Planning Department
Mission
The Planning Department's mission is to guide Anchorage land use development and community resources to meet the quality of life, economic, social, environmental, and physical needs of present and future residents.
Good planning makes for livable neighborhoods, a safe and healthy community, and a sustainable economy. How land use fits in with housing, transportation, community and economic development gives Anchorage its character.
The Planning Department has three divisions that are responsible for a wide range of planning, zoning, and development activities:
Current News
October 29, 2021
Community Discussion Draft Public Review
The 2021 Community Discussion Draft amendment to the Title 21 Parking and Site Access was released on October 29 for a seven-week public review period. See the project page for more information.
October 18, 2021
Public Hearing Draft of OUR DOWNTOWN - Step 2
Anchorage Downtown District Plan
PZC Case No. 2021-0119
This plan is a “targeted" review and update of the 2007 Anchorage Downtown Comprehensive Plan. The plan helps carry out implementation Action 3.9, Step 2, of the Anchorage 2040 Land Use Plan. A new public hearing draft has been released for public review and comment. A Planning and Zoning Commission hearing is scheduled for December 6. See the Our Downtown project page for the document and more information.
September 15, 2021
Title 21 R-4A Zone Multifamily Residential Mixed-Use District Amendment
The amendment proposes changes to the existing R-4A Multifamily Residential Mixed-Use District that are intended to create a more pedestrian-oriented environment, simplify and consolidate the zoning district's requirements, and allow for higher propositions of commercial space within mixed-use developments. The Planning Department released the Community Discussion Draft in October 2020. A Public Hearing Draft of the R-4A district amendment is expected to be released for public review in the 4th quarter of 2021 and heard at the Planning and Zoning Commission in January 2022. More information is available on the project page.
September 9, 2021
Title 21 R-2 Zones Bulk and Height Amendment
PZC Case No. 2021-0111
A new public hearing draft Title 21 text amendment to the R-2 zones two-and-one-half-story (2½-story) height limit and other dimensional standards has been released for a two-month public-review-and-comment period. A Planning and Zoning Commission hearing is being scheduled for November. More information is available on the project page.
June 28, 2021
Wetlands
As of April 30, 2021, the Municipality of Anchorage will no longer issue General Permits for wetland fill projects in "C" wetlands. All development projects located in wetlands throughout the Municipality must go to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for an authorization to place fill.
Contact the Corps of Engineers by telephone at (907) 753-2712 or through the Corps of Engineers' Permitting website.
Girdwood Historic Resources Survey
Community Kickoff with the Historic Preservation Commission was April 29, 2021. The Girdwood community and Historic Preservation Commission met virtually as they began the Girdwood Historic Resources Survey. For more information, please email Kristine Bunnell at kristine.bunnell@anchorageak.gov.
Small Area Implementation Plan (SAIP)
PZC Case No. 2021-0039, AO No. 2021-46(S)
The Planning Department released the public hearing draft of the Small Area Implementation Plan, a new item in the Master Planning section of Title 21, Chapter 21.03: Review and Approval Procedures. A Planning and Zoning Commission public hearing was held on May 3, 2021, and its recommendations were forwarded to the Anchorage Assembly for a public hearing and adoption on June 8, 2021.
Local Landmark Register Ordinance
PZC Case No. 2021-0005
The Planning Department released the public review draft of the Local Landmark Register Ordinance in June 2020. A public hearing draft was reviewed by the Planning and Zoning Commission on January 4, 2021, and its recommendation was forwarded to the Anchorage Assembly for public hearing. A hearing was held and the ordinance was adopted on April 13, 2021. More Information is available on the project page.
Spenard Corridor Plan, AO 2020-74
PZC Case No. 2020-0043
A public hearing before the Planning and Zoning Commission was held in May, and the commission's recommendations were forwarded to the Assembly. The Anchorage Assembly adopted the public hearing draft of the Spenard Corridor Plan on September 15, 2020. More information is available on the project page.
Public Hearing Draft of OUR DOWNTOWN - Step 1
AO No. 2020-38 (PZC Case No. 2020-0002)
The Anchorage Assembly unanimously approved the Our Downtown – Step 1 reformat of the B-2A, B-2B,
and B-2C Downtown Zoning Districts on April 28, 2020. The reformatted Downtown zoning regulations
of AO 2020-38 (as amended) went into effect on Thursday, May 28.
The “old” Title code applied to applications filed for
development in Downtown zoning districts until May 27.
Applications filed on or after May 28 are reviewed under the reformatted Title 21 Downtown zoning regulations.
More information is available on the Our Downtown project page.
Anchorage 2040 Plan
Information on the Anchorage 2040 Plan is available on the Anchorage 2040 Implementation Projects page.
February 04, 2019
New Public Hearing Notice Signage
In an effort to provide clarity on public hearing notices, the Municipality of Anchorage Planning Department will be introducing revised “Notice of Public Hearing” signage. The new, color-coded notices are intended to convey the planning case type and number in a more user-friendly format. Each planning case type (subdivision, marijuana, zoning, and alcohol) will now have an individual sign, depicted by color and letter to provide more information at a glance. The signage types are below:
S- Subdivision (Yellow): Subdivisions that require public hearing at the Platting Board.
M- Marijuana (Green): Cultivation, retail, test, and manufacturing special land use permits that require public hearing at the Anchorage Assembly.
Z- Zoning (Blue): Zoning map amendments, site plan reviews, site selection studies, variances, and conditional use permits that require a public hearing at the Planning and Zoning Commission or Urban Design Commission.
A- Alcohol (Orange): Package stores, clubs, breweries, and beverage dispensary special land use permits that require a public hearing at the Anchorage Assembly.
June 2018
Cases On-Line and Planning e-Alerts
In 2015, the Planning Department introduced a new and improved on-line access to zoning and platting case information, as well as an updated e-alert system. Click here for instructions on how to sign up.