Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Housing Policy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Planning proposes code rewrite to allow modern "relocatable dwelling units" and ease repairs in existing parks
Summary
Planning presented an ordinance that renames mobile-home provisions to 'relocatable dwelling units' and loosens rules to allow replacement and repair with modern factory-built units, remove some lot-size barriers in parks, and permit RDUs on permanent foundations in additional zones (including PLI with restrictions).
Daniel McKenna Foster of the Planning Department presented proposed code changes intended to modernize rules for mobile homes by renaming the category to "relocatable dwelling units" (RDUs). The ordinance aims to remove barriers that currently make repair or replacement of older mobile homes difficult and to allow RDUs on permanent foundations in more zones.
McKenna Foster said the changes respond to a 2024 feasibility study (commissioned in 2023) that found constructing new, traditional mobile-home parks in Anchorage is generally not financially feasible. Instead, the proposal focuses on facilitating repair and safe replacement of existing units and modernizing lot-size and permitting rules so park operators can upgrade units and improve safety.
Key changes include renaming the use class, permitting RDUs in residential zones when placed on a permanent foundation, moving manufactured-home/community approval in some zones from conditional-use to site-plan review where appropriate, reducing minimum lot sizes within existing parks, and adding specific rules for RDUs on public lands/institutions (PLI) subject to existing public-review processes. The ordinance also requires verification of sewer and water infrastructure capacity before placement of new units on private systems.
Planning staff said feedback from park operators and the Alaska Mobile Homeowners/Renters Association was generally supportive; several operators expressed interest in upgrading units and replacing older stock if the code allowed it. The item will appear for further committee discussion and a work session.
