Juneau Assembly approves multiple zoning, flood-study and housing measures; denies one land patent request

The Juneau City and Borough Assembly on Jan. 6 adopted a slate of ordinances and motions covering flood study funding, multiple rezonings to increase housing capacity, an affordable housing loan, capital transfers, a denial of a land-patent application and authorization to begin negotiated discussions on redevelopment near the Seadrome building.

Key outcomes the assembly approved by unanimous consent or formal motion included:

• Glacier flood study funding: The assembly adopted Ordinance 2024-01 (version b, large letter Z), appropriating $1,000,000 to a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Glacier Flood Study capital improvement project. Funding is provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Tongass National Forest; the ordinance notes a local match requirement of $326,000 to be met with in‑kind engineering and public-works labor. The manager recommended adoption and the assembly approved the ordinance by unanimous consent.

• Multiple rezonings for housing and development: The assembly approved a series of zoning map amendments intended to enable residential development and increase housing capacity in several areas. These included Ordinance 2024-43 (about 63 acres on North Douglas Highway rezoned to D-3), Ordinance 2024-44 (about 28–29.5 acres in the Oak Bay area, reduced in scope per staff recommendations), Ordinance 2024-45 (about 33 acres north…