Commission recommends Assembly approve Title 21 cleanup; commissioners request clearer setback wording for R2M

The Planning and Zoning Commission recommended that the Anchorage Assembly approve proposed text amendments to Anchorage Municipal Code Title 21, Chapters 4 (zoning districts) and 6 (dimensional standards). Planning Department staff said the amendments are intended to clean up code language changed by AO 2023‑103s and to make the table of dimensional standards clearer for staff and applicants.

Staff summarized that the department finds the three required criteria for text amendments are met and that reviewing state and municipal agencies raised no objections. The department recommended the draft ordinance (in the packet) be approved and the commission discussed a small number of clarifying edits.

Commissioners focused extensive discussion on the dimensional‑standards table for R2M (multifamily) districts. Commissioners described the current language as difficult to read and debated how to present the rules that increase side setbacks from 5 feet to 10 feet in certain cases. The draft language ties the larger setback to either a building elevation that exceeds 72 feet in horizontal length or to gross floor area thresholds (greater than 5,000 square feet), and contains exemptions for portions of a building elevation that are recessed. Commissioner Gardner and others recommended substituting the word “unless” for “except” in one line and adding “or” between two romanette conditions so the provision reads more clearly.

Commissioner George noted that some of the setback changes were introduced as floor amendments at the Assembly and were not re‑noticed for the planning department, which limited the department’s ability to incorporate those changes into the packet text prior to this meeting. Staff agreed that the text amendments aim to reflect decisions already made by the Assembly and to clean up cross references so users are directed to relevant code sections (for example, re‑inserting a cross reference to three‑story entitlements where appropriate).

Commissioner Krishna moved to recommend approval to the Anchorage Assembly of the draft ordinance with the planning department considering the suggested edits (substitute “unless” on line 25 and add “or” on line 32, page 5). Commissioner Vaughn seconded. Miss Eber and Mister Scribe recorded “yes”; the motion passed.

The commission asked staff to consider the specific wording improvements described on the record before the ordinance goes to the Assembly. Several commissioners encouraged staff to return with clean, plain‑language table entries that reference the relevant subsections to reduce confusion for applicants and reviewers.