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Parking Minimums Eliminated Citywide
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At the November 22 Assembly meeting, the Anchorage Assembly voted unanimously to eliminate parking minimum requirements in all areas of the municipality and add requirements for bicycle parking through the adoption of AO 2022-80(S), As Amended, sponsored by Assembly Members Daniel Volland, Kevin Cross and Forrest Dunbar.
The approved version of the ordinance makes the following changes to Title 21 in the Anchorage municipal code that addresses parking and site access:
- Eliminates parking minimum requirements citywide –as a result, Title 21 will no longer require developments in the Municipality to provide a minimum number of off-street parking spaces and developers will decide how many parking spaces to include on each site
- Increases accessible spaces (ADA parking) ratios when parking is provided
- Creates requirements for bicycle parking
- Establishes a menu of alternative transportation amenities that developers can choose from for larger developments
When crafting the ordinance, the sponsors set the following goals:
- Make it more affordable to build housing and commercial development in Anchorage
- Give designers and developers increased flexibility
- Simplify proposed changes to Title 21
- Encourage adaptive re-use of vacant properties
- Prioritize the creation of connected public spaces over empty swaths of pavement
- Help accommodate non-motorized, multimodal travel
A presentation on the topic and supporting information can be found on the Assembly's website.
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Survey on Community Council Boundaries
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The Municipality of Anchorage is initiating a 10-year review of Community Council district boundaries. This 10-year review is required by municipal code to ensure that all Community Council areas continue to reflect their evolving neighborhoods. Please take this quick online questionnaire regarding your Community Council's size, area, and boundaries! (Project info & contact: Tom Davis at tom.davis@anchorageak.gov or visit the project web page.)
Fill out the survey questionnaire by December 23.
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From Homeless to Stably Housed Plan: Updates
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The Assembly continues to work on elements of the Homeless to Stably Housed Plan, the municipality's current contribution to the community-developed Anchored Home Plan.
- Adopted the 2023 Municipal Budget that contained amendments in the alcohol tax funds to direct year-round funds to Brother Francis Shelter, Covenant House, Christian Health Associates and the Anchorage Coalition to End Homelessness to ensure that the municipality's community partners have the resources needed to carry out the emergency shelter plan.
- Approved AR 2022-361 to use $400,000 in unallocated American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for security and cleaning services around certain municipally owned properties, specifically Peratrovich Park, the Chester Creek Sports Complex, and the segment of Chester Creek Trail between Woodside Park and Arctic Boulevard.
- To see the big picture of current shelter and housing options, visit Anchorage Coalition to End Homelessness's capacity map, which is updated on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
***To help community members follow this complex issue and to learn background about the municipality's involvement in Housing and Homelessness, Legislative Services has developed a website and background sheet with more information:
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In Case You Missed It - Chair Report
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At each Regular Assembly Meeting, Chair Suzanne LaFrance gives a report on recent community events and issues of interest before the Assembly. If you missed her report at a meeting, you can now read the chair reports online.
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At the December 6 meeting, the Assembly took the following actions:
- Say goodbye to noisy cars? The Assembly passed unanimously AO 2022-109 to increase the fine for muffler and exhaust system violations. This project is over a year in the making after a citizen complaint to the Ombudsman's Office kicked-off investigation on this issue and a collaborative work effort with the municipal legal, police and health departments, community councils and Assembly members.
- Approved AO 2022-98 with an amendment to amend and update Title 28 in the Anchorage Municipal Code on Elections and approved AR 2022-328 updates to the Election Observer's Handbook. Additional documents are listed on the December 6 agenda under item 13.A. A worksession on the topic was held on November 18.
- Passed the 2023 Legislative Program, which contains the Municipality's planned asks of the Governor and Legislature during the upcoming legislative session. Items like Port of Alaska funding, funding and state support for housing and homelessness, upgrades for the Performing Arts Center, funds for community wildfire protection were high priorities. The draft program will undergo a few more edits (the Assembly removed a section in pages 9-10 on civil and criminal statutory changes due to its complexity and will review those separately) and will be finalized at the January 10, 2023 Assembly meeting.
- AO 2022-84 to address a conflict with some recent changes in Title 23 regarding exceptions to the requirements for contractor licensing was postponed indefinitely to allow the Municipality to work out legal details and present a new draft.
- The 2023 Municipal budget was finalized when the Assembly overrode a mayoral veto to remove funding for Brother Francis Shelter from the alcohol tax. The Assembly let stand the other vetoes, including funding to support potential grant applicants for alcohol tax funds. That funding was instead made through a new resolution to address the mayor's concerns with the original funding language.
- Held the public hearing on the HLB Holtan Hills land disposal. Background documents can be found under the worksessions page for the December 2 worksession, including a timeline of past and future actions on the issue. Due to bad weather, the public hearing was continued to a special meeting just on this topic on December 13 at 6pm at Assembly Chambers.
At the November 22 meeting, the Assembly took the following actions:
- Approved the 2023 Municipal budget with amendments. Final documents will be posted by the Municipal Office of Management and Budget in the coming weeks.
- Approved AR 2022-360 to use $200,000 in unallocated American Rescue Plan Act funds for the Juanita Strong Forever Project for transitional living to support at-risk youth, the Anchorage Youth Court, and the Anchorage Downtown Partnership for clean and safe services for the downtown improvement district.
- Approved AR 2022-361 to use $400,000 in unallocated American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for security and cleaning services around certain municipally owned properties, specifically Peratrovich Park, the Chester Creek Sports Complex, and the segment of Chester Creek Trail between Woodside Park and Arctic Boulevard.
- Approved AO 2022-80(S) with amendments, the Title 21 Parking and Site Access Amendments, which eliminates parking minimum requirements in all areas of the municipality and add requirements for bicycle parking. A worksession was held on November 18 and additional information can be found on the Assembly's website.
For items that had action taken at an Assembly Meeting, finalized documents incorporating Assembly amendments are posted here about 2-3 weeks after passage.
For more information on recent actions:
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December and January
- Due to bad weather, the public hearing on the HLB Holtan Hills land disposal will be continued to a special meeting just on this topic on December 13 at 6pm at Assembly Chambers. Background documents can be found under the worksessions page for the December 2 worksession, including a timeline of past and future actions on the issue.
- Due to a packed December 6 agenda, the Assembly did not get to the public hearing on AO 2022-100 to provide for optional independent structural plan review for commercial buildings in the Municipality, and review of all plans for residential three-family buildings. The ordinance was reviewed at the October 7 meeting of the Community and Economic Development Committee. A worksession was held on December 1 and the public hearing will move to the December 20 meeting agenda.
- At the December 6 meeting, the public hearing on AO 2021-17(S) was postponed to the January 10 meeting to allow a workgroup to complete its work and make updates to the ordinance submitting to Anchorage voters a ballot proposition amending the Anchorage Municipal Charter to support and advance early childhood education, dedicate the net proceeds of the current retail marijuana sales tax to this purpose, and excepting the marijuana tax from the tax cap. A worksession was held on November 18.
- The January meetings will finalize propositions to go onto the April 2023 ballot.
To learn more about what’s ahead for the Anchorage Assembly, visit:
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Learn how to get involved and share your voice.
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Header photo: Anchorage Skyline, Ken Graham Photography, courtesy of Visit Anchorage.
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