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Juneau assembly approves multiple rezonings, adopts downtown plan and approves $3 million housing loan
Summary
The Juneau City and Borough Assembly on Jan. 6, 2025 approved a package of rezonings, adopted the Blueprint Downtown Area Plan into the comprehensive plan, and authorized an Affordable Housing Fund loan of up to $3 million for Creekside Apartments.
The Juneau City and Borough Assembly on Jan. 6, 2025 approved a series of land-use and housing measures intended to expand development capacity and advance downtown planning.
Actions taken included multiple zoning map amendments approving rezonings across North Douglas, Oak Bay/Oc Bay, Peterson Hill and other parcels; adoption of the Blueprint Downtown Area Plan as an addendum to the CBJ comprehensive plan; and an appropriation of up to $3,000,000 from the Affordable Housing Fund to Tower Legacy 2 LLC for Creekside Apartments. Most of the zoning ordinances and the housing loan ordinance were adopted by unanimous consent.
City staff and planning commission materials presented the rezonings as efforts to add residential capacity near existing development and to align zoning with surrounding districts. Public testimony for individual rezonings varied: Michael Reeder, an adjacent North Douglas resident, supported the North Douglas rezone, saying the change would "enable families to build first homes" and help the city grow. Heather Carpenter, an Oc Bay resident, urged the assembly to reconsider elements of the Oc Bay rezoning and raised safety and landslide insurance concerns tied to development near Spaulding Meadows Trailhead. Heather Marlowe, providing testimony on multiple items, recommended a larger master plan for the Peterson subdivision area and urged the assembly to require a more comprehensive approach before approving additional phases.
Assembly members and staff noted the planning commission and committee reviews for each item. Several members said public comments had been considered in staff conversations even where those comments did not appear earlier in packet materials.
Votes at a glance
- Ordinance 2024-43 (rezone approx. 63 acres on North Douglas Highway RR to D3): adopted by unanimous consent. - Ordinance 2024-44 (rezone ~28–29.5 acres in Oak Bay area): adopted by unanimous consent. - Ordinance 2024-45 (rezone ~33 acres north of 15700 Glacier Highway to D3): adopted by unanimous consent. - Ordinance 2024-46 (rezone ~6 acres Peterson Hill from 10 SF to D10): adopted by unanimous consent. - Ordinance 2024-47 (rezone 39 acres south of Grant Creek from D3 to D18): adopted by unanimous consent. - Ordinance 2024-48 (rezone ~87 acres north of Grant Creek from D3 to D15): adopted by unanimous consent. - Ordinance 2024-49 (adopt Blueprint Downtown Area Plan as addendum to comprehensive plan): adopted after debate and public comment. - Ordinance 2024-01 (Version B, Large Letter W) — appropriation up to $3,000,000 loan to Tower Legacy 2 LLC for Creekside Apartments from the Affordable Housing Fund: adopted by unanimous consent.
Assembly members asked staff to ensure trailhead safety and public-access issues were addressed as development proceeds. Staff said some items will trigger additional project-level review and that the comprehensive plan update will address area-wide questions but will not substitute for subdivision-level master planning.
The package of votes represents an accelerated push by the assembly to add residential capacity; several members framed the rezonings as steps toward addressing Juneau’s housing shortage.
