott Loop Community Council the same day. No public comments had arrived when the report was written.

The commission will send its recommendation to the Anchorage Assembly, which makes the final decision by ordinance. Written comments can be submitted through the CityView Portal until 1 pm today. After that, people can testify at Monday's hearing in person or by phone.