Planners back rezone that would let two Anchorage homes be replaced with duplexes

Anchorage city planners are recommending a rezone that would let the owners of two homes on Ivan Drive tear them down and build duplexes. The Planning and Zoning Commission takes up the request Monday.

The lots, at 2161 and 2171 Ivan Drive south of East 66th Avenue, each have a single-family home now. Owners Stacey Dean and Cody Lee, a married couple, plan to remove both buildings after the rezone, and a duplex design has been permitted, according to their application. Construction and permitting would follow right after approval, it says.

The current zoning stands in the way. Under R-5, the lots' low-density residential zoning, buildings with more than one home aren't allowed on lots smaller than 13,000 square feet, the application says. The two lots are about 12,400 and 8,400 square feet. The proposed R-2D zone is meant for single-family and two-family neighborhoods with five to eight dwelling units per acre, compared with up to five under R-5.

City planners say the change fits the Anchorage 2040 Land Use Plan, which already marks the area for single-family and two-family homes. The plan says compact housing such as two-unit buildings "will support affordable housing opportunities," and the staff report says the rezone addresses the community's housing needs.

No state or city agencies objected, and the Planning Department had received no public comments as of the report's writing. The city mailed 18 hearing notices and notified the Abbott Loop Community Council.

The commission will make a recommendation, and the Anchorage Assembly will make the final decision.