Planning commission approves consent agenda; steep-street naming petition withdrawn

The Kenai Peninsula Borough Planning Commission on Feb. 24 approved its consent and regular agendas by unanimous consent and recorded that the applicant withdrew a petition to name a steep street, so no action was required.

The consent agenda approval—moved and seconded at the meeting and passed with no objections—included a time-extension request for the Russian Gap subdivision (KPB file 2022-185) and several plats and small-plat approvals. The commission's plat committee reported that it reviewed seven plats at its meeting and that all seven were passed; staff also said multiple small plats were granted administrative approval and one plat received final approval.

Interim Planning Director Samantha Lopez, filling in while Robert Ruffner is away, briefed commissioners on several regional items. Lopez said the borough assembly adopted a floodplain ordinance that implements new maps for the Kenai River and that those changes “will be affected at the end of the month.” She also told the commission that the Cooper Landing Bypass is back on the State Transportation Improvement Program and that public comment for that project will be accepted through March 20.

Lopez said there will be another round of public open houses for the Sterling Highway widening project—one in Soldotna on April 22 and another in Sterling on April 23. She also noted the assembly would consider a resolution to send to the state related to increasing the BSA; Lopez did not specify further details about that resolution.

Commissioners used the meeting to thank staff and to note a training session earlier in the evening on the borough's new material-site ordinance. Commissioner Eppenheimer said the training “was very interesting,” and Commissioner Morgan asked that the training slides be circulated to all commissioners so members could review them later.

The meeting concluded after commissioners moved and agreed to adjourn.