Soldotna weighs letting rural lots hold two homes instead of one

Rural residential lots east of the Sterling Highway in Soldotna could hold two homes instead of one under zoning changes the city's planning director laid out for the council Wednesday. The council took no action; the session was for discussion.

The change would allow two dwelling units on any parcel of at least 40,000 square feet, in any arrangement, which would also make existing detached mother-in-law units legal rather than grandfathered.

Part of the reason is that people are already building. "We are seeing a lot of unpermitted structures on that side of town," Economic Development and Planning Director Linda Mitchell said, adding that the city does not have the code enforcement capacity to patrol it. Her department plans to compare borough aerial imagery next year against its permit records and write to owners of structures with no permit on file.

Part of it is demand. "I was told by my neighbor I can build a house, I can build a second house. And so I'm hearing a theme, and I'm getting more inquiries on that side of town of people interested in buying properties. But when they call us, we say no," Mitchell said. Meanwhile vacant residential land sales fell from 30 in 2024 to 13 last year, and only two lots sold since 2024 have been built on.

Other proposed changes would let accessory dwelling units grow from a 750-square-foot cap to half the size of the main house, about 1,100 square feet, and allow them alongside duplexes. Multifamily density would become a flat 16 to 22 units per acre. Parking minimums would drop from 1.5 to two spaces per unit to one space for affordable one-bedroom units, a change a developer of state-financed housing asked for.

Staff also floated rezoning three corridors for multifamily or limited commercial use: part of South Fireweed Street, part of Foothill Road and Robin Place. Asked whether the owners knew, Mitchell said she had not contacted three of the four Fireweed parcels.

"I would just think before we proceed too far that I'd like to know that the property owners are okay with it, because if they don't like it and want to stay the way things are, then why change it?" Vice Mayor Lisa Parker said. Mitchell said outreach and an open house would come first.

Any ordinance goes to the Planning and Zoning Commission for public hearings before it reaches the council. The commission meets Oct. 7 at 5:30 pm.