Sitka Planning Commission reviews draft ordinance easing accessory dwelling unit rules

Draft ordinance would change Sitka's accessory dwelling unit rules

Homeowners who want to add a second dwelling unit on an existing Sitka lot could see the rules change under a draft ordinance the City and Borough of Sitka Planning Commission takes up Monday night, though the specific direction of the proposed changes was not detailed in the meeting agenda.

The commission meets at 6 p.m. at Harrigan Centennial Hall in a special meeting called for one piece of business: discussion and review of zoning code changes for accessory dwelling units, filed as ZA 26-02 and titled DRAFT ORD 2026-XX ADU Code Amendment. The agenda lists the item for discussion and review. No vote on the draft is scheduled.

An accessory dwelling unit, under Sitka General Code, is a second, complete dwelling on the same parcel as a primary single-family home, with its own kitchen, sleeping space and sanitation. The current standards, in Section 22.20.160, allow one such unit per parcel in the R-1 and R-2 residential districts, and only on lots served by a publicly maintained right-of-way. Lots reached by access easements are excluded. The units are restricted to long-term rental, with rentals shorter than 90 consecutive days prohibited and short-term vacation rentals and bed and breakfasts banned outright. The code states the units are meant to "utilize existing housing stock while preserving the appearance and character of single-family neighborhoods" and to "provide additional affordable options for long-term rental housing."

Sitka has been circling these rules for years. The Sitka Comprehensive Plan 2030, developed through a public process from December 2015 to May 2018, called for zoning changes including reduced lot sizes and streamlined accessory dwelling unit permits. Other Alaska communities have moved further. Wrangell allows accessory dwelling units in its residential districts to give homeowners flexibility for elderly or family housing, rental income or more efficient use of property. Sightline Institute wrote in a March 2023 analysis that Anchorage's reforms "allow a bonus home in all commercial and residential zones and on all kinds of housing, including large, multifamily buildings." The Aug. 19 Planning Commission agenda also listed the ADU amendments for discussion and review, though the agenda does not indicate what, if anything, commissioners said about the draft that night.

The commission is the advisory body on zoning amendments. Any change to Title 22 would go to the Assembly.

Residents can speak at Monday's meeting, with testimony limited to three minutes per person unless the chair sets other limits. Written comments go to the Planning Office at 100 Lincoln Street or [email protected].