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Spotlight on Housing in Girdwood
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Housing in Girdwood is a complex issue with no shortage of initiatives to tackle improving housing development in the community.
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In the last few weeks, the Assembly considered several projects aimed at addressing Girdwood's housing shortage. Here's a breakdown of the issues:
Holtan Hills Development Proposal
The Assembly voted (7-5) to postpone AO 2022-103(S, S-1, S-2) indefinitely. The proposed ordinance set out to authorize the sale of land parcels in Girdwood owned by Heritage Land Bank to CY Investments to develop a new subdivision.
While this plan wasn't able to move forward, it helped spur ideas for housing in Girdwood and created lessons learned for future development projects.
Updating Girdwood-Specific Code for ADUs
You may remember the Assembly's recent updates to Title 21 on Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs); the approved changes removed the requirement for ADUs to only be built on owner-occupied property. But Girdwood has its own section of code on uses which established unique provisions for the development of ADUs, including references to the previous own-occupancy requirement.
The Assembly voted (5-7) against AO 2022-14 to restore the owner-occupied property requirement in Girdwood and clean up the Girdwood section of code that referenced old code from before the Assembly's January action on ADUs.
The sponsors signaled that they will return to the code requirements regarding ADU permitting in Girdwood in just a few weeks. Until then, the MOA Planning Department will continue to review and approve eligible ADU plans by Girdwood's previous standards.
On the Ballot: Girdwood's Powers on Housing
Last month, the Assembly approved a ballot proposition for the Girdwood Valley Service Area (GVSA) to expand the power of the service area to study, recommend and provide services in support of developing local housing policy.
Qualified, registered Girdwood voters will see this ballot proposition on their ballots during the April 4, 2023 Regular Municipal Election.
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Keeping the Focus on Good Governance
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Amid serious allegations of misconduct and mismanagement against leadership in the Administration, the Assembly remains focused on protecting the Municipality's greatest assets: the municipal workforce, public funds and our core services.
- On February 3, Chair LaFrance issued guidance to MOA employees on the impact of three emergency ordinances in effect until March 21. The emergency ordinances were approved by the Assembly on January 20 to protect the municipal workforce and public funds while the allegations of financial and employment misconduct are investigated and long-term controls are enacted.
- On February 2, Chair LaFrance issued a second subpoena for the Municipality's report detailing the internal investigation into the hiring of former Department of Health Director Joe Gerace.
- After the Administration responded to the subpoena in writing on February 7, stating that the Department of Human Resources will not be producing the documents requested and that it will take a court order to compel the mayor to release the report, the Assembly authorized the Assembly Counsel to pursue litigation to compel the release of subpoenaed records.
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Celebrate Black History Month
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Happy Black History Month!
The month of February is an important time to collectively celebrate the contributions, achievements and history of Black people in our community, whose impact has been historically overlooked and undervalued. On February 7, the Assembly approved AR 2023-36 to formally recognize Black History Month.
In the spirit of the celebrations happening across town this month, Assembly Members Quinn-Davidson, Rivera and Zaletel are pleased to introduce a proposal to formalize cultural celebrations as paid Municipal holidays throughout the year.
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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 February 7 Meeting, the Assembly took the following actions:
- Voted to postpone AO 2022-103(S) indefinitely. The proposed ordinance would have authorized the sale of land parcels in Girdwood owned by Heritage Land Bank to CY Investments to develop a new subdivision.
- Approved an unnumbered AR to initiate litigation against the Administration to release records in compliance with a subpoena ordered by Chair LaFrance on the investigations conducted during the hiring of former Health Department Director Joe Gerace. The litigation comes after the Administration refused to comply with the subpoena, citing Alaska privacy law.
- Approved AO 2023-12 to provide economic relief to the local construction industry in response to inflationary pressures by maintaining the 2022 building code fees instead of following the existing formula for fee increases.
- Approved the Parks Bond proposition to be included on the ballot for the April 4, 2023 Municipal Election. The $3,950,000 bond package proposes funding a tranche of parks projects including:
- Trails - funding rehabilitation and way finding for the Campbell Creek Trail, matching local funds toward the Fish Creek Trail to the Ocean project, supporting Ship Creek Trail upgrades and a connection to the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail
- Facilities - making improvements to Mulcahy Stadium, funding Athletic Field safety improvements, and upgrading Chester Creek Complex facility safety, security and ADA accessibility
- Parks - developing inclusive playgrounds, funding bridge repair in Far North Bicentennial Park, supporting Russian Jack Springs Park safety and ADA improvements, funding improvements to both Fairview and Spenard Recreation Centers and building a warming chalet for the ice oval at Cuddy Park
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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February 21 Meeting
- A public hearing on AO 2023-17 to add Juneteenth and Indigenous People's Day as paid holidays to the Municipal Holiday Calendar.
- A public hearing on AR 2022-400 to adopt recommendations to send to the Anchorage Metropolitan Area Transportation Solutions (AMATS) to amend the 2023-2026 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP).
- A public hearing on AO 2023-13 to establish the Municipality of Anchorage Online Checkbook, which would require the establishment of an internet website providing information on municipal government financial transactions and contracts.
March
- The Assembly will hold a special meeting on March 3 on nominations for Board and Commission appointments that were postponed from earlier meetings due to paperwork errors. The Assembly approved EO 2023-1 at a special meeting on January 20 to extend the terms of boards and commission members whose terms expired in October 2022 to ensure that boards can meet quorum while the paperwork issues are resolved.
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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