​Project contact: Tom Davis, Senior Planner, 907-343-7916 or tom.davis@anchorageak.gov, 

​​​​​Elizabeth Appleby, Senior Planner, 907-​343-7925 or elizabeth.appleby@anchorageak.gov

Project News:

The Assembly public hearing and deliberations on the Parking and Site Access Clean-up Amendments (A.O. 2024-24) has been continued to the Tuesday, April 23, 2024, Assembly meeting (Item 13.A. on the agenda). The Clean-up Amendments are a follow-up to the adopted Parking and Site Access amendment ordinances adopted in 2023. The Clean-up Amendments include clarifications, corrections, and fixes to unintended consequences from the two ordinances. See the "Reference" section below for more information.

The "Site Access Test Fit Report," a targeted study to determine if any impediments to small multifamily infill developments were inadervently created as a result of the Site Access and Pedestrian Frontage Standards, was completed on March 30, 2024,  by the Planning Department and a team of development professionals, and has been provided to the Assembly as information in considering A.O. 2024-24. See the report and its accompanying Assembly Information Memorandum No. 50-2024 in the "Reference" section below. As a result of its site tests, the Site Access Test Fit Report recommended five changes to Title 21 that would be impactful for small infill developments. Several of the recommended changes would be to the Site Access and Pedestrian Frontage Standards.

The Planning Department has provided proposed amendments that will address the findings of the Site Access Test Fit Report and several other amendments to the Assembly for consideration in deliberating the Clean-up Amendments in A.O. 2024-24. The set of proposed amendments include:

• ​​​An amendment to increase the allowed front garage width in the designated urban neighborhood context areas from 40% to 50% of the building facade width. This change willl allow for design flexibility on small, narrow lots upon conflict with site constraints such as topography. It will also make the allowable garage door width consistent with the allowed width of vehicular parking facilities in front of the building facade.
  
• An amendment to exempt garages with habitable floor area above from restrictions on how far the garage may project out in front of the rest of the building facade. This amendment was inadvertently missed when A.O. 2024-24 was drafted, and was brought to the attention of the Planning Department by a member of the development community. The change will make this standard more consistent with the previous standard in place prior to the reorganization and consolidation of pedestrian frontage requirements via A.O. 2023-50.  
  
• An amendment to allow 3- and 4-plex developments to use their vehicle driveways as all or a part of the required pedestrian access connections to the residences. This change will make it easier to accommodate 3- and 4-plex development on small, narrow urban lots, reduces impervious surfaces, and avoids the cost of installation of a separated walkway that exceeds the practical functionality for small infill developments.
  
• Several non-substantive technical edits to section number references, grammar, wording, formatting and punctuation.
  

Project Background:

​Parking and maneuvering requirements are typically the costliest zoning regulations for multifamily and mixed-use developments. Excessive parking can reduce the number of housing units, increase household rents on remaining units, stymie economic reinvestment, discourage transportation alternatives, increase road congestion, constrain design, and degrade quality of life.

This project was initiated by the Planning Department to carry out Actions 4-3 and 4-6 of the Anchorage 2040 Land Use Plan to amend Title 21 to allow parking reductions by right, offer greater reductions in key development ​areas, and reform on-site driveway standards and other site access requirements.​ 

Project Timeline:

The public involvement process for the Title 21 Parking and Site Access Amendments began in the first half of 2021 with public workshops, agency and stakeholder meetings, and a community discussion draft of the code amendment language. A public hearing draft of the Title 21 amendment was released for public reveiw in 2022 and recommended for approval by the Planning and Zoning Commission (PZC). The Anchorage Assembly in reviewing the ordinance split the Parking and Site Access amendments into two ordinances and adopted a revised, S-Version of the Parking amendments near the end of 2022. Most of the Parking amendments became effective in early 2023. A revised public hearing draft of the Site Access amendments was released for public review at the end of 2022 and was eventually adopted in July 2023 after review and approval by the PZC and Assembly.  The Site Access Amendments and amended bicycle parking requirements became effective on January 1, 2024.​

Reference:

Parking and Site Access Clean-Up Amen​dments Ordinance (A.O. 2024-24), for Continued Public Hearing on April 23, 2024

Following are materials for consideration for the continued public hearing under agenda Item 13.A. of the April 23, 2024 Assembly meeting agenda:

• A.O. No. 2024-24: The recommended Assembly Ordinance containing the Title 21 Parking and Site Access Clean-Up Amendments.
• A.M. No. 201-2024: The Assembly Memorandum providing an overview of the recommended Clean-Up Amendments.
• ​​​A.I.M No. 50-2024: The Assembly Information Memorandum explaining the March 30, 2024, Site Access Test Fit Report.
• Site Access Test Fit Report

Title 21 Site Access Amendments adopted on July 11, 2023; Effective date is January 1, 2024

The Assembly deliberated upon and adopted the Title 21 Site Access Amendment ordinance with two floor amendments at its July 11, 2023, regular meeting. The ordinance as introduced to the assembly and the two floor amendments made by the Assembly at the meeting appear below. The final, signed and approved version of the ordinance that incorporates Floor Amendments 1 and 2 will be posted here as soon as it becomes available.

• A.O. No. 2023-50 - approved by Assembly with Floor Amendments 1 and 2 below.
• Floor Amendment #1 to AO 2023-50 - approved by Assembly
• Floor Amendment #2 to AO 2023-50 - approved by Assembly​

Effective Date of Amended Site Access Regulations:  Ja​nuary 1, 2024

​The amended Title 21 site access regulations in AO No. 2023-50 will become effective on January 1, 2024. The Title 21 regulations that have applied to development projects prior to Assembly adoption of AO No. 2022-50 will continue to apply to all applications filed for development or land use entitlements until the close of business on Friday, December 29, 2023. ​Applicants for entitlements who file their application on or after Tuesday, January 2, 2024,​ will be reviewed under Title 21 as amended by the adopted AO No. 2023-50.   

Along with the newly amended site access regulations, the following two subsections of the Title 21 parking regulations that were amended in 2022 (by AO No. 2022-80(S)) will also become effective on January 1, 2024: ​

​

Title 21 Site Access Amendments Assembly public hearing held on May 9th and continued deliberation by Assembly scheduled for​ July 11th (A.O. 2023-50)​

​​The Anchorage Assembly held a public hearing and closed public testimony during their May 9, 2023 Assembly meeting. The Assembly also referred A.O. 2023-50 to the Assembly Community and Economic Development Committee (CEDC). The CEDC listened to a staff overview presentation and discussed the ordinance on June 1, 2023.

Assembly Community and Economic Development Committee (CEDC) ​Site Access Amendment​ Documents: 

• CEDC Presentation Slides, June 1, 2023 (Hyperlink available soon)
• CEDC Handout, June 1, 2023 (Hyperlink available soon)​​

Assembly Site Access Amendment​ Documents: 

• ​Assembly Ordinance (A.O.) No. 2023-50
• Assembly Memorandum (A.M.) No. 271-2023
• A.O. No. 2023-50 Summary of Economic Effects 
• Exhibit A: PZC Resolution No. 2023-003
• Exhibit B: PZC Staff Packet and Minutes (2/13/2023)
• Exhibit C: Clean Version of Public Hearing Draft A.O. No. 2023-50
• Exhibit D: Annotated Version of Public Hearing Draft A.O. No. 2023-50
  

Title 21 Site Access Amendments ordinance recommended to Assembly for approval​ (PZC Case No. 2023-0011)​

​​On February 13, 2023, the Planning and Zoning Commission (PZC) voted unanimously to recommend approval to the Anchorage Assembly of ​​PZC Case No. 2023-0011, Site Access Regulations in Title 21​. The case will be scheduled for Introduction and Public Hearing​ before the ​ Assembly during the second quarter of 2023.  

The PZC documents are hyperlinked below. These are the reforms to Title 21 vehicle driveway access and circulation requirements, pedestrian facility requirements and incentives, and building placement and orientation standards that were proposed alongside the reforms to off-street parking minimums in A.O. 2022-80 (PZC Case No. 2022-0026; see further below). The Assembly ultimately adopted a Substitute version of A.O. 2022-80(S) without the site access amendments, in order to de-couple the site access amendments from the parking amendments ordinance. The Assembly gave direction to take the site access amendments back through a Planning and Zoning Commission (PZC) public hearing as a separate companion ordinance to the parking reforms.

PZC Site Access Case Documents: 

• PZC Case 2023-0011, Staff Report 
• PZC Case 2023-0011, Attachment 1 - Public Hearing Draft Title 21 Site Access Amendments Ordinance  ​
• PZC Case 2023-0011, Attachment 2 - Clean Version of Site Access Ordinance
  
• PZC Case 2023-0011, Attachment 3 - Annotated Version of Site Access Ordinance
  
• PZC Case 2023-0011, Attachment 4 - ​Public Comments ​
  
• PZC Case 2023-0011 Work Session Questions and Responses (New)
  
• PZC Case 2023-0011 Additional Public Comment​ (New)
  

​

​​Title 21 Parking Amendments adopted on November 22, 2022

Following is the Assembly's Substitute version of the Title 21 Parking and Site Access Amendments ordinance, AO 2022-80(S), which the Assembly adopted with two floor amendments on November 22. Also listed are the Assembly Memorandum (AM) summarizing the Assembly's Substitute version, and the two floor amendments to the Substitute version made by the Assembly at the meeting. These documents and other information is available in an Assembly press release.

• ​Assembly Substitute Ordinance (AO) No. 2022-80(S)
• Assembly Memorandum (AM) No. 681-2022 regarding AO 2022-80(S)
• Floor Amendments 1 and 2 to AO 2022-80(S) - approved by Assembly

Effective Date of Amended Parking Regulations:  January 23, 2023

​The amended Title 21 parking regulations in the adopted AO No. 2022-80(S) will become effective on January 23, 2023. The Title 21 regulations that have applied to development projects prior to Assembly adoption of AO No. 2022-80(S) will continue to apply to all applications filed for development or land use entitlements until the close of business on Friday, January 20, 2023. ​

Applicants for entitlements who file their application on or after Monday, January 23, 2023,​ will be reviewed under Title 21 as amended by the adopted AO No. 2022-80(S).   

Exception: Two subsections of the amended Title 21 parking regulations will not apply to developments until January 1, 2024. These two subsections are: ​

• 21.07.090F., Parking Usage Reductions: Alternative Transportation Incentives
• 21.07.090K., Bicycle Parking​

Draft Assembly Ordinance as Introduced in September

Following is the draft Title 21 parking and site access amendment ordinance containing the Planning and Zoning Commission's (PZC's) ​recommended changes, as well as its accompanying Exhibits A through E, which was introduced at the September 13 Assembly Meeting.  These materials are subject to an Assembly public hearing that opened on October 11 and is continued to the November 22 Assembly meeting.  

• Assembly Ordinance (AO) No. 2022-80 
• Assembly Memorandum (AM) No. 466-2022  ​
• AO No. 2022-80 Summary of Economic Effects (SEE) 
• Exhibit A: PZC Resolution No. 2022-0021 
• Exhibit B: Annotated Zoning Code Amendment Language 
• Exhibit C: PZC Staff Packet (4/11/2022) 
• Exhibit D: Planning Department Issue-Response Packet (6/6/2022) 
• Exhibit E: PZC Meeting Minutes 
  ​

2022 Public Hearing Draft ​Approved by Planning and Zoning Commission

On June 6, 2022, the Planning and Zoning Commission approved forwarding to the Assembly a recommendation to adopt the Public Hearing Draft Title 21 parking and site access amendment, with some edits in response to public comments. See the PZC Resolution and attachments ​containing the PZC's approved edits:

• PZC Resolution 2022-021 for PZC Case 2022-0026
• Attachment A to PZC Resolution 2022-021​
• Attachment B to PZC Resolution 2022-021​

Attachments 1-4 below were released ​on February 7, 2022,​ for two months of public review and comment. The Planning and Zoning Commission (PZC) public hearing was held on April 11, 2022.  Attachment 5 below contains written public comments regarding the public hearing draft code amendments that the Planning Department received by March 31.  Additional public comments received by April 11 and submitted to the PZC in a supplementary packet are also provided below.  The PZC closed the hearing and postponed its deliberations until June 6 when the Planning Department provided an issue-response memorandum to address the written comments and public testimony. 

• PZC Case 2022-0026 Cover Memo: Request for Public Comments  (released in February with Attachments 1 - 4)
• PZC Case 2022-0026 Staff Report Memorandum​  (submitted to PZC and posted on April 4, 2022)
• PZC Case 2022-0026 Issue-Response Summary Table (for deliberations on June 6, 2022)

• PZC Case 2022-0026 Attachment 1 - Project Summary
• PZC Case 2022-0026 Attachment 2 - Draft Assembly Ordinance​
• PZC Case 2022-0026 Attachment 3 - Annotated Zoning Code Amendment Language​
• PZC Case 2022-0026 Attachment 4 - Clean Version with Proposed Amendments​
• PZC Case 2022-0026 Attachment 5 - Comments Received (as of March 31, 2022)
• Additional Comments Received (by April 11, 2022) ​
• PZC Case 2022-0026 Attachment 6 - Background Information
• 6.1 - PZC Work Session Slides, March 14 and April 11, 2022 ​
• 6.2 - Public Involvement
• 6.3 - Background Research​​

   

      Attachment 3: Annotated Zoning Code Amendment Language                                                                                                   Attachment 4: Clean Version with Proposed Amendments (Non-annotated)

  ​   ​

2021 Community Discussion Draft ​for Public Review

The 2021 Community Discussion Draft amendment to the Title 21 Parking and Site Access was released on October 29 for a two-month review period. The Planning Department received comments/feedback to incorporate into the 2022 Public Hearing Draft.  Materials released for the 2021 Community Discussion Draft included the following:​

• ​Cover Memo for October 29, 2021 release ​ 
• ​Attachment 1 - Project Information Summary​
• Attachment 2 - Annotated Community Discussion Draft Title 21 Amendments​​
• Attachment 3 - Clean Version with Proposed Amendments (non-annotated)​

Other Project Documents​​​​

Public Information Sessions Presentation - November 2021
Video Recording of Nov. 16 Lunchtime Public Inf​ormation Session - November 2021
Project Slide Presentation - April 2021

• Project Background and Objectives - April 2021

​What We Heard from You in Pre-Consultation Phase: Winter 2020 - Summer 2021

The forthcoming Community Discussion Draft (October 2021) merges recommendations from individuals and organizations collected during the pre-consultation phase of the project. Thank you for your comments! Please review Project Documents for information on ​materials presented during this phase of the project. As we compile summ​aries of​ public comments and questionnaire responses from this phase we​ are posting them here:

• ​Your Responses to Summer 2021 ​Online Project Questionnaire​​
• What We Heard at March 31, 2021 Lunch and Learn Meeting​​
• What We Heard at April 7 and 15, 2021 Open Houses​​
• What We Heard at June 9, 2021 Design Workshop​​

Contacts

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