Historic Preservation Commission
Assembly Ordinance No. 2006-175: Establishment
Historic Preservation Commission (AMC 2.40.060): Purpose, Membership, and Powers and Duties
Local Landmark Register - Establishment (AMC 2.40.060G.)
Commission Members
2024 Meeting Schedule
Meeting Information
Current News
September 1, 2023
Alaska Native Heritage Center Nomination to the Anchorage Local Landmark Register
For Reconsideration on Thursday, September 28, 2023, 5:30-7:00 p.m.
The Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) will reconsider its motion from August 24 to approve the nomination of the Alaska Native Heritage Center to the Local Landmark Register, on Thursday, September 28, 2023, 5:30-7:00 p.m., in the Planning and Development Center. The HPC held a public hearing regarding this nomination on August 24, and deliberated and voted 3-2 in favor of approval. However, because a favorable vote by a majority of the 9 seats on the Commission is required to approve the nomination, there has been a motion to reconsider and take another vote at the September HPC meeting. The public hearing on this item is closed. Following are HPC meeting documents and references for this nomination:
June 2021
Local Landmark Register Ordinance
The Planning Department is pleased to announce the Anchorage Assembly's adoption of the Local Landmark Register by AO No. 2021-032, As Amended, on April 14, 2021. The ordinance establishes the public process for nominating Anchorage's unique and significant historic and cultural resources.
What are Cultural and Historic resources?
Cultural and Historic resources identified by the ordinance may include a Building, District, Structure, Site, Landscape, Traditional Cultural Property, Object, or Travel Route.
Cultural and Historic resources give the public valuable information about the people who came before--their way of life, struggles, and successes.
Each Local Landmark listed on this Local Landmark Register will provide information about what may be important and unique in our City.
Nomination Form
The Nomination Form is available on-line and in hard copy from the Planning Department at the Planning and Development Center, 4700 Elmore Road.
Director's Guidance
The Director's Guidance provides an overview of how to complete the nomination form and what information is required. Required information includes the property owner's approval, the resources significance to Anchorage and how the resource conveys that significance. There is a nominal fee for nominations that is paid once the nomination packet is found complete.
March 2018
The Public Review Draft of the Municipality of Anchorage Historic Preservation Plan
The Draft Municipality of Anchorage Historic Preservation Plan (MOAHPP) was available for public review and comment during March and April 2018.
Click here to view the Draft MOAHPP pdf.
The MOAHPP is intended to be a comprehensive “living document” that establishes historic and cultural preservation goals, policies, and action items related to the important and unique historic and cultural resources found throughout the Anchorage area. The MOAHPP implements a municipal ordinance, adopted by the Anchorage Assembly, to “encourage and further the interests of historic preservation by identifying, protecting, and interpreting the Municipality’s significant historic and cultural resources for the economic and social benefit of the community”
(A.O. 2006-175, Section 1., A. Purpose). Economic benefits (revitalization and incentives) and social benefits (quality of life and identification of landmark resources) are discussed at length in the MOAHPP. The Visions, Goals, and Action Items proposed in the plan support and implement the Anchorage Assembly’s direction.
Commissioners and municipal staff are happy to meet with you to discuss the plan.
January 2015
Anchorage Historic Preservation Commission has New Partnership with Alaska.org!
Click on the link below to check out our new web presence on Alaska.org! This partnership will share information and events for Anchorage’s Four Original Neighborhoods including Government Hill, Downtown, South Addition, and Fairview. At this link we share history, photographs, and short informational videos about important historic places in the four neighborhoods. Thank you for visiting our site. For questions or comments, e-mail kristine.bunnell@anchorageak.gov.http://www.alaska.org/guide/anchorages-four-original-neighborhoods
June 20, 2013
The Historic Properties Module is "live" within CityView.
What does this mean for you? A CityView ‘Historic Property’ search portal is now available to the public. You now have the ability to search on properties by address to determine if an Alaska Historic Resources Survey (AHRS card) has been completed for a property.
What information is available? To date, and for the launch of this important public service, survey information was included for the Government Hill, Downtown, South Addition and Fairview areas. These four neighborhoods are the focal point for the Historic Preservation Plan for Anchorage’s Four Original Neighborhoods (HPP). Data was readily available for the four HPP neighborhoods. Additional neighborhood or specific property surveys will be added to the Historic Properties Module with budget support.
What will I learn when I find a surveyed property?
You will be able to display survey information if a survey was completed on a specific property in one of these four neighborhoods. Information is displayed that includes the owner, architecture type including windows and doors, and a statement of significance if the property was found to have historic significance. However, once you migrate to the Historic Property Review page for a property, please note information in each of the categories may not be available. It may be because the information was not relevant to that property, information is not available, or information was not known at the time the survey was completed.
How do I complete a search?
Select the Historical Property Search link -> Enter the property address -> Select ‘View Historic Information’ if the information is available it will be displayed.
How can you learn more? Please call 907.343.7993 or email bunnellkr@muni.org. Any and all questions are welcome. You can obtain hard copies of the AHRS cards by calling or emailing. We would encourage submittal of additional information, facts, photographs, or documents on a surveyed property. This will help us make the Historic Properties Module even more useful. Thank you!
February 19, 2013
The Anchorage Assembly adopted the Historic Preservation Plan for Anchorage’s Original Four Neighborhoods (HPP) on February 12, 2013. The HPP is a community-based plan initiated by the Municipality of Anchorage as a National Historic Preservation Act-Section 106 mitigation effort. The planning area includes Government Hill, Downtown, South Addition, and Fairview community council areas. Ship Creek is also included because so much of Anchorage’s early documented development started there, and it lies within three of the four original neighborhoods. The HPP is the foundation for future historic preservation planning efforts in the Municipality.
Documents
CLG Annual Reports
Background
On January 9, 2007, the Municipality of Anchorage created a Historic Preservation Commission to encourage and further the interests of historic preservation by identifying, protecting, and interpreting the Municipality’s significant historic and cultural resources for the economic and social benefit of the community.
The Anchorage Historic Preservation Commission is a member of the National Alliance of Preservation Commissions; and pursuant to and in accordance with Anchorage Ordinance No. 2006-175, the Historic Preservation Commission shall address the following:
A. Identification and Inventory of Historic Resources
- Prepare regulations establishing standards, definitions, and procedures for identification of, designation of, and review of actions pertaining to historic resources.
- Prepare and maintain a comprehensive inventory of historic resources. The local Historic Inventory shall be compatible with the Alaska Heritage Resource Survey and shall be submitted annually to the State of Alaska Office of History and Archaeology.
- Prepare a procedure for designating resources on the Historic Inventory (HI) and properties listed in local, state, and federal Historic Registries (HR).
B. Protection and Developing a Historic Preservation Plan
- Formulate a Historic Preservation Plan.
- Review applications for designation of Historic Properties, Historic Resources, or Historic Districts.
- Serve as the historic preservation review commission for the Municipality. Serve as the local historical district commission for the Municipality and maintain the local Historic Register. Recommend eligible properties to the state historic preservation officer for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places.
- Recommend resources and potential incentives to assist historic property owners in the preservation, restoration, rehabilitation, and repair of historic properties.
- Advise on historic preservation planning and its implementation.
- Recommend maintenance programs for municipal-owned historic properties, historic resources, or properties within Historic Districts.
- Make recommendations concerning the acquisition of property or interest in property; availability of funds to promote preservation of properties and districts within the Municipality; encourage the use and adaptive reuse of historic properties.
C. Interpretation and Public Education
- Provide information, in the form of pamphlets, newsletters, workshops or similar activities, to historic property owners on methods of maintaining and rehabilitating historic resources.
- Recognize excellence in the rehabilitation of historic buildings, structures, sites and districts, and new construction in historic areas.
- Develop and participate in public information, educational and interpretive programs and activities in increase public awareness of the value of historic preservation.
- Establish liaison, support, communication, and cooperation with federal, state, and municipal government entities and departments, as well as boards and commissions, to further historic preservation objectives, including public education.
Darrick Howard
Jeremy Karchut
Bryce Klug, Chair
Marc Lamoreaux
Loren Leman
Connor Scher, Vice Chair
*three vacancies
Ex Officio Commissioners
Craig Lyon, Planning Director, MOA
Judith Bittner, State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO)
Tiffany Briggs, Real Estate Director, MOA
Assembly Liaison
Staff: Tom Davis, Senior Planner
Planning Department
Phone: 907-343-7916 (direct) or 907-343-7921
Email: tom.davis@anchorageak.gov
Mailing Address:
Historic Preservation Commission
c/o Planning Department
Municipality of Anchorage
P.O. Box 196650
Anchorage, Alaska 99519-6650
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