Video Clips
Quoted moments from Alaska public meetings, hearings, and press conferences.
Luke Bertram
“this spring we rezoned about 9,345 acres of parkland over 742 parcels to the PR zoning district. When we brought this to the Planning and Zoning Commission on December 8th, 2025, this had originally included Russian Jack Park and Centennial Park.”Anchorage Assembly: Planning and Zoning Commission - September 21, 2026 - 2026-09-21 18:30:00 · Sep 25, 2026
Jason Norris
“Just want to speak in favor of this. Anything we can do to streamline the eventual placement of housing on this track would be, in my opinion, a good thing. Obviously, U-Med has developed over time to become a major employment center, and starting to place more housing near our major employment centers where people can get there by mode other than vehicle would be a positive.”Anchorage Assembly: Planning and Zoning Commission - September 21, 2026 - 2026-09-21 18:30:00 · Sep 25, 2026
Daniel Foster
“B3 provides the most housing and other stuff. R3 is the most housing-focused.”Anchorage Assembly: Planning and Zoning Commission - September 21, 2026 - 2026-09-21 18:30:00 · Sep 25, 2026
Daniel Foster
“currently this piece of property is zoned PLI, but when you look at the land use plan map, it has 3 different designations on it: Parker Natural Area, Town Center, Community Facility Institution, and the Transporter Development Overlay. So the issue is, if anybody ever wanted to rezone this parcel. It's confusing for us because it's hard to say with one parcel with, you know, 3, 4 designations what it should go to.”Anchorage Assembly: Planning and Zoning Commission - September 21, 2026 - 2026-09-21 18:30:00 · Sep 25, 2026
Daniel Foster
“this is a case of the Tozier Tract future land use redesignation, PCC case 2026-0112.”Anchorage Assembly: Planning and Zoning Commission - September 21, 2026 - 2026-09-21 18:30:00 · Sep 25, 2026
Andres Spinelli
“And that was— that motion passes.”Anchorage Assembly: Planning and Zoning Commission - September 21, 2026 - 2026-09-21 18:30:00 · Sep 25, 2026
Jeff Rahn
“with permission of the chair, um, can we please withdraw the motion to amend?”Anchorage Assembly: Planning and Zoning Commission - September 21, 2026 - 2026-09-21 18:30:00 · Sep 25, 2026
Radhika Krishna
“I would like to withdraw my second. Because I do think that Mr. McKenna Foster has identified the issue that I'm getting hung up on, which is that in other sections of Title 21, accessory uses are very strictly defined, especially for the residential and commercial uses.”Anchorage Assembly: Planning and Zoning Commission - September 21, 2026 - 2026-09-21 18:30:00 · Sep 25, 2026
Jeff Rahn
“My interpretation of that text is those are all physical improvements and uses associated with the physical nature of those elements, not something as transient as a sales activity or a program. Um, in interpreting it in that manner, and the department chair reminding us that these parks have master plans, I'm questioning why are those two elements not addressed in the master plans themselves or other sections of code and not here?”Anchorage Assembly: Planning and Zoning Commission - September 21, 2026 - 2026-09-21 18:30:00 · Sep 25, 2026
Jeff Rahn
“I have concern over what was raised by previous commissioners around the element of the use as deviating from what's currently in code. So I propose to amend the motion on the floor by striking childcare programming and temporary sales of products grown on the premises.”Anchorage Assembly: Planning and Zoning Commission - September 21, 2026 - 2026-09-21 18:30:00 · Sep 25, 2026
Daniel Foster
“You may have seen in the news there's been a lot of discussion about this at the Community Economic Development Committee, the HLB Advisory Commission, about a future development on this property, future trade of this property. As I mentioned, right now it's PLI, Public Facilities Lands— Public Lands Institution Zone, and that's pretty limited in the kind of development you can do. So there is interest in some sort of rezone. Our recommendation is that this— we change the land use designation so that they can go through that rezone.”Anchorage Assembly: Planning and Zoning Commission - September 21, 2026 - 2026-09-21 18:30:00 · Sep 25, 2026
Luke Bertram
“the Parks and Recreation Department operates a camper park at Centennial Park with 84 sites. So adding this as a conditional use will allow Centennial Park to be rezoned to PR without creating any new nonconformity.”Anchorage Assembly: Planning and Zoning Commission - September 21, 2026 - 2026-09-21 18:30:00 · Sep 25, 2026
Luke Bertram
“with child care programming, Trailside Discovery Camp uses Kincaid Park and other Anchorage parks for their child care programming. Including this as a listed accessory clarifies that it is permitted in Anchorage parks and creates less friction down the road for any future childcare programming”Anchorage Assembly: Planning and Zoning Commission - September 21, 2026 - 2026-09-21 18:30:00 · Sep 25, 2026
Luke Bertram
“we decided to remove them because they had use uses there that are not permitted in the PR zoning district. So as a result, we are looking at making a few changes to allow this to happen. So first, we will be looking at making camper parks a conditional use in the PR zoning district, and we will be looking at amending some of the language in the, uh, accessory uses for parks and natural areas to include greenhouse, sale of goods grown on site, and childcare programming.”Anchorage Assembly: Planning and Zoning Commission - September 21, 2026 - 2026-09-21 18:30:00 · Sep 25, 2026
Andres Spinelli
“That motion passes. Next item, staff presentation, case 2026-0113.”Anchorage Assembly: Planning and Zoning Commission - September 21, 2026 - 2026-09-21 18:30:00 · Sep 25, 2026
Megan Mills
“we heard about 2 community council meetings. That the municipal went through during their review process, and we did not hear any opposition to this motion.”Anchorage Assembly: Planning and Zoning Commission - September 21, 2026 - 2026-09-21 18:30:00 · Sep 25, 2026
Megan Mills
“that this meets the general approval criteria, being that it aligns with the 2040 Land Use Plan. It does not change the internal consistency of the comprehensive plan. It supports the public interest, health, and safety of the community.”Anchorage Assembly: Planning and Zoning Commission - September 21, 2026 - 2026-09-21 18:30:00 · Sep 25, 2026
Megan Mills
“I move in case 2026-01 0112 to recommend to the Anchorage Assembly approval of an amendment to update the future land use designation of a single parcel in the Anchorage 2040 Land Use Plan to the Town Center designation with transit supportive development as a growth supporting feature.”Anchorage Assembly: Planning and Zoning Commission - September 21, 2026 - 2026-09-21 18:30:00 · Sep 25, 2026
Andres Spinelli
“Does it make sense to have R3 but not R4?”Anchorage Assembly: Planning and Zoning Commission - September 21, 2026 - 2026-09-21 18:30:00 · Sep 25, 2026
Daniel Foster
“The time to look at sort of access would be— and wetlands would be during permitting.”Anchorage Assembly: Planning and Zoning Commission - September 21, 2026 - 2026-09-21 18:30:00 · Sep 25, 2026
Radhika Krishna
“Could staff speak to the comments that Parks submitted about future trail access easements and wetlands?”Anchorage Assembly: Planning and Zoning Commission - September 21, 2026 - 2026-09-21 18:30:00 · Sep 25, 2026
Daniel Foster
“Changing this would allow the property owner to rezone through the abbreviated rezone process to B-3, B-1B, CCO, or R-3 or R-3A.”Anchorage Assembly: Planning and Zoning Commission - September 21, 2026 - 2026-09-21 18:30:00 · Sep 25, 2026
Daniel Foster
“So there was no opposition. We didn't have any comments from opposition. Proposition. AKDOT commented just in the future, you know, they're going to be concerned about access onto Tudor”Anchorage Assembly: Planning and Zoning Commission - September 21, 2026 - 2026-09-21 18:30:00 · Sep 25, 2026
Daniel Foster
“The one to the north has been more involved in this. They've expressed they'd love to see something happen there.”Anchorage Assembly: Planning and Zoning Commission - September 21, 2026 - 2026-09-21 18:30:00 · Sep 25, 2026
Daniel Foster
“we also went and talked to the present Campbell Park Community Council on August 20th and the U Med Community Council on September 2nd. Both were favorable or in support or not opposed.”Anchorage Assembly: Planning and Zoning Commission - September 21, 2026 - 2026-09-21 18:30:00 · Sep 25, 2026
Daniel Foster
“here in the description of it, we have them listing accessory uses, but then they're not listed in the accessory use table, which is kind of weird.”Anchorage Assembly: Planning and Zoning Commission - September 21, 2026 - 2026-09-21 18:30:00 · Sep 25, 2026
Jared Gardner
“I actually like that it emphasizes childcare programming as a use available in parks that kind of comes to mind. The temporary sales of products, I feel less that way about, but on the whole, I think I'm maybe would be inclined to oppose it.”Anchorage Assembly: Planning and Zoning Commission - September 21, 2026 - 2026-09-21 18:30:00 · Sep 25, 2026
Luke Bertram
“with the temporary sales of products grown on-site, this cleans things up with sales of pre-plugs because otherwise the next best use would be commercial horticulture. To allow sales of the tree plugs that are grown on site at Russian Jack Park.”Anchorage Assembly: Planning and Zoning Commission - September 21, 2026 - 2026-09-21 18:30:00 · Sep 25, 2026
Radhika Krishna
“I don't believe Title 21 is the place to make— to encourage uses. I believe that the code should be reserved for very clear regulatory guidance, and I'm reading this language as encouraging or supporting potential uses in a non— one of a large list of uses and programs and activities that we might want to see in our parks. I don't believe code is the way to do that.”Anchorage Assembly: Planning and Zoning Commission - September 21, 2026 - 2026-09-21 18:30:00 · Sep 25, 2026
Scott Pulice
“I intend to support the motion. I second Commissioner Gardner's comments on the situation and will add that we heard no agency or public opposition to the amendments today.”Anchorage Assembly: Planning and Zoning Commission - September 21, 2026 - 2026-09-21 18:30:00 · Sep 25, 2026
Jared Gardner
“I move in case 2026-0102 to recommend the Anchorage Assembly approval of an ordinance amending AMC Chapter 21.0 05 use regulations to support existing uses and Anchorage parks.”Anchorage Assembly: Planning and Zoning Commission - September 21, 2026 - 2026-09-21 18:30:00 · Sep 25, 2026
Radhika Krishna
“The other cases we've talked about, like child care and seasonal sales, I see them included in the draft, um, Title 21 changes as may include. So I read that as being, um, language that is essentially for guidance ordinance, but is not providing any sort of regulatory limitations on necessarily what can happen in parks.”Anchorage Assembly: Planning and Zoning Commission - September 21, 2026 - 2026-09-21 18:30:00 · Sep 25, 2026
Jeff Rahn
“I move in case 2026-0109 to approve the major site plan review for the Basher Trailhead parking lot project, subject to the conditions shown on page 4 of the staff report.”Anchorage Assembly: Planning and Zoning Commission - September 14, 2026 - 2026-09-14 18:30:00 · Sep 14, 2026
Jeff Rahn
“would appreciate some information on the background and current thoughts around long-term fiscal sustainability of maintaining this looks to be significantly improved facility that's going to draw hopefully a lot more users in a safe way.”Anchorage Assembly: Planning and Zoning Commission - September 14, 2026 - 2026-09-14 18:30:00 · Sep 14, 2026
Francis McLaughlin
“This is not a park master plan. The project is funded by voter-approved municipal bond. This project was approved by the Parks and Rec Commission.”Anchorage Assembly: Planning and Zoning Commission - September 14, 2026 - 2026-09-14 18:30:00 · Sep 14, 2026
Francis McLaughlin
“PM&E is requesting site plan approval for the Basher Trailhead parking lot project. This project is for a new paved parking lot with 52 spaces, including 3 ADA accessible spaces at the Basher Trailhead. The existing parking lot has space for only 16 vehicles and is a gravel lot.”Anchorage Assembly: Planning and Zoning Commission - September 14, 2026 - 2026-09-14 18:30:00 · Sep 14, 2026
Francis McLaughlin
“This project is much-needed safety improvement. They will also expand public access to the Hillside Trail system. This rural hillside trailhead is located 3 miles up Basher Road.”Anchorage Assembly: Planning and Zoning Commission - September 14, 2026 - 2026-09-14 18:30:00 · Sep 14, 2026
Jeff Rahn
“What I heard tonight was a petitioner's presentation that showed a responsiveness to the community in iterating design through 35% and 65%, being informed by public comment to provide amenities of interest. I would like to commend the project team and all involved for the speed at which this is moving forward. The community spoke through a ballot initiative, and we're much closer to seeing something happen here.”Anchorage Assembly: Planning and Zoning Commission - September 14, 2026 - 2026-09-14 18:30:00 · Sep 14, 2026
Radhika Krishna
“we don't often get to see a plan after it's adopted. So we, I think, could have a much stronger process to make sure that plans don't sit on a shelf after they've been adopted”Anchorage Assembly: Planning and Zoning Commission - September 14, 2026 - 2026-09-14 18:30:00 · Sep 14, 2026
Radhika Krishna
“I would also be very interested in a work session, um, and if there is an assembly sponsor currently Inviting them, I think, would be helpful”Anchorage Assembly: Planning and Zoning Commission - September 14, 2026 - 2026-09-14 18:30:00 · Sep 14, 2026
Jeff Rahn
“I as a commissioner would welcome the opportunity to continue to discuss it in a work session and figure out next steps associated with it.”Anchorage Assembly: Planning and Zoning Commission - September 14, 2026 - 2026-09-14 18:30:00 · Sep 14, 2026
Speaker A
“I believe that's what I heard. Anybody object? No? All thumbs up around here.”Anchorage Assembly: Planning and Zoning Commission - September 14, 2026 - 2026-09-14 18:30:00 · Sep 14, 2026
Jeff Rahn
“can you help the commission understand what it means to be advisory to the comp plan?”Anchorage Assembly: Planning and Zoning Commission - September 14, 2026 - 2026-09-14 18:30:00 · Sep 14, 2026
Edith McKee
“I don't think that we've heard enough from the community members that showed up, and the plans here don't currently reflect what will be proposed in the design, which makes it difficult.”Anchorage Assembly: Planning and Zoning Commission - August 10, 2026 - 2026-08-10 18:30:00 · Aug 11, 2026
Amma Abaza
“So if we do postpone, does that mean that a second public hearing would happen and the public has a chance to comment again?”Anchorage Assembly: Planning and Zoning Commission - August 10, 2026 - 2026-08-10 18:30:00 · Aug 11, 2026
Edith McKee
“this is the cut line that, that the residents have shared shows the cut line literally going right up to the front of their property. And the DOT process would typically require that you acquire a right-of-way that encompasses your total project footprint, so your cut and fill limits would have to be acquired.”Anchorage Assembly: Planning and Zoning Commission - August 10, 2026 - 2026-08-10 18:30:00 · Aug 11, 2026
Brett McKinnon
“we think it would be more cost efficient to the municipality as well, uh, for the right-of-way acquisition, for the cost to cure as well as the remainder damages during the right-of-way acquisition, because it would require relocation of our well and it would take away the only usable yard on our property.”Anchorage Assembly: Planning and Zoning Commission - August 10, 2026 - 2026-08-10 18:30:00 · Aug 11, 2026
Edith McKee
“I intend to support the motion, um, because the, the conditions as presented in staff packet have been met. Additionally, I feel that the, the petitioner has made significant efforts with the community to reach a compromise and incorporate their design considerations.”Anchorage Assembly: Planning and Zoning Commission - August 10, 2026 - 2026-08-10 18:30:00 · Aug 11, 2026