Urban Design Commission splits on apartment buffer variance

The Anchorage Urban Design Commission approved a landscaping variance for one side of a proposed apartment expansion Wednesday but rejected the same relief for another boundary where neighbors testified they had spent thousands addressing drainage problems.

The commission voted 6-0 to approve reduced landscaping along the west property line of 3640 West Dimond Boulevard, where the developer plans to add 36 units to an existing 44-unit complex. But a motion to approve a similar variance for the south boundary, which abuts single-family homes on Mere Circle, failed 6-0.

The split decision came after homeowners testified that the property has created persistent drainage and snow storage problems. Paul Kirschak, who lives directly behind the site at 3601 Mere Circle, said he has spent $17,000 on a French drain around his property, not counting landscaping, trees, a retaining wall and six loads of material to create a berm between the two properties.

"The velocity of water runoff has damaged our yard and driveway and even seepage into our foundation walls," Kirschak said. "We have spent time and money repairing, preventing more water damage."

Kyle Peterson, a licensed civil engineer who lives at 3600 Mere Circle adjacent to a property that borders the site, testified that homes on Mere Circle have either flooding issues or have had to install French drains at significant expense. He said the current practice of pushing snow against the fence creates runoff that flows onto neighboring properties.

The Sand Lake Community Council passed a resolution Monday opposing the present proposal and supporting homeowners adjacent to the development. Elizabeth Vasquez, the council president, said the developer pushes snow against the fence rather than removing it, and the property slopes downhill into the R-1 residential neighborhood.

"Homeowners have to bear the brunt of this decision," Vasquez said. "This variance will simply aggravate an existing malfunction."

Anchorage code requires a 10-foot landscaping buffer between higher-density and lower-density residential zones, but the developer requested relief to accommodate parking and fire access. The site currently has 44 units and is zoned R-3, which could accommodate up to 98 units by right. Planning staff noted that if the developer were not seeking the variance, the 36 additional units could be built without additional entitlement.

Kate Sauve, representing the developer, said the property was purchased by a new owner about four months ago. She said the new owner plans to remove snow off-site and will address drainage through the building permit process. She said the full number of required trees and shrubs would still be planted despite the reduced buffer width.