Mat-Su Planning Commission backs multifamily code overhaul

Matanuska-Susitna Borough homeowners can add a mother-in-law suite without a permit regardless of lot size, while larger multifamily projects must meet new drainage, fire-access, and road-distance requirements under a code overhaul the Matanuska-Susitna Borough Planning Commission recommended Monday. The commission passed Resolution 26-09 without objection, advancing the tiered system to the Mat-Su Borough Assembly for final action.

Small accessory units get a simpler path to approval under the new rules. Larger projects face additional requirements, including stamped engineering plans and a requirement that all exterior building walls sit within 100 feet of a vehicular circulation road, a standard derived from fire-code principles. Planning Director Alex Strawn said the code also resolves a longstanding mismatch in how the borough handles condominium plats. "We have been processing multi-family development permits for these condo plats, and it's kind of a square peg in a round hole type situation," Strawn said. Under the new rules, condo units larger than 40,000 square feet are treated as standard parcels.

The ordinance also updates exterior-lighting standards, replacing a strict rule requiring all glare to be contained on the subject property with a requirement for downward directional shielding. For developments above 10 dwelling units, roads must be built to Pioneer standards and comply with subdivision construction manual requirements. Before the vote, Strawn flagged several clerical errors in the resolution, including wrong year references and an incorrect resolution number, and the commission accepted the corrected version.

North Lakes Community Council submitted written testimony questioning whether the 40,000-square-foot threshold creates a loophole and raising concerns about what the council described as a possible removal of perimeter landscaping requirements. Vice President Colleen Vague read the letter into the record: "neither the IM nor the draft ordinance mentioned using fencing instead of perimeter landscaping for multifamily developments. It appears a requirement for perimeter landscaping is being removed for all multifamily developments, including large-scale ones. Is this really what is best for the communities and neighborhoods."

Strawn acknowledged the concern. "Any rule that you write has unintended consequences, no matter how well it's written or how well-intended you are when you write it. There's always unintended consequences and there's always loopholes to be found," he said.

Resolution 26-09 is a planning commission recommendation, not a final decision. The Mat-Su Borough Assembly must still act on the underlying ordinance before the new standards take effect.