Dirty: Assembly walks back ‘density’ as the motive for massive new density zoning planned for Anchorage

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Anchorage Assembly members promoting a radical ordinance that will pack single-family neighborhoods across the city with HUD housing and other multi-family dwellings are trying to walk back the motivation for their plan. That original ordinance said which increasing density would improve the quality of life in the city.

A hearing is set for Tuesday at the regular Assembly meeting that starts at 5 pm in the ground floor meeting room of the Loussac Library.

The draft ordinance mentions “density” as an aspiration 13 times in the first two pages, but a new version that will be considered at Tuesday’s Assembly meeting have substituted the word “density” with “simplifying.” The following is an example of the sneak changes under way:

The proposed changes did not come with the required Assembly Memorandum, which is meant to explain substantive changes to an ordinance or resolution. The proposed changed document is, in essence, incomplete.

The proposed ordinance will incentivize builders to maximize density on any vacant property.

The original AO is at this link.

The stealth-changed document is at this link.

Critics say that the AO 2023-66 has become a sneaky document, trying to fool residents into thinking that simplifying zoning is good government, when in fact the impacts on taxpayers is likely to be profound.

In addition, the Assembly is planning to pass the ordinance and say it is just to start the process and that the details will be ironed out in the future.

In other words, they plan to pass it so the public can then find out what is in it.

The way the ordinance is written, all the community councils are cut out of the process.

The delay in implementation also gives the Assembly the time to change other documents, such as the 2040 land use plan or the 2020 comprehensive plan, to make those legal documents more in line with the density ordinance that the Assembly is now pushing.

The meeting begins at 5 pm at the ground floor meeting room of the Loussac Library. The item is currently listed as 14D on the agenda, but the Assembly could change the order of business.

37 COMMENTS

  1. Studies on over populations (Density) have shown a large increase in violence. This has been known since the late 1960’s. So where is the assembly getting this supposed expert information?

    • Agreed. Property values will tank, neighborhoods will become ‘hoods, and traffic will snarl. The only way to build “affordable” housing – housing affordable to welfare recipients – is to build ugly concrete apartment blocks. We need affordable housing and we need the market to create that affordability. We also need for the able-bodied to find work and for us to stop subsidizing those who make a choice to be homeless.

    • They are pulling it out of their collective butt. These are new members to the “bend over the property owner’s” club collaborating with the most crooked assembly to ever operate in Anchorage to get in on the largesse available to them by marginalizing those of us that pay our taxes to run this city. The fact of the matter is the realtors, property developers, and assembly have found another federal revenue tit they can affix their lips to by making every neighborhood full of Section 8 housing. This is all about the money and YOU aren’t getting any.

  2. On a cold and grey Alaskan mornin another baby child is born in THE GHETTTOooo.

    • Love it… This sings. ‘Ceptin’, the asssembly would ensure that child would be murdered.

  3. This liberal, progressive, woke assembly is turning Anchorage into San Francisco & Portland. They will implement their socialist policies, increase dependency on the government, banking votes by building “affordable” housing to continue this lunacy into the future!

  4. Density is what put you into the problem you’re in now. Back in the 70s before mass housing projects were developed, people had space, and were more polite and courteous and lived better lives. Now you’ve packed them all in like rats and you wonder why you live in a sewer. give people space, and people are happier.

  5. Well, more dense construction on vacant land would at least expand the property tax collections for the Municipality. That said, I don’t foresee any developers trying to purchase existing homes in neighborhoods to tear them down and build multi-story apartment buildings. But, maybe someone would finally redevelop the Northway Mall! That’s 27 acres that could be put to good use with mixed residential-commercial development.

  6. How many of our esteemed assemblypersons have a degree or certification in Urban Design? How many of the even know what Urban Planning is? I’m guessing none, and they asked nobody.

    Money grab by cronies, I’d say. As if Anchorage isn’t crowded enough already.

  7. It is injurious to the planning done before and does injury to prior investments as it removes value from one half of the state population in Anchorage to play keep up with the broken Paris accordions hive minds.

  8. Instead of another ridiculous, underhanded, dirty or corrupt thing the assembly does – which is expected – I’ll be shocked one day if you ever print where they’ve done something good – but I won’t hold my breath!!

  9. Sigh. I don’t want to leave Anchorage. I don’t like bailing. I ain’t so dumb or illiterate that I hadn’t been ignoring Masked Avenger by thinking foolish democratic optimism this city can turn around which it can, but also it could turn into a San Francisco experience for me finding every time I go to particular district or districts my car windows are broken at my expense. I can’t afford that I can’t even afford having cats because of the veterinarian costs. Seems like the anchorage city’s future will take after Seattle, Portland, and San Francisco before it gets better. You know that this ordinance will be passed even if it narrowly passed. I ain’t going to stick around so I can pay for others messes like continual broken car windows each time I go out or am at work nor contribute to help pay my share toward a city’s unmanageable expenses when I don’t enable. Cause you know this high rise project. Its not for singles and families with good credit who can afford mortgages. Be different if it was for such a single or family.

    • Ignore me, see what happens?
      Now the cost of willful stubbornness comes to bite you.

      You make an interesting case for your literary with “I ain’t so dumb or illiterate”. And you willfully disregard of something as simple as paragraphs.

  10. Simple rule, so far, I do not think I have been proven wrong on this:
    “The intent/outcome of the bill/law will be the opposite of the title.”

  11. Allowing more freedom to use their property as owners see fit is a good start. Obviously this will not last. I would strongly encourage housing entrepreneurs to get very busy once this thing take affect. If it benefits the wrong crowd it’ll get shut down by the crowd.

  12. Those that can afford to move out of Anchorage will do so. What’s left will be a simmering stew of crime and despair to rival anything in the US. Book it Dano.

  13. Just following their Globalist agenda to build 15 minute cities. Guess they have never been to alaska.

  14. Wow! Hide your sin assembly! “density” “quantity “ why? Pick up this atrocious plan? When you can’t even deal with the homeless? And the density problem of the homelessness! Follies!

  15. No different than glorifying RCV voting when it came out. Always making something sound so noble and fair when it is the exact opposite. NO NO NO

  16. All the commentary about the failings of the Politburo are accurate.

    However nothing changes for good as long as Anchorage continues to vote as it does and people on the right continue to deny reality.

    If you’re not gonna finally start voting in large numbers and start getting politically active, nothing will change for you.

    The reason I bailed on Anchorage years ago wasn’t the leftward lurch as much as the apathy of rightists.

  17. Are the members of the Assembly TRUSTWORTHY?
    Are they HONORABLE?
    Are they HONEST?
    Are they CREDITABLE?
    Do they PANDER?
    Apply those terms side by side with this new ” draft ordinance which mentions “density” and see where it takes you.

  18. Leftists and Globalists hate our suburbs and the single family dwelling. They wish to concentrate the population into these 15 minute cities. Easy to control, you can have spies wandering throughout to find dissidents, and you can easily punish by restricting food, water, and electricity.

    • Walking by your house and running up and taking pictures of your quiet enjoyment of your property if you appear to be vulnerable, socially lower caste than they are individually they actively, incorrectly, collode to ruin your property rights as much as possible. They are not proponents of the US Constitution as it is written. They want Chinese style communism and to stamp out right to personal conscience. For which they lose qualification to represent this community.

  19. This ordinance would convert Anchorage to just two zoning district designations – “Housing,” and “Not Housing.” That means single family homes could be next door to dense high rise apartment buildings. And adult book stores could be built next to elementary schools.

    Good plan. 🙁

  20. Whereas; We will pass this regardless of public opinion because we know what is good for you. But we will pretend to have the required public process to avoid legal trouble. And don’t call us tyrants, that’s racist.

  21. How is more people in a neighborhood better for quality of life ? More cars more traffic more pollution more noise more water more sewer more trash. We need a city wide vote on this issue.

  22. A walk-back in verbiage or not, it’s all been documented. Hence, individual Assembly Members have walked into a personal liability legal trap they cannot escape.

    • And our tax dollars will pay their legal bills. Check it out. They are well aware of their actions. That’s why they don’t care. Can’t stop them.

      • They run off to European seminars on the public dime. They run off on these association/marxist continuing education seminars wherein they learn how exactly to californiaize community after community per their communist dogma and schedule because the infiltration has been planned for decades. They have forsaken the US Constitution preferring their Godless indoctrination in lieu. Let’s stop this right here and right now.

  23. I am wondering why my relevant comments posted at Must Read Alaska are not published. I labor over my writing and in the process insure that the words are spelled correctly and the grammar works. It is very disappointing when I see that my written comments are not made available to the MRA readers. This has happened a lot.

  24. Now all we need now is the Assembly to pass a gravel pit mining exemption for 10,000 cubic yards or less/year (in the NO HOUSING area/zone) with no public notice requirements next to residential areas (HOUSING area/zone) in the name of “simplifying zoning”. ‘https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/mat-su/2021/07/03/we-had-no-clue-with-little-zoning-a-gravel-pit-is-proposed-for-a-mat-su-neighborhood/

  25. I can’t write in what I think needs to be done with the assembly scum, personally. You wnt allow it to remain visible.

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