Zoning
RSSResidential, commercial, industrial zoning rules; variances; conditional use permits
Fairbanks Platting Board to weigh state-backed subdivision, easement vacation near Old Steese Highway
Fairbanks Platting Board will vote July 15 on a state-backed plan to create nine residential lots near Old Steese Highway and vacate a 50-foot easement in favor of a narrower trail corridor.
by Maggie AlaskaNews11h ago2 min readAIFairbanks
On the Kenai, a cabin tests the river's 50-foot buffer
As peak season packs the Kenai, a company wants to build a cabin inside the 50-foot buffer that keeps development off the river's salmon-bearing banks.
by Walter AlaskaNews3d ago2 min readAIKenai Peninsula, Alaska
Fairbanks commission hears rezone that would resolve 50-year zoning mismatch near Noyes Slough
Fairbanks will rezone 11 properties near Noyes Slough to match their actual use after 50 years of zoning mismatch, with the Assembly set to vote on the ordinance.
by Maggie AlaskaNews23h ago2 min readAIFairbanks, Alaska
Fairbanks gravel pit permit goes before planning commission with staff approval recommendation
Fairbanks planning staff recommended approval of a seasonal gravel pit for Ed's Trucking LLC between Van Horn Road and Mitchell Expressway, though the commission's vote is not documented.
by Maggie AlaskaNews23h ago2 min readAIFairbanks, Alaska
Sitka Planning Commission considers Halibut Point Road rezone
Five property owners asked Sitka's Planning Commission to rezone six residential lots on Halibut Point Road and Kimsham Street to commercial use.
by Maggie AlaskaNews1d ago2 min readAISitka, Alaska
The Eklutna Gathering Center cleared Platting Board approval after 30 years
30 years in the making: Eklutna's Gathering Center got Platting Board approval Tuesday. Earthquake-ready design included
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago2 min readAIAnchorage
Mat-Su Planning Commission backs multifamily code overhaul
Mat-Su Planning Commission backed a tiered multifamily code allowing homeowners to add mother-in-law suites without permits. • Larger projects must meet new drainage, fire access, and road standards, including 100-foot building setbacks from roads. • The Assembly must approve the ordinance before the new rules take effect.
by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago2 min readAIMatanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska
Kodiak Borough Assembly eyes 3% marijuana tax for community fund
Kodiak Borough Assembly members proposed a 3% marijuana tax to raise $135,000 to $150,000 yearly for health and housing programs, with a voter ballot set for October 6.
by Walter AlaskaNews2d ago2 min readAIKodiak Island, Alaska
Kenai enacts subdivision, street design standards overhaul
Kenai City Council approved new subdivision and street design rules to speed up development review. • Minimum lot size set at 40,000 square feet for septic systems, matching borough standards. • Large subdivisions must extend water mains if public water is available within 1,500 feet. • New Street Design Manual can be updated by city staff without council approval, replacing rigid code rules.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min readAIKenai
Kodiak Assembly weighs new revenue and unlocks unused savings
Kodiak's assembly worked both ends of its budget: a possible tax on nonresidents who take most of its deer, and a discount account it had but never used.
by Bill AlaskaNews4d ago3 min readAIKodiak Island, Alaska
Kenai council passes camping ordinance limiting tent numbers
Three tents is enough. / A campground, it shall be called. / Freeloaders, beware!
by Alaska News2w ago1 min readAIKenai, Alaska
Assembly to hear natural burial cemetery proposal for South Anchorage
Anchorage Assembly votes June 9 on giving a 9.6-acre South Anchorage parcel to Alaska Natural Burial to operate the city's first natural burial cemetery at no taxpayer cost.
by Lucas Brownadded 3w ago3 min readAIAnchorage
Cordova Harbor Commission votes against CAM 2 dock recommendation
Cordova Harbor Commission voted against recommending the city sell 4,100 square feet of waterfront to seafood processor CAM 2 for a private dock. • Commissioners cited navigation safety concerns at the tight harbor entrance and potential impacts on lighting and road infrastructure. • The proposal now goes to City Council, which may still approve the sale despite the commission's recommendation against it.
by Bill AlaskaNews2w ago2 min readAICordova, Alaska
Matanuska-Susitna Borough Platting Board approves Settler's Bay Unit 11 subdivision
The Matanuska-Susitna Borough Platting Board approved a preliminary plat for Settler's Bay Unit 11.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min readAISettler's Bay
A Corner of the Port of Anchorage Is Becoming a Park
Anchorage Platting Board splits 48-acre port parcel into industrial and parkland tracts on Government Hill. • Site sits in highest seismic-hazard zone, raising engineering concerns for waterfront. • State wants easement reserved for potential Knik Arm bridge to Mat-Su.
by Melinda Communities.News6d ago2 min readAIAnchorage
Commission approves subdivision, rezone for Native Village of Ouzinkie tsunami shelter
Kodiak Island Borough Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously approved a subdivision and rezone allowing the Native Village of Ouzinkie to take ownership of land holding a tsunami shelter.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 1mo ago1 min readAIKodiak, Alaska
Kodiak planners advance Karluk water system overhaul
Kodiak Island Borough planners advanced a conditional use permit to replace Karluk's entire water treatment system, which would provide year-round potable water to the Alaska Native village.
by Alaska News2w ago1 min readAIKodiak
Mat-Su Planning Commission advances multifamily design standards rewrite
Mat-Su Planning Commission approved a resolution Monday to rewrite multifamily design standards, with a public hearing set for June 15 before the proposal goes to the borough assembly.
by Walter AlaskaNews4w ago1 min readAIMat-Su Borough
Petersburg Planning Commission roundup: massage CUP approved, three land sales recommended, Scow Bay rock pits out of wireless overlay
Petersburg Planning Commission approved a home massage business, recommended three land sales, and removed Scow Bay rock pits from a wireless tower overlay after residents cited drinking water concerns.
by Alaska News3w ago2 min readAIPetersburg
Planning commission recommends removing density requirement from Eagle River greenhouse property
Anchorage Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously recommended removing a minimum-density requirement from an Eagle River greenhouse property, allowing duplexes or triplexes instead of 13 required units. The Assembly will make the final decision.
by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago2 min readAIAnchorage
A residential block off Abbott Road is going commercial — one lot at a time
Dominos falling A city tries rezoning If they accept it
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 1w ago2 min readAIAnchorage
Planning Commission maps cell tower sites to guide wireless companies
Petersburg Planning Commission identified cell tower sites on public and private land to guide wireless companies away from homes. Overlay zone ordinance would let companies build towers by right at approved spots, up to 200 feet tall. Commission drafting legal descriptions and ordinance language for June meeting before assembly vote.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 1mo ago2 min readAIPetersburg, Alaska
Kenai commission imposes quiet hours on short-term rental, reviving debate over neighborhood rules
Kenai Planning & Zoning Commission approved an Airbnb in Inlet Woods with mandatory 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. quiet hours, reigniting debate over whether short-term rentals should face stricter rules than long-term rentals in the same neighborhood.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min readAI1003 Skyler Lane, Kenai
Anchorage zoning board postpones variance threshold changes
Anchorage zoning board postponed a proposal to raise the setback encroachment threshold from 5 percent to 10 percent, which would let single-family homeowners avoid a $710 public hearing fee.
by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago1 min readAIAnchorage
Valdez Planning and Zoning Commission Meets Tonight
The Valdez Planning and Zoning Commission holds its regular meeting tonight at 7:00 PM to address zoning updates, subdivision approvals, and land use matters affecting the Prince William Sound community.
by Alaska News2mo ago1 min readAIValdez, AK 99686
Assembly advances cell tower ordinance requiring conditional use permits
Assembly votes to require Planning Commission approval for new cell towers in Petersburg. Companies must first try mounting antennas on existing structures before building new towers. Public hearing set for June 1 with comment deadline May 25. Ordinance needs two more readings before final adoption.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 1mo ago1 min readAIPetersburg
Kenai seeks federal grants for sidewalks, fish passage culverts
Kenai submitted a federal grant application for sidewalk and street lighting improvements on Lawton and Tinker, and is preparing a second application to remove fish passage barriers in local creeks by end of June.
by Alaska News2w ago1 min readAIKenai, Alaska
Urban Design Commission splits on apartment buffer variance
The Anchorage Urban Design Commission approved a landscaping variance for the west boundary of a 36-unit apartment expansion but denied the same relief for the south boundary, where neighbors have spent over $20,000 fighting water damage from the property.
by Alaska News1mo ago4 min readAIAnchorage
Anchorage ordinance would open industrial zones to adult care facilities
Anchorage Assembly Member Erin Baldwin Day introduced an ordinance to allow adult care facilities in light industrial zones without planning review, citing rapid senior population growth through 2029.
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago2 min readAIAnchorage, Alaska
Planning commission approves variance for multifamily housing on corner lot
Kenai Planning Commission unanimously approved a variance allowing two multifamily buildings 10 feet from Cacnew Way instead of the standard 20 feet on a corner lot, citing safety improvements and housing demand.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 1mo ago2 min readAIKenai, Alaska
Anchorage Platting Board to consider removing 1954 plat notes for ADU
Anchorage Platting Board will consider removing 1954 subdivision restrictions on an East 43rd Avenue lot to allow an accessory dwelling unit over an existing garage, with planning staff recommending approval.
by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago3 min readAIAnchorage
Assembly hears call for tower rules as residents warn of land-use impact
Assembly delayed vote on cell tower rules as residents warned towers will rise without zoning limits. Planning Commission proposes overlay directing towers to borough and Forest Service land away from homes. Two companies seeking Petersburg sites. Mayor aims to introduce ordinance at next meeting if attorney approves.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 1mo ago2 min readAIPetersburg
Planning commission postpones wetlands plan update over staffing gaps
The Anchorage Planning and Zoning Commission voted Monday to postpone Phase 1 updates to the city's wetlands management plan indefinitely after staff acknowledged no qualified wetlands expert is currently designated to oversee the program.
by Alaska News1mo ago3 min readAIAnchorage
Anchorage zoning board to review variance criteria changes
Anchorage's zoning board will review Thursday a draft ordinance that would change how the city evaluates requests for relief from setback and other dimensional zoning rules, with a recommendation to follow to the Planning and Zoning Commission.
by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago1 min readAIAnchorage
Mat-Su removes gravel permit barrier in Knik-Fairview
The Mat-Su Assembly voted 6-1 to remove comprehensive plans as a binding standard for gravel permits, replacing it with a requirement that planners give plans due consideration but are not bound by them.
by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago2 min readAIMat-Su Borough
Eklutna subdivision wins road-deferral variance
Anchorage Platting Board approved road-deferral variances for Eklutna LLC to subdivide three tracts into two lots, including one for the future Eklutna Gathering Center, with conditions on paving standards and a 24-month deadline to record the plat.
by Alaska News2w ago1 min readAIAnchorage
Girdwood pot shop, Bird Creek grow op seek Anchorage license renewals
One operator, Brent Carse, filed renewal applications May 6 for a Girdwood retail marijuana store and a Bird Creek cultivation facility. Anchorage has until around July 5 to protest; the public comment window has already closed.
by Alaska Newsadded 1w ago1 min readAIGirdwood and Bird Creek, Anchorage
DNR opens public comment on Homer parcel sale to University of Alaska
Alaska DNR is moving to sell a 20-acre Homer parcel to the University of Alaska without competitive bidding, bypassing local control. Comments are due to DNR by July 14 at 3 p.m., and only written comments preserve appeal rights.
by Alaska News2w ago1 min readAIHomer
Cordova Planning Commission approves temporary RV for construction site
Cordova Planning Commission unanimously approved a temporary travel trailer to house construction workers at an industrial park lot for up to four or five months, with the trailer connecting to city water and sewer.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 1mo ago1 min readAICordova
Kenai Planning Commission recommends rural residential rezone, rejecting city's denser proposal
Kenai Planning Commission rejected the city's plan to rezone 81 acres for denser housing and instead recommended rural residential zoning with larger lots, citing neighbor concerns about infrastructure despite a housing shortage.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 1mo ago1 min readAI6575 Kenai Spur Highway, Kenai, Alaska
