>> Okay. Welcome to the May 5th meeting in the Planning and Zoning Commission called this meeting to order. And we have the roll call, please under spinelli. >> Here Jerry Gardner hear read a commissioner here, Jim Winchester hear Scott Poulos here. Jeff Ron here, Randi Greek strike is excused if a quorum. Thank you. >> First Thursday, March 20th 2025 minutes. Is there a motion to approve minutes? That is moved by Commissioner Polis seconded by Commissioner Gardner. Any discussion on the minutes? Hearing. None. Any opposed. Hearing none. minutes are approved. Next item disclosures Commissioner Polis. >> Yeah. Item G to the official streets and highways plan tonight. My employer allows various contracts with the Department Public facilities, the state for. currently under way on that list to start entirely projects. For changes right now on the list. Do you believe you have any conflict? It legislative item. actual case. Of a heart. I mentioned that. I mean, if I was completely negative about I could influence that. I would say yes. So, yeah, I think I do actually. Would you like to recuse yourself from this case? Yes, okay. Commissioner pull it. Will recuse from case. 2025. De 0, 0, 2, 5, Any other commissioners having items they wish to disclose. Hearing none. >> We will move To the public hearing and I will read. The procedures by which the public may speak to the commission. After staff presentation is completed on public hearing items. The chair will last for public testimony on the issue. Persons who wish to testify will fall of time limits established in the commission rules and procedures petitioners including his or her representatives will receive 10 minutes. Part of this time may be reserved for rebuttal representatives of groups, Community Council's PTA, Zeke Center of will receive 5 minutes. Individuals will receive 3 minutes when your testimony is complete. You may be asked questions by the commission. You may only testify once on any issue unless question by the commission and the party of interest wishing to appeal show first file with the planning director within 7 days of the commission's decision made on the record a written notice of intent to appeal in accordance with the MC 21. 0, 3, 0, 5, commission recommendations to the Anchorage Assembly are not appealable following approval of the written findings of fact, indecision any party of interest may within 20 days file an appeal by filing a notice of appeal and paying the appeal fee and deposit in accordance with section 21. 0, 3, 0, 5, 0, the notice of appeal must be filed with the planning director on a form prescribed by municipality. If the appellant is not the applicant, the pellets notice of appeal shall include proof of service on the applicant. have staff presentation on case 2025. Dash 0, 0, 3, 8, >> Thank you, Mr. Chair Girdwood building company is requesting development master plan approval for the help and glow residences which will be to mixed use buildings onto lots and the GC Zoning District in Girdwood. The Girdwood Board of Supervisors provided a letter objection. 4 and this application in this project, it's found on page 82 of your pockets, state and municipal reviewing agencies have no objections approval the application. The Planning Department has reviewed the approval criteria for development master plan. >> found that the approval criteria is met. The department's recommending approval subject to conditions 1, 3, 4 on Page 8 conditions of approval. One in 2 are just as standard conditions or pool with all cases conditions approval, 3, 4, were requested by Project Management Engineering and the traffic engineer. And so the first one, both of them having to do with the Woonerf Street that shared driveway into the site. so the first one was traffic wanting to. You know, results with traffic turning radius is maneuvering and Clarence and the landscaping. The The other one Resolving fire access with the fire Department for Prevention. And >> this is sort of set up. >> 2 approve phases, one and 2. It will be a building on each lot. They have unit that full architectural design for phase one. The first building, the second building will unit. That's similar design team mixed use building. We have the footprint of building, but we don't have the full architectural plan approval here. We'll just save them having to return to the commission in the future for or the 2nd half of the project. If the commission is willing to approve. Prove everything, planning will review face to to make sure that it the building follows the same. You know, same design team as the first also at the fairs. If you design alternatives, deviations Site, design development standards. Those are listed on pages. 6, 7, If your packet department supports all of these design alternative state. They make sense. This is a small infill site. This mixed use development and this is what it takes to get a mixed use development. Nice building. Planning Department supports it. It's recommending approval. Be happy to answer questions and the applicant is here as well. Thank you. All of this ask a question. Department recommendation. Number 3, 4, >> These items that would be resolved in the land use permit. Anyhow. They I guess I don't have a problem with them. But I guess just for clarity wouldn't. Resolving these comments with these various departments happened during the land use permit that would be applied for after this order and maybe it's already applied for >> no, I don't think so. I think >> resolving >> the conditions approval. >> updating the site plan the Planning Department's file which the plane department will stamp is approved. They'll need that. Take to carry over to that land use permit files so that the building's design is the same. This will save them time trying to resolve that the building permit counter. Thank you. >> Anymore questions for staff Commissioner Thank you for the chair to What's the on-street parking condition there? Street frontage facing the purse along Hightower Road. You know, is that because there reading aloud? Immediately adjacent to the personal. Yes, there's a parallel parking spaces and in front of a >> I street parking that. That's correct. And then this this zoning district they're set also a public parking lots. And the idea That time you people make use of public parking lots in the city, kind of a walkable new town site. >> Last call for questions to staff. Seeing none. Can we please have the petitioners presentation? Turn the mic on should But somewhere. Green. there you go. You're on. >> My name is Cory Piper. I'm physical therapist that work in the Goodwood Community since 2013. I started off. Literally in a converted mail room in a not-for-profit clinic directly across the street. Over the years. I have practice out of a church vestibule eventually landing my own space downtown in Girdwood. Having spent many years working in Girdwood got to know the community at more in-depth level just. Somebody who's passing through. The longest-serving medical provider, Girdwood. That being said, I can see. The future of girdwood growing and the necessity of rehabilitation services to be offered directly in the community. Currently about 40% of our people. We have to transfer out of girdwood down to Anchorage. And that's it's good that we have that option. But it's not. Always the greatest option for everybody. After we build this building, we should be able to provide about 95% of all services for rehabilitation right there. The fact that we get to build housing and commercial opportunities for other businesses as a bonus. And I think it's reflective. Of our commitment to. I think you guys for having me here today and if you have any questions. >> Any questions for the petitioner? Commissioner Polis, if you guys met with the fire department recently on the fire access issues, any. Bright lights coming. resolution of that issue. I'm going to turn that one or 2. Marco, that he's just look stuff. That's what asking. I mean, I Hi, my name Marcus. A was the architect for project. Lead designers. >> we did lay out to 150 post links and we have plenty of space and the moon or to get a 20 foot wide fire truck lane in there without a turnaround. And so when we submitted the project, the diagram wasn't very clear. So we rated that diagram. I had Secretary Francis. So we that the site is fully compliant with choir access. >> I see no further questions. You have 8 minutes and 23 seconds for rebuttal. >> So I do have I can respond >> You want to just wait till rebuttal because we stop your time and we're going to open up for public hearing. And when if nobody comes than you can. >> I do not step aside or so that. All right. Anybody from the public wishing to testify? seeing none. We'll go to her about. >> I just wanted to follow up on the parking question so and the GC 7 District right across the street were in 9. There's no parking on site allowed there's 93 Publix parking spots with a 600 foot walking distance of the site that were put there express like so that these sites could be only built out provide a kind of a street from walking experience in downtown gurgling. So we have plenty of parking near the site and in addition to the 5 on site. >> With that, we will close the public hearing. What What does the world body? Commissioner Christian would you like to state your motion? >> Sure. I move in case 2025. Dash 0, 0, 3, 8, to approve the Elton Glow Residences development master plan faces wanted to subject to conditions. One through 4 as shown on Page 8 of the staff report. Thank you. That is. >> Seconded by Commissioner Ron Commissioner. Christian or would you like to speak to the motion? >> Yes, I intend to support this motion. >> Petitioner has development that will provide medical services from the community and has clearly worked with both the department and the community to address all potential questions. As a result, seen. No, no comments nor letters of objection or further questions from the community would welcome findings from the commission. >> Anybody else wishing to speak to the motion. >> I. >> I also intend to support the motion will call for the vote. >> Sabir heavy vote. >> That motion passes. Farewell. Commissioner Polis. All right. Can we please have the staff presentation on case 2025? 0, 0, 2, 5, Thank you, Mr. Chair this become foster long-range planning. This is a kind of phase one of an update to the official streets and highways plan I like to think of officials trees and how his plan is sort of like the zoning of the road system, Rhodes right away is, of course, not zoned, but we still have some a set of classifications for them. And those costs cations determine to what standard the roads gets built. If if something comes along and it's time to upgrade the road. You know what, what set of dimensions is available to So what this proposal does is it updates some of those classifications in the official street and I was planned known as functional classifications to sort of better align those with the realities of traffic that. Traffic, the traffic department deserved. Community needs community preferences. 2 good examples of this are Spenard road. The second the Middle Section Spenard Road has been going through big upgrade process throughout that project to try to make that road fit with this. But our quarter plan PM, any traffic they had to keep asking for variances just to fulfill the sort of intent of the plan because the rate the road is classified made it too difficult to do that sort of by, right? So another example is Fireweed. There's a lot of discussion about an upcoming fire we project and how to make that into a a road that the community really wants. But because of the current classification that plus cations forces that road to become a little bit bigger. A little bit wider, then it might otherwise be. There's a number of reasons why that isn't always a good thing. Tire maintenance costs. It's maybe not what the community wants. So this is the first step in updating the whole plan. But this really just up to a number of the specific classifications of street. So again, sort of like rezoning a couple of streets to a different classification. We this is a really good collaborative project. We worked the capital improvements team, the traffic team that pm any team and really we just took what they've seen and all the stuff they've collected over the over the last probably 10 years and put that in the ordinance format. We had a much longer list. But these are the ones that came up as the most important so you'll see there's a map and here I apologize on the map maker is very good map because the map shows what the official street I was plan map would look like if this is adopted but it just shows all of the current classification. So good answer any questions. Thank you. Commissioner Christian. >> So take a look at the official Street and highway plan and it it seems like most of the criteria for changing that facility type this traffic count. Is that correct? Or the other? Criteria that are used in determining what that the facility type this. >> Yeah, I think traffic count is sort of generally that dominant criteria to look at, but also, you know what? Some of these roads are classified 10, 2030, years ago, the expectations were different about what might happen in this. And then in that area, for example, there are a bunch of roads up on the Hill says that are cause. What really high standard like. I don't arterial but something that nobody's ever expecting. That much development to happen. Happen up there that you would have that many people driving to. And from there. So it's it's mostly traffic counts. again, most of this comes out of the traffic department saying we don't see a fraction of the volume that was supposed to happen. There, but also different sort of. Community needs in terms of what they want out of the streets. But art is a good example. Spent a quarter plan had a pretty concrete vision about the way that roads should look at the way it should function and official highways plan, which is from 2014 to not miss a line with that because of start quarter plans for 2021. So a lot of his traffic council it's also just changing preferences and in our roads and and then there's the other piece of the bigger roads are a lot harder to maintain and and sort of this fiscal environment. It makes sense to 2. Bill we have and make the most of what we have. Sure go ahead. >> I understand that the impetus for this >> right now is that their project happening summer many of roads there might be some timeliness here. I think just at a request when we do the larger update of the official streets and Highway plan later this year. And we might update additional functional classifications and annotated list with some of that reasoning would help us evaluate that. you know that reasoning behind some of these changes. >> thank you to the chair. next Step. Commissioner Gardner. >> Thank you. My question is looking the ones where you're changing your proposing to change that. Termini. I guess if that's the right word for some of these classifications. Does that create a gap? Where there's potentially not a classification? I'm just wondering. So for Glenn Highway, for example, changing it from Seward going to sue are classified as free weight and cutting off airport heights. Is there a different classification that then continues to exist between airport heights and the Seward Highway for the K*** that needs to be accounted for. >> Threw the chair that there wouldn't be any I think in in case of changing those Termini. It was that, you know, there's a lot in here that isn't shown their there for the Glenn Highway. There's another section. >> it's >> tricky because we're all so, you know, waiting on the PEO projects to them. So that but I can see that there are no gaps are. There's no areas that aren't classified in general. If it doesn't show up on the streets and highways plan. It's just I think a local roads are not necessarily shown other not classified specially but there won't be any gaps on So it's not shown here. It's just shown on the map, but maybe the prosecution isn't changing or it's already at that level. Commissioner on. Thank chair for the changes proposed in terms of facility type. Are they all de-escalation or downgrading of facility or there any of that? Our proposed for escalation or increase? One facility to a larger facility higher volume to that city. Threw the chair their Reducing the classifications, except some that just are changing the terminus. So they're not actually changing the classifications. In terms of the girdwood example, it's going from the commercial industrial collector to a collector. So I think that's more just about the types of maybe it's a reduction, but not not so much. But in general. Yes, because a lot of these roads were planned for just these really big traffic numbers that never materialized. And and also just to really make sense with sort of the way things are going. Okay. We'll open the public hearing. there any members of the public wishing to testify? Isaacs live in West Anchorage testifying from IBIS myself. I have talked a little bit with the planning staff about this and I think this is a really good concept. It's an interesting exercise. >> Some of the questions you guys have asked I think are important because if you look at the function of a road, you have traffic been. There's also what sort of traffic it carries. And I suspect about a community councils would be interested in participating in a bigger look at this exercise West Northern Lights is a classic example. It's service neighborhoods because school area it serves the airport. There's a lot of truck traffic. It's a dot on the road. And certainly if you would ask the community that rather see less trucks on the road. Is that an option? Something can be done with this? I think as you go forward and look at the bigger picture, look at other streets. I think it would be really couldn't have. Some participation of working group or something to ask some of these questions because I think, you know, you are asking some of questions tonight, thank you very much. >> Anybody else wishing to testify? Seeing none. We will close the public hearing. Before we close the public hearing to staff had anything to add. >> It threw the chair. Just wanted to respond to that and I'm glad you brought it up. The this is phase one our plan is to do a larger. Update. The entire plan later in the year. We have secured funding to that for that. And that would look more. It's for the bigger concept of the streets and highways plan and because it really is about where truck traffic go, how do people move through the city there a lot of those discussions going on right now. But so that will we're looking forward to that being a bigger, more of like a plan update. This is just sort of a quick triage, but thank you for the comment. Now. will close public hearing. What is the will of the body? Commissioner? Ron, would you like to state your motion? Yes, thanks. I'm moving case 2025. Dash 0, 0, to 5 to recommend to the Anchorage Assembly. Approval of ordinance amending the official streets and highways plan updating the functional classifications for a number of streets and roads throughout the municipality of Anchorage and amending encourage municipal code. 21.0 1, 0, 8, 0, to reflect these updates. seconded by Commissioner Winchester Commissioner. Ron, would you like to speak to the motion? Thank you, Mr. Chair. concur with Staff's suggested findings and that official streets and how his plan has not been updated since 2014 departments within minutes about it. Collaborated to update list of key right away facilities. And notably one. Written comments from a member of the public was extremely supportive of the work that was done and its outcomes. Additionally, we heard public testimony tonight requesting input from potential future input or interest from community councils, which was well received by the turret department as well. I intend to support the motion and would add. A note around future work in this area and the potential to increase include. Non motorized traffic considerations. Alternative transportation with respect to classification of roads and courage. Thank you. Thank you. Anybody else wishing to speak to the motion. And seeing none. We'll call for the vote. Missy Verhaeghe vote. That motion passes. Wraps up. The public hearings. We'll move on to title. 21 discussion. >> I guess will hand it over to staff to hear about the planning department. 2025 work plan. Thank you, Mr. condemned kind of force or longer is planning we provided to. You are planning department. Work plan for 2025. This was the May first version. I think there are already some changes on it. So I would just expect that this document will keep evolving over time. We set it up as a calendar. So you can kind of go through and check off or cross out the things that we've worked on are completed this year. We're already into May. You'll see the 10 year targeted plan review that we worked on at the work session earlier going towards the end of the year in the second part, we have just long-range planning division projects and operations. Other stuff. We do things like that. You take all the guys are commissions toward Preservation Commission others. These are strategies we have planned some comprehensive plan amendments. Some of those are already completed. The longer transportation strategy was a death that they simply last month, for example, and then so the staff, regulatory Amendment, southern plantation actions and just programs and operations. Wetlands permits commenting on zoning and planning cases review of the municipal cip in the school districts yet P and then current planning division has also provided an overview of some of their projects, the boards and commissions they staff their case reviews. They're doing a lot of great work on process improvements, stuff about trying to get the the Web pages to be a little more updated to get some of our materials to move a little bit more smoothly. One thing, you know, to get all over PDF. So their text searchable tracking just a lot of that stuff. So they're making some really good prior progress there. Look at the fees schedule looking come the context, sensitive Solutions, Street review process and also working with the long-range planning division. Another thing we're working on right now and hoping to get moving in June. again, this isn't on the work plan yet it started the 10 year targeted plan review. We want to have a way to connect with people and give them all the information we have as soon as we have it. So we're looking at creating sort of a newsletter system similar to the assembly has and do that probably for all projects or depending if there's more just we can split it up. But so that anybody is interested can subscribe and they can get all the information sent to them. We're probably started doing in monthly, but maybe moving. A more frequent interval, but that that's the way with that. We want to make sure that everybody knows that we know every can see all the information that's coming out in as we work on this stuff. Every can stay informed so that's something we're looking at, hoping to figure out you. Commissioner Christian a >> I just want to thank the department for putting this together and sharing it with us. It's the first time I have seen department work plan and my 6 years on the commission and it's a extremely helpful in seeing the. >> all of enormous volume work that the department does and finding ways that we can support that I love the idea of a monthly newsletter my only request would that be that you? Af does one this commission can provide resolutions or other ways to support that work. I would like to. >> Echo Commissioner Chris's comments add that congratulations for following code because it's actually mandated in code that we see this work plan once per year. So congratulations for that. All seeing no other commissioners in the queue for tell. 21 discussion. We will move on to commissioner comments. comments from the commission. >> Seeing none. We will look for a motion to ensure. Motion to adjourn on the table. Moved by Commissioner Winchester seconded by Commissioner Gardner. Any objection? Hearing? None. Thank you reading. >> In seconds from the on tree. ♪ ♪