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Cordova planning commission narrows candidate lots for self-help housing, OKs negotiation on 2-acre Shepherd Point parcel
Summary
The commission reviewed city land maps and identified roughly eight candidate areas for a Rural Cap self-help housing program, urged staff to produce criteria for council review and approved moving a two-acre Shepherd Point parcel (ASLS 79-2-63) from "unavailable" to "available" for negotiated disposal to the applicant.
The Cordova Planning Commission on Aug. 12 advanced a package of city-owned land recommendations intended to support a Rural Cap self-help housing program and approved a separate motion to make a two-acre parcel (ASLS 79-2-63) available for negotiation with the party that submitted a letter of interest.
During a page-by-page land-disposal map review, staff and commissioners examined topography, contour data, road access and utility proximity across multiple candidate sites including portions of New England Cannery Road, a corner lot adjacent to the highway near the water-tank road, Northville Development Park and other platted lots on Main Street and Davis Avenue. Commissioners repeatedly flagged the same practical constraints: steep slopes, the high cost of road construction, septic-system limitations where sewer is not available, and the need for subdivision or replatting to create buildable lots.
Planning staff emphasized proximity to existing water and sewer mains as a primary selection criterion and said contour lines in the packet can be viewed at higher resolution in ArcGIS if commissioners want more detailed site-by-site analysis. Staff also described a potential benefit linked to one application: as part of an agreement tied to the Shepherd Point parcel, the applicant had proposed assisting with replacement of an aging section of the city'owned water-transmission main, which staff said could provide citywide benefit if negotiated into a disposal agreement.
On the motion related to ASLS 79-2-63, the commission voted to move the parcel from "unavailable" to "available (requires subdivision)" and to recommend negotiating an agreement with the applicant. Commissioners asked for clarity on whether the new road would be public (staff said it is intended to be a public access road similar to Shepherd Point Road and that driveway/intersection permits would still be required) and stressed the financial constraints of building roads and septic in steep areas.
After examining many candidate parcels, commissioners asked staff to prepare a concise, council-ready packet that: lists the roughly eight candidate areas discussed, explains the criteria used (lot size, proximity to utilities, access cost, slope/topography), and includes higher-resolution maps and revenue/use data where available. The commission voted to refer the land-disposal map package back to staff for that follow-up work.
Staff will prepare materials for City Council review; further steps would include surveying, potential rezoning or replatting where necessary, and separate council action to authorize any RFPs or negotiated disposals.
