Residents press assembly on ADUs, permitting and barking‑dog ordinance rescission

Multiple residents used citizen comment time at the Nov. 13 assembly meeting to raise housing and nuisance issues.

Bernard Laughlin asked the assembly to consider zoning updates to permit accessory dwelling units (ADUs), citing a denied permit for a detached 500‑sq‑ft cottage and pointing to Juneau and Anchorage as examples of jurisdictions that have modernized their codes. Laughlin said ADUs would increase affordable housing options, permit aging residents to stay near family, and expand property equity and tax revenue.

Nancy Sysniak described a multi‑year dispute with neighbors who keep a large number of dogs that bark continuously. Sysniak said she and her husband were told the applicable barking/noise ordinance had been rescinded because it was "too hard to apply equally," leaving no formal recourse; she said animal control required 24‑hour recordings to file a complaint and that the planning/animal control office faces a backlog of cases. Assembly members asked clarifying questions about filing dates and the enforcement timeline; no immediate action was taken at the meeting.

Jay Ramras, a business owner developing Pikes Landing, urged the assembly to simplify local permitting rules, saying state and federal permitting had been easier than the borough’s processes. He asked for a work session with civil engineers and the Department of Community Planning to identify process improvements that could reduce cost and time burdens for local investors.

The public comments were recorded; assembly members acknowledged the issues and several asked for follow‑up work sessions or written updates, but no new ordinances were introduced during the meeting.