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City Worries Housing Insufficient for Increasing PopulationPlanners look to downsizeANCHORAGE - A report from the city planning office says Anchorage is going down the wrong path when it comes to housing development. "We project that over the next 20 years the Anchorage Bowl will not have a sufficient amount of land to meet the demand for housing, if we continue to develop at the existing densities we are seeing today," said Karen Iverson, senior planner with the Municipality of Anchorage. City planners are proposing to decrease the minimum 6,000 square feet requirement for a single-family lot. They are also looking at reducing parking requirements. Another solution is a redevelopment strategy for specific neighborhoods in town for high-density housing. “We're talking about building townhouse style development and we could also be looking at stacked multi-family development three or four stories high,” said Iverson. Some real estate experts think it's a good opportunity for Anchorage to build better designed communities. "If you look at these buildings here in Midtown, they are all one story; look at the folks who work around here: If there was a condo or neat little townhouses around $200,000 they'd just go like that,” said Mike McLean, an associate broker with Jack White Vista Real Estate. But there's a small problem. “Mid-rise residential housing, meaning three or four stories high, is not financially feasible in the current market,” said Iverson. So the city is looking at making it cheaper for developers by offering low interest loans and expediting the permitting process. “We currently have on the books to waive certain municipal fees for housing development projects,” said Iverson. McLean says the next generation of homeowners won’t all want big houses on big pieces of land. "We need to be really forward thinking, green construction, it's about creating quality of life, the younger generation don't want to have cars they want to walk,” said McLean. "A livable city where the more density we have, the more interesting shops we'll have, greater places to eat, entertainment.” |
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Frumious said on Sunday, May 27 at 11:18 PM
"the younger generation don't want to have cars they want to walk,”.... Sure Burt. Whatcha smokn?
92043985Eecheethe Chutoo said on Sunday, May 27 at 11:09 AM
Its time to dry up the mud flats,fill it in and build high rises on it.
920113241350 North said on Sunday, May 27 at 11:01 AM
Glad to know ALasans aer not a gullible enough to believe what the "planners" think Alaskans want. You live in AK for a reason so as to NOT be packed like some lower 48 places.
92010976Anonymous said on Sunday, May 27 at 10:51 AM
Sullivan funded by lower 48 land developers. As usual follow the money...
92010336Robo said on Saturday, May 26 at 7:21 PM
Sounds like someone is trying to redefine the American dream of owning a home and raising a family. All we need is to become like New York...all congested and rude to visitors. Finally, take your "green" thinking a stick it in your pipe and smoke it.
91973396BobD said on Friday, May 25 at 12:36 PM
" the younger generation don't want cars , etc." That's just plumb silly.
91871486James said on Friday, May 25 at 12:17 PM
Come to Alaska, get felony probation, and leave a convicted felon. Alaska sucks.
91869774Anonymous said on Friday, May 25 at 11:58 AM
so we want smaller lots, really? And high density housing? People living on top of each other so we can go shopping? How about redeveloping older neighborhoods and making them more liveable? Stricter building codes, stricter laws on the criminals that make the old neighborhoods unsafe. All I'm seeing when I read this is higher property taxes for residents and lower taxes for the "developers"...
91868486peter said on Friday, May 25 at 11:34 AM
I would be very interested in data that tells exactly how much raw land there is available in the anchorage bowl. Growth? Level the contarctors playing field? Someone has a surefit of magical thinking involved with growth and land availability. Here comes government housing and eminent domain!
91866976Donna Ewan said on Friday, May 25 at 9:05 AM
Think about the disabled people who have wheel chairs, not all of these people want to live in assisted living homes, so think about access for these people into homes even for visiting.
91852736Run them off said on Friday, May 25 at 8:28 AM
Run all the California libs the heck out of this state. Let them finish trashing thier state.
91848926Jon said on Friday, May 25 at 7:32 AM
I have heard the running out of land story since the 70's. Let's build so high that we can't see our mountains from anywhere in town but then why live here?
91843676cooljulie said on Thursday, May 24 at 9:59 PM
So if an individual wants to build a multi-family dwelling will they get the same break as the 'connected' developers/realtors? Oh wait, I already know the answer. Surprised these guys don't all have AIDS, the way they are in bed together.
91812826Anonymous said on Thursday, May 24 at 8:42 PM
who in there right mind wants smaller housing on smaller lots but then when it is coming from the planning department what do you expect!!!biggest waste of tax payers money!!!
91810176Anonymous said on Thursday, May 24 at 8:35 PM
why did the pink building sit empty and then it got painted blue...gonna let it sit another 30 yrs too?
91809806carl said on Thursday, May 24 at 7:55 PM
I think the city has a traffic problem to solve before high density housing is considered. Wait!! Let all city and gov't employees work only half as much to cut down on traffic (but give them a pay raise to help afford the extra time off)
91807636Lib said on Thursday, May 24 at 7:45 PM
Well they could pack into the liberal agenda. Wouldn't that be swell.
91806776lud Larson said on Thursday, May 24 at 7:43 PM
Ha Ha Ha, The younger generation wants to walk? I think you are all out to lunch! Seems like planning is a business here in Alaska! You better build the Knik Arm Bridge and while at it, build a Causway to Fire Island and on over to the Kenai, North Forelands. You are all kidding yourselves about STACK UP HOUSING!
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