Planning commission amends its rezoning recommendation for borough parcel 04501057 to rural residential after public concerns

The Kenai Planning and Zoning Commission on May 27 reconsidered a prior rezoning recommendation for borough parcel 04501057 after staff acknowledged an earlier procedural error and the need for open public deliberation. The commission amended the resolution and voted to recommend Rural Residential zoning (RR) to the City Council, with the amended resolution passing 4–2.

Planning Director Butner explained that at the April 29 hearing staff and commissioners mistakenly used language that led to an adjudicative session, which was improper for an advisory recommendation to council. "This action was an error and led to an open meetings law infraction," Butner said, and the commission held the public hearing again to allow deliberation in view of the public.

Neighbor Lisa Coats, who lives adjacent to the parcel, asked commissioners to recommend Rural Residential rather than Suburban Residential. Coats said most of the roughly 81-acre parcel is wetland habitat and that only a small portion is buildable. She warned that suburban zoning could allow higher densities incompatible with the area’s rural character, would likely require major road upgrades because nearby roads are unpaved and poorly maintained, and could expose future homes to heavy smoke from a nearby fire-training facility depending on wind conditions.

Commissioners referred to findings from the April 29 meeting and then moved an amendment to change the recommendation to Rural Residential. The roll-call votes on the amendment and the amended resolution resulted in two no votes and four yes votes; the amended resolution passed and will be forwarded to the City Council for its consideration.

The commission’s action cures the prior procedural issue by taking the vote in public and placing the amended recommendation in the record for council review.