Assembly, Planning Commission hear more on future subdivisions, zoning

PALMER — In a joint meeting with the Planning Commission this week, the Mat-Su Borough Assembly were made more aware of the traffic and road problems facing the borough, including increasing skepticism surrounding a certain local subdivision.

At Assemblywoman Barb Doty’s request, Planning and Land Use Director Eileen Probasco told the assembly that the department was working on its long-range transportation plan, which would be up for public review in January, before coming to the assembly for consideration. She also said that amendments to Title 43 of borough code — which describe the application and appeals process for new subdivisions — were pending, and would hopefully also be before the assembly in February.

Assemblyman Jim Sykes said he was glad to hear that progress was being made, but that three or four months was a long time to wait.

“In the meantime, we’ve got like dozens of subdivisions being built everywhere without connector roads, without proper planning, without proper roads, and dumping traffic onto roads that aren’t built to handle them,” Sykes said.

Though neither Doty nor Sykes specifically mentioned the potential Blue Grouse Hill subdivision out on Wasilla Fishhook Road, their comments and questions clearly referenced the development that was brought to their attention at the previous assembly meeting.

Grouse Ridge resident Erica Mucha spoke about the subdivision in question, the property for which was recently made accessible by clearing the dormant, public right-of-way in her neighborhood. The developer’s initial plat was denied near the end of September, she said, but the 50-foot right-of-way was cleared of trees two days later — under a permit to build a driveway — before the appeals process had even started.

“If you live around here, I’m sure you’re seeing a lot of land being bisected and mutilated in a huge amount, which is affecting quality of life of all us who live here,” Mucha said, addressing the assembly. “I feel it would be very tragic and detrimental to the whole community ... if we don’t put some foresight into the way that we are planning future developments in this area.”

Asked by Planning Commission Chair John Klapperich to clarify why she was “upset,” Mucha identified her primary concern as “lack of communication between the boards,” which she believes to be “a symptom of a larger problem” within the Mat-Su Borough.

When Platting Officer Fred Wagner stepped up to give a platting board update, Assemblywoman Doty asked him to respond to the “negative impact” of permitted driveways that “end up” connecting to another permitted driveway on the opposite side of a property, though there is no permit for a road between the driveways.

“That really comes under a different department than mine,” Wagner said. “We work with the Right-of-Way department … but currently we don’t really have a driveway section.”

“In political terms, that was a block,” Doty said in response.

After the meeting, Doty, Klapperich and Planning Commission member Colleen Vague spoke with Mucha and Grouse Ridge residents Maija Fritts and Cynthia Farrens about Blue Grouse Hill and the lack of clarity on similar procedural platting issues.

“I know this is a problem and I’d like to fix it,” Klapperich said.

As for the lack of communication between boards Mucha presented earlier, the group concurred that having joint Planning Commission and Platting Department meetings would be beneficial.

“I can’t believe we don’t (already),” Vague said.

Zoning

A reorganization of Title 17, which defines the borough’s zoning procedures and district policies, could also affect the proposed Blue Grouse Hill subdivision and similar developments in the future.

“People come in and they say, ‘well you don’t have zoning here,’ (but) … we do have zoning, we just don’t have the traditional zoning that many people are used to,” Probasco said.

Right now, Title 17 lists 15 separate land use districts, many of them identified as “special” land use districts, or SPUDs. Under the new Title 30, which would in effect replace Title 17, any land that’s not covered under residential, non-residential, overlay, community-based, or special state/borough-designated districts (and isn’t reserved for public lands or institutions) will fall under general use.

“Nothing’s gonna change as far as what the regulations are, it’s just gonna be called something different,” Probasco said.

This restructuring also means less paperwork, staff and community time, as well as easier enforcement, she said. The current SPUDS will continue to exist under the Title 30 divisions, but no more SPUDs will be created, she said, if the related ordinance passes.

“What we’re trying to do here is, you know, do things better,” Probasco said.

To read the proposed Title 30 — and view Development Services Manager Alex Strawn’s presentation on future changes to flood mapping in the Mat-Su Borough — visit www.matsugov.us/assembly and click “Supplement” next to the Oct. 25 Joint Assembly/Planning Commission Meeting agenda link.