Development Services reports uptick in permits and previews ADU pilot
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Summary
Development Services told the committee it has a first pre-approved ADU design and expects more from a UAA capstone course; staff reported a year-over-year rise in construction activity and permitted dwelling units and promised a detailed breakdown and maps of new subdivisions to the assembly.
Development Services updated the Community and Economic Development Committee on Jan. 8, reporting early indicators of increased building activity and initial steps on an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) pilot.
Greg Sulate, Development Services, said the department has posted a placeholder for a pre-approved ADU program and has one fully vetted ADU design ready, with a second design expected. He said University of Alaska Anchorage capstone students will contribute two ADU designs in 2026.
Sulate told members the department is seeing a rise in activity compared with last year: he reported a 7% increase in total construction valuation and a roughly 30% increase in permitted dwelling units year‑over‑year. He said 4 subdivision applications currently under review would create about 88 new residential lots and that the year-to-date valuation figures were affected by one very large permit. Committee members asked staff to provide a breakdown of multifamily versus single-family permits and a geographic map of recent subdivision locations.
Sulate said Title 21 code updates are being prepared for OnBase for assembly review, and the department will provide a summary of major changes and an economic-impact analysis to accompany the code package.
The committee asked staff to email the requested tables and mapping to members; Sulate said those materials will be included in the regular monthly housing roll-up and can be circulated to the assembly.
The chair praised the apparent uptick in housing activity as potentially tied to recent policy changes and asked staff to place the ADU workplan status on the committee work plan so the public can track progress.