Residents press council on e-motor rules, blighted 109 5th Avenue and priorities for Lacey Street RFP

Fairbanks — Public testimony at the July 13 City Council meeting covered three recurring neighborhood concerns: regulation of throttle-only electric motorcycles ("eMotos"), repeated problems at a boarded but occupied property at 109 5th Avenue, and redevelopment priorities for the city-owned site at 123 Lacey Street.

On eMotos, Nita Desmond Rayo told the council the vehicles are often mistakenly treated as e-bikes despite lacking functional pedals and reaching much higher speeds. She recommended two legislative paths: amend city ordinance section 70-85-42 to define eMotos and add eMotors to prohibited places, or revise the e-bicycle definition so that throttle-only motorized cycles fall under the motorcycle classification. "Creating a clear definition of e bikes versus e motors will allow FPD to do their job and enforce our existing laws," Rayo said, urging prompt action "before someone ends up hurt or worse."

Several residents raised concerns about 109 5th Avenue, which speakers said has boarded windows but remains occupied and has produced multiple police calls. Victoria Dowling told the council she had not received a city follow-up since previous testimony and asked whether the city had determined the home was safe to occupy and whether nuisance ordinances might apply. Councilmembers asked administration staff to research the property and report back, and one council member suggested placing the property on a future agenda for more formal review.

On redevelopment, remote caller Amber Finiger urged the evaluation committee overseeing RFP 2609 for 123 Lacey Street to prioritize bids that diversify the local economy rather than rely solely on natural-gas or pipeline logistics firms. Finiger said a mixed-use design that dedicates some floors to stable corporate satellite offices could bring more permanent employment and stabilize downtown foot traffic. "I strongly urge this council and the evaluation committee to prioritize bids that intentionally diversify our economic footprint," she said.

Council responses and next steps: Council members asked staff to follow up on 109 5th Avenue, said they would coordinate with the borough and state where appropriate, and acknowledged the state-level statutory questions raised about eMotos. The council did not enact new regulations at this meeting; members said ordinance or code changes would require a staff report and, if needed, formal ordinance language to be drafted for future consideration.