Archived Documents
This page contains older drafts of the Title 21 Rewrite chapters, PowerPoint presentations, and other historical documents from the project.
Project History
When the project was started in 2002, the consultant hired to begin the project, Clarion Associates, developed a diagnosis of the current code, and an annotated outline of the proposed new code. Following public review of those documents, Clarion created first drafts of the new code which were released in three modules.
After public review and comments on the modules, Clarion revised them and proposed Public Review Draft #1 (PRD1). After another round of public review and comment, the Planning Department revised Draft #1 and developed Public Review Draft #2 (PRD2).
Following additional public review, comment, and revision, the Planning Department released the Public Hearing Draft (PHD).
Documents on This Page
Each iteration of chapters is listed here, with the oldest at the bottom of the page. Also listed are versions that track the changes between a draft and the previous version.
To see the public comments that were submitted for each iteration, contact the Planning Department at Title21@muni.org or 343-7921.
March 1, 2013
Assembly Adopts the Title 21 Rewrite
The Assembly Committee Draft Title 21 chapters, which were introduced on December 18, 2012, were adopted on Tuesday, February 26, as amended by the following:
A new compiled version of the adopted Title 21 Rewrite that incorporates all of the adopted amendments above except Exhibit B should be completed and available to the public within the next several weeks.
Exhibit B is a list of recent adopted amendments to the current Title 21 ("old code"). Some of these recent amendments are not yet included in the Title 21 Rewrite chapters("new code") adopted on Tuesday, Feb. 26. Those marked “not included” in Exhibit B will be brought back to the Assembly within six months of the effective date of the new code, for Assembly consideration and incorporation into the new code.
The Title 21 Rewrite ("new code") will become effective (ie., implemented) on January 1, 2014. The current Title 21 ("old code") that existed as of February 25, 2013, will continue to apply to all applications for entitlements until December 31 of this year. Applicants for entitlements under Title 21 who file their application between January 1, 2014 and December 31, 2014 will have the choice to be reviewed under either the "old code" or "new code”.
february 22, 2013
Title 21 Rewrite - Assembly Deliberations
An amended version of the Title 21 Rewrite, which reflects the Assembly Title 21 Committee's recommended changes to the Provisionally Adopted chapters, was formally introduced at the Anchorage Assembly on December 18. See Title 21 rewrite materials introduced for adoption below.
Public hearings on these Title 21 rewrite materials were held on January 15, January 22, and February 12. Written comments were also submitted to the Assembly. Written comments received by the February 12 deadline were reviewed by the members of the Assembly Title 21 Committee. Comments that have been forwarded to the Planning Division are compiled here:
The Assembly Committee met on February 19 to review a draft list of new proposed changes to the Assembly Committee's Draft Title 21. These proposed new amendments come from the Assembly Committee in response to comments it received regarding the Assembly Committee Draft Title 21. The Committee presented a revised list of these amendments to the full Assembly at a worksession on Friday, February 22. The Committee's revised list includes a draft addendum containing amendments to the Chapter 5 Table of Allowed Uses. The Assembly also reviewed a second list containing individual Assemblymembers' amendments at its worksession. Documents:
The Assembly has scheduled its deliberations on the Title 21 Rewrite to occur at its regular meeting on Tuesday, February 26. See upcoming events page for meeting time and location.
Title 21 Rewrite - Materials for Adoption Introduced on December 18
Here are the materials that were formally introduced on 12-18-2012, including the Assembly Committee Draft Title 21 chapters, and which were subject to public review and comment:
Previous Assembly Worksessions
The Assembly held a general worksession about the Title 21 Rewrite on Friday, November 16, 2012. It received the Planning Division's Overview Presentation of the Rewrite project and public process, as well as the Assembly Title 21 Committee's summary of its recent review process and deliberations. A recording of the worksession should be available at http://www.muni.org/Residents/Pages/MuniMeetings.aspx .
Assembly Title 21 Committee Deliberations that created the December 18 Draft Materials
The Assembly Title 21 Committee conducted regular meetings from July through October 2012 to review proposed changes to the Provisionally Adopted Title 21. See the most up-to-date Record of Assembly Title 21 Committee Decisions and Discussion, for documentation on the Committee's recommendations issue-by-issue. It refers to issues identified in the department's series of issue-review papers, which were submitted to the Committee by chapter, and available on this page by scrolling below. Committee meeting recordings are available at http://www.muni.org/Residents/Pages/MuniMeetings.aspx .
Department Review of PZC's 2012 Recommended Amendments
At the Assembly's Title 21 Committee request, the Department provided a written review of recommended amendments to the Provisionally Adopted Title 21 from the Planning and Zoning Commission. The Assembly Title 21 Committee used these documents in its deliberations. The Departmental review for each chapter, as well as several follow-up reviews on specific issue items, is provided here:
Departmental Review-Chapters 1 & 2
Departmental Review-Chapter 3
Departmental Review-Chapter 4
Departmental Review-Chapter 4 issue 4.14 industrial zones follow-up
Departmental Review-Chapter 5
Departmental Review-Chapters 6 & 9 (filesize may increase download time)
Departmental Review-Chapter 7 (most of 7 through section 21.07.100)
Departmental Review-Chapter 7 - Part II
Departmental Review-Chapter 7 - Part II (version with appendices - larger file)
Departmental Review-Chapter 8
Departmental Review-Chapter 12
Departmental Review - Follow-up Issues (from various chapters)
Follow-up Issues Appendix A: Revised Landscaping Section
Follow-up Issues Appendix B: Revised Landscaping Section showing tracked-changes
Folllow-up Issues - Part 2
The Administration's 2011 Proposed Amendments to Provisionally Adopted Title 21
In October 2011 the municipal Administration requested that the Planning and Zoning Commission (PZC) hold a public hearing and provide recommendations to the Assembly regarding a list of proposed amendments to the Provisionally Adopted Title 21. The list of proposed amendments includes changes to title 21 that the Mayor has brought forward for community consideration. The proposed amendments did not revisit the entirety of the provisionally adopted Title 21. They instead focus on a specific set of proposed amendments that have come at the request of the Administration.
These were originally released in installments at the end of 2011 and are available as a Consolidated Table of Proposed Amendments. The consolidated table of proposed amendments also includes previous PZC-recommended amendments from 2010. The PZC is revisiting and amending its previous recommendations as part of case 2011-104. The previous PZC-recommended amendments are numbered R1 through R29 in the consolidated table--the "R" is to indicate they have already been recommended for approval by PZC and it differentiates them from the amendments numbered 1 – 106 brought forward at the Administration's request.
Provisionally Adopted Title 21
To facilitate public review of the list of proposed amendments above, the Provisionally Adopted Title 21 Rewrite including technical edits (dated December 12, 2011) is available. This version updates the May 2010 version because it includes a section which was not provisionally adopted by the Assembly until the fall of 2010. It includes technical edits to correct mistakes, clarify intent, and fix inconsistencies between chapters. The technical edits are shown with tracked changes. New text is underlined and shaded yellow. Deleted text is bracketed, capitalized, and shaded in gray. The edits are technical in nature rather than substantive. Substantive amendments are provided in the documents above under "Proposed Amendments" section.
There is also an annotated version of the Provisionally Adopted Title 21 showing the locations of the amendments from the Consolidated Table of Proposed Amendments:
Annotated Provisionally Adopted Title 21
1 General Provisions
2 Boards, Commissions, and Municipal Administration
3 Review and Approval Procedures
4 Zoning Districts
5 Use Regulations
6 Dimensional Standards and Measurements
7 Development and Design Standards
8 Subdivision Standards
9 Girdwood
10 Chugiak-Eagle River (Placeholder - see "Status of Chapters" below)
12 Nonconformities
13 Enforcement
14 Rules of Construction and Definitions
Title 21 Rewrite - Economic Impacts Analysis
To evaluate potential effects of the rewrite on property owners and development projects, an Economic Impact Analysis (EIA) of the draft title 21 was prepared in 2008 with the assistance of a nationally respected economic planning firm. Its cost comparison tests have been expanded and updated to reflect the provisionally adopted draft rewrite, and respond to comments about the earlier testing. The main finding of the EIA and its updated site tests is that the overall economic impacts of the title 21 rewrite are generally positive (e.g., reduce costs) or neutral (e.g., insignificant cost changes). For example:
- Site development costs of zoning compliance are projected to be the same or lower, based on a majority of example sites tested.
- Land area requirements would generally fall for most developments tested, especially for higher density uses like offices and multifamily.
- Minimum development standards are anticipated to reduce property-to-property conflicts and contribute to a community of lasting value.
Exhibits E and E-1 to E-5 above (under "responses to public comments") provided an updated EIA analysis to the PZC. See Exhibit E and S.E.E. under the Assembly materials going forward for latest summary of the EIA information.
Background: Administration's Proposed Amendments
The list of proposed amendments under consideration by PZC includes changes to Title 21 that the Mayor is bringing forward for community consideration. In 2010, the Administration hired Dan Coffey as a consultant to gather additional comments from various stakeholders and to make recommendations on the provisionally adopted Title 21. Mr. Coffey submitted his report to the Administration in July 2011. The Mayor tasked the Community Development Department and the Legal Department to review the consultant's proposed changes to Title 21 and to provide recommendations.
Based on these reviews and recommendations, the Mayor decided which proposed amendments to forward for further community consideration, and a summary of his decisions is available in the Mayor's review of the consultant's work, dated October 19, 2011. Specific language to carry out the Mayor's decisions is included in the list of proposed amendments. (See "Proposed Amendments" section above.)
Background: Consultant's Work in 2011
As public information, Mr. Coffey's work as provided to the Administration in July 2011 is broken out by chapters below. This was the consultant's work not the Municipality's, and the Administration did not forward it for further review.
Tracked Changes between the Provisionally Adopted Chapters and the Consultant's Work
Staff compared the consultant's work with the provisionally adopted draft and noted the differences by using tracked changes. Staff also made comments on the changes made by the consultant. Below are the chapters' tracked changes with staff comments. Within the consultant's work, staff identified 37 major issues that are addressed in a separate memo, which is also provided below.
Responses to Public Comments / PZC Case Exhibits
The Planning Division provided written responses and recommendations regarding issues raised by the public regarding PZC Case 2011-104. These public comments were raised at the March 12 and 19, 2012 public hearings and in writing. The issue-responses are posted below in installments by chapter. Supporting documents are labeled as Exhibits. Exhibit D contains all of the written comments received. The issue-responses are advisory to the PZC for its deliberations.
Issue-Response for Chapters 1-3
Issue-Response for Chapter 4 (Zoning Districts)
Issue-Response for Chapters 5-6 (Use and Dimensional Standards)
Issue-Response for Chapter 7 (Development and Design Standards)
Issue-Response for Chapter 8 (Subdivisions)
Issue-Response for Follow-up and Unfinished Items
Exhibit A - Major Issues in Review of Coffey Proposals to Mayor (2011)
Exhibit B - Mayor's Decisions on Mr. Coffey's Proposals (2011)
Exhibit C - Municipal Law Opinion re Compliance with Comp. Plan
Exhibit D - Public Comments re PZC Case 2011-104
Exhibit D-1 (additional public comment)
Exhibit D-2 (additional public comments)
Exhibit E - Economic Impact Analysis Update
Exhibit E-1 - Economic Impact Analysis Executive Summary
Exhibit E-2 - Economic Impact Analysis Report
Exhibit E-3 - Municipal Assessor Opinion re Property Values
Exhibit E-5 - Updated Review of Property Value Impacts
Exhibit F - Anchorage Bowl Land Use Plan Map
Exhibit G - Anchorage Commercial Land Assessment
Exhibit H - Anchorage Housing Market Analysis
Exhibit I - Anchorage Industrial Land Assessment
Exhibit J - Municipal Dept. Law Opinion re Takings
Exhibit K - Director Review Authority Comparison
Exhibit L - Tall Buildings Section 21.07.130C. (2010 Draft)
Exhibit M - Imagery Maps of 50-Foot Stream Setbacks
Exhbit N - Issue Response Memos
PZC's 2012 Review of Title 21
PZC Case 2011-104 Outcome On July 9, 2012, the Planning and Zoning Commission concluded its deliberation of the Provisionally Adopted Title 21 Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 , and 12, and draft Chapter 14, along with the Commission's recommended amendments. The Commission voted and approved a recommendation to forward these chapters and the Commission's recommended amendments to the Assembly for hearing and adoption. Zoning and Platting Cases On-line: http://munimaps.muni.org/planning/home3.htm (insert case no. 2011-104). See PZC Resolution 2012-036 with the PZC recommended amendments to the Title 21 Rewrite.
PZC Case 2011-087, Chugiak-Eagle River Land Use Regulations: On Monday, July 9, 2012, the Municipality of Anchorage Planning and Zoning Commission closed the public hearing to consider the proposed Chugiak-Eagle River Land Use Regulations (Chapter 21.10). The Consortium of Chugiak-Eagle River Community Councils (Consortium) prepared a revised draft of Chapter 21.10. This is a separate chapter of land use regulations for the Chugiak-Eagle River area to be incorporated into Anchorage Municipal Code Title 21, as provided for by AR No. 2006-72 and the 2006 Chugiak-Eagle River Comprehensive Plan Update. The Commission took action on 2011-087 at the Planning and Zoning Commission meeting on Monday, August 6. Please refer to the meeting audio at the municipal meetings web page under "archived videos & agendas." See PZC Resolution 2012-035 with the PZC recommended amendments to Chapter 21.10, Chugiak-Eagle River.
PZC's Review of all Provisionally adopted Chapters (2012)
In February 2012 at the request of the PZC, the public hearing for Case 2011-104 was re-noticed to open all of the provisionally adopted title 21 for public comment and recommended changes at PZC. Therefore, the public hearing on Case 2011-104 was changed to include all the provisionally adopted chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 12, and 13, as well as draft chapter 14, in addition to the proposed amendments that were brought forward at the request of the Administration. The public hearings were held on March 12 and 19, 2012.
PZC then held a series of worksessions to discuss the title 21 rewrite and the Administration’s proposed amendments. PZC began its formal deliberations on Monday, June 4, and took action on chapters 1, 2, and 12. Additional deliberations took place on June 20, approving most of the chapters. PZC deliberated one more time on July 9 regarding several unresolved items, any additional amendments by commissioners, and Chapter 14.
PZC has provided documentation of Commissioners' proposed changes to the provisionally adopted title 21 chapters. These documents were prepared by PZC and received by the Department. The Commissioners' proposed changes for the chapters are available below:
How to Read PZC's Proposed Changes
Chapter 1-Revised 6/22
Chapter 2-Revised 6/22
Chapter 3-Revised 7/16
Chapter 4-Revised 6/27
Chapter 5-Revised 7/16
Chapter 6-Revised 6/25
Chapter 7-Revised 7/16
Chapter 8-Revised 7/16
Chapter 12-Revised 7/16
Chapter 14-Revised 7/16
Recordings of PZC Title 21 worksessions and deliberations are available at the municipal meetings web page under "archived videos & agendas."
