During the May 23 Regular Assembly Meeting, the Anchorage Assembly set a public hearing for AO 2023-66 at the Regular Assembly Meeting on July 25, 2023. Sponsored by Assembly Members Kevin Cross and Meg Zaletel, the ordinance would revise Title 21 – Land Use to consolidate all residential zoning districts into two residential districts throughout the Municipality, effective January 1, 2025.
“This is an ordinance to start a conversation," said Member Zaletel. “If approved, the ordinance would go into effect more than 18 months from now. That gives us a lot of time to address community concerns and build a zoning code that reflects the needs of our municipality."
If approved, the ordinance would consolidate all residential zones into two zones:
- R – Residential
The R district is intended to allow for a variety of single-family, two-family, and multifamily dwellings, and combinations with a variety of compatible commercial, retail, services, or office uses. The R district provides residential neighborhoods with a greater diversity of housing by allowing a mix of both detached and a variety of attached dwelling types in close proximity to each other, as well as mixed-use properties and townhouses. These areas generally are intended to have well-developed infrastructure, and municipal services generally are intended to be provided. - R-OUS – Residential On-Site Underground Services
The R-OUS district is intended for residential use identical to that of the R district, with the exception that the availability of developed infrastructure and municipal service may be varied in these areas.
“Anchorage is experiencing a housing crisis," said Member Cross, “we need to seriously discuss how our land use restrictions are contributing to the issue. We have more families of a smaller size and our regulations from decades past do not coincide with our needs today. This ordinance pushes us to have meaningful dialogue and weigh our current needs against past perceptions."
AO 2023-66 is scheduled for public hearing at the next Regular Assembly Meeting on July 25, 2023. You are invited to share input on this change:
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CONTACT:
Kevin Cross | District 2, kevin.cross@anchorageak.gov
Meg Zaletel | District 4, meg.zaletel@anchorageak.gov