Borough planner discusses zoning issue

A Spectrum, by Sandra Garley

The Mat-Su Borough Department of Planning is in the process of updating its zoning regulations for the core area. Contrary to popular belief, zoning is nothing new to the borough or to the core area. Land-use regulations, under Title 17, have been part of the borough code since the early '70s. In the core area, Title 17 regulations have established setbacks, conditional-use permits for land uses such as mobile home parks, adult businesses and junkyards, and for special land-use districts such as the Palmer Hay Flats Recreational District.

The Core Area Comprehensive Plan, adopted in 1993, created the blueprint for the future development of the core area and recommended methods of meeting the goals and objectives identified by the citizens who worked with borough staff and planners on the plan. Updating the zoning for the core area is one of the methods that will implement this plan. The current effort to update Title 17 to meet the needs of a growing population in the core area was initiated by the planning commission in 1997 through the establishment of a citizens' advisory committee.

For most of us, our biggest personal financial investment is our home. Zoning is a way to protect that investment. When your home is in an area that is zoned, you know what kinds of land use may locate next to your home in the future. This prevents someone from developing a use next door to your home that endangers or diminishes your investment.

There is a misconception that zoning is somehow anti-business. More than 9,000 cities and counties, big and small, in every region of the country and representing at least 90 percent of the United States population, have zoning. Alaska boroughs with zoning codes similar to the one being proposed for the core area include Fairbanks North Star, Haines, Juneau, Kenai Peninsula, Ketchikan Gateway, Kodiak Island, North Slope, Sitka and Yakutat.

In our own area, Palmer and Wasilla have zoning and are experiencing positive business growth. That is because, just as we want the value of our homes protected, generally businesses choose to locate in places where their business investment will be protected.

The borough's proposal is similar to the zoning codes in Palmer, Wasilla, and Houston with zoning districts such as residential, commercial, industrial and agricultural. In addition, four of the districts identified in the proposed core-area ordinance are already in place -- single-family residential, multi-family residential, residential-planned unit development and Hay Flats recreation area.

The Planning Commission, its citizens' advisory committee and staff have worked hard to complete this draft ordinance for public review and comment; 8,500 flyers with information about proposed land-use districts have been mailed to property owners and open houses are being conducted to give everyone interested information on the proposed zoning code and map. The proposed ordinance and map can be viewed at the Palmer or Wasilla public libraries, online at www.co.mat-su.ak.us, or picked up at the Planning Department in the borough building, 350 E. Dahlia Ave. in Palmer.

As an alternative, you may want to write your comments directly onto one of our working maps that will be on display during one of the open houses. In addition to the draft ordinance, you may pick up supplemental information as well as a comment form at the planning department. The comment form is for your convenience; you may chose to use the form, send your comments in by e-mail, or use your own stationery.

This document and map are now in the public comment phase of the process. We encourage public to comment. Once comments are received, staff will forward them to the planning commission along with recommendations for changes to the text and map based on the comments received. From there, the planning commission will conduct a public hearing and then their recommendation will be forwarded to the borough assembly, where another public hearing will be held.

By the way, for those who may have heard that an out-of-state consultant has prepared this zoning code and map, or for new residents, or those of you who didn't have the opportunity to work with him during his 18 years at the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Rodney Schulling retired as chief of Planning Services for this borough in 1995. During his 18-year tenure at the borough, he worked on many projects including the Core Area Comprehensive Plan project in the early 1990s. Upon his return to Alaska, he was retained as a six-month temporary employee to assist planning department with its workload. Mr. Schulling lived in Palmer for some 20 years and although he still owns his Palmer home, he and his wife, Sharon, founder and former owner of Neighbor to Neighbor Healthcare in Wasilla, currently live in Anchorage.

Sandra Garley is the chief of Planning for the Matanuska-Susitna Borough.