HomeMy WebLinkAbout11192024 Planning & Zoning Work Session Laydown - Housing11-20-24 P&Z Work Session notes
P 7 "Housing Crisis in Alaska" document
A. Housing issues in Seward, some factors
1. High cost of land, high construction costs ($300 SF), high mortgage rates, no building
supply or plumbing stores, contractor shortage, lack of infrastructure in under -served
areas (water, sewer, electric).
2. High utility costs: electric, fuel, sewer.
3. Old and poorly constructed buildings are expensive to heat: need higher building
standards, higher insulation levels, triple -pane windows, insulated doors, weather -
sealing, etc.
4. Subsidized housing: rent tied to income, controlled by agencies, vacancies due to
potential renters making too much to qualify but not enough to live here.
5. Seniors: shortage of affordable independent senior housing.
City donated 1.5 acres of public land and only 9 units were built instead of apartments.
6. Seward is a seasonal, tourist town with additional seasonal employee housing needs.
7. 10% of Seward's houses are owned by out-of-towners, and most are empty in the winter.
8. The housing crisis is a nation-wide problem and many factors are out of the city's
control.
B. ADUs: Why does Seward need ADUs? Code allows efficiency/accessory apartments in many
zones. There is no size limitation. Bathroom is implied to be in a separate room. Can be two-
story if no doors between floors, which effectively separates bedroom from kitchen and living
room. Can be built over a detached garage with a breezeway or over attached garage or over a
single-family dwelling up to 34', (except specific areas in HC).
Dwelling, apartment efficiency or accessory: allowed outright in RR, R1, R2, R3, UR,
OR, AC
Apartment, efficiency (also called accessory apartment). A single separate dwelling unit
consisting of not more than one habitable room which includes combined kitchen,
dining and sleeping areas with accompanying sanitary facilities, and which is located
within or shares a common wall with a single-family dwelling.
Would a detached ADU need a breezeway to connect to principal dwelling like efficiency
/accessory apartments?
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At $300+ SF it is still expensive to build an ADU or efficiency/accessory apartment. If the intent
is to provide long-term housing for residents, payback will be much longer than if used as a
short-term rental. Long-term renters tend to accumulate stuff and need parking and storage;
notice how uncluttered and unrealistic the ADU photos are: no vehicles, no RVs, no boats,
kayaks, bicycles, firewood, or other typical Alaska yard ornaments. Or landscaping, gardens,
raised beds, raspberry patches, etc.
Code from other communities worth consideration for ADUs and accessory apartments:
Structure: Minimum area: 500 SF? (Not stated. What is reasonable?)
Maximum area 600 SF, 800 SF, 900 SF (Various. What is reasonable?)
Maximum accessory structure height 20' (Seward)
If ADU built over a garage, maximum height is extended to 30' (Anchorage)
Max 2 bedroom (Palmer)
Lot: Must be served by a publicly maintained ROW, not through easements (Sitka)
Addition of ADU cannot exceed maximum lot coverage; residential zones 35%
(Petersburg)
Parking: +1 for studio/one bedroom, +2 for two bedrooms (maximum size) (Palmer)
Occupancy: No short-term rentals (Kodiak)
Owner required to occupy either the ADU or principal dwelling (Kodiak)
Permitting process: $100 non-refundable fee (Palmer)
Detached ADUs must be in rear of lot at least 10' behind primary dwelling
(Palmer)
Applicants must provide site plan and obtain building permit (Soldotna)
All ADUs by Conditional Use Permit?
Aesthetics/design: same/similar materials as the principal dwelling (Petersburg)
Similar style and exterior finishes (Palmer)
Additional: Administration must furnish P&Z with an annual ADU report, and reassess ordinance
if records indicate 20% of single-family structures have ADUs. (Palmer)
C. Where people can live:
Dwellings, mobile home parks, planned unit developments are 30 days or more
Rental, long-term. A dwelling unit, or portion thereof, that is rented, loaned, leased, or
hired out for a period of 30 consecutive days or more.
Does Seward want mobile home parks in city limits? Consider deleting use of substandard
housing.
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Housing: bunkhouses, dormitories are generally long-term but this is not specified.
Housing. Structures providing housing for groups of people, such as students, employees
or nursing home residents.
*Note: AVTEC dorms are rented out in summer to individuals needing housing
*Note: bunkhouses may be rented out to individuals needing housing in winter.
Lodging: B&B, boarding/rooming, hostel, hotel, motel, short-term rental are for less than 30
days.
Lodging. The renting out of a dwelling, or portion thereof, to provide overnight sleeping
accommodations for a period of less than 30 consecutive days.
*Note: boarding/rooming houses offer long-term rentals in summer, and motels in winter.
D. Possible zoning code changes
Consider rezoning Industrial to AC in Leirer Industrial Subdivison, the area east of Leirer Road,
north of Port Avenue, and west of airport. This area includes housing, employee campground,
dormitory, boat storage, schools, offices, vehicle rental, and also bulk fuel storage and fuel sales.
There is no heavy manufacturing. Bulk fuel storage and sales would be nonconforming use, now
allowed by CUP in Industrial.
Retain Alaska RR property as Industrial.
Consider rezoning Industrial to AC in undeveloped area north of Jellison and east of Nash Road
on east side of bay to expand housing options.
As per Municipal Lands Inventory and Management Plan, replat and rezone Spring Creek and
Fourth of July as Park.
Retain SMIC as Industrial.
Consider rezoning Industrial to Park and Conservation for west part and Resource Management
for remainder to protect sensitive habitat and expand housing options at Afognak Beach west of
Nash Road.
Consider re-evaluating Resource Management uses and zoning. Rezone RM land with
exceptional public values such as our viewshed, important ecological sensitive habitat such as
wetlands, wildlife habitat, forests, rivers and streams, hazardous areas including floodplains,
steep slopes, earthquake/tsunami hazards, to new no -build Conservation Zone. Rezone RM
areas that are not safe for habitation but may be developed for storage, and other uses that do
not house people, with restrictions/conditions.
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Consider deleting Manufacturing, noxious, heavy as Seward currently does not have any heavy
manufacturing. This would make adjacent housing/dwelling uses more compatible. Move bulk
fuel storage (including diesel, jet fuel, kerosene, and propane) to a new use category.
Manufacturing, heavy. A use engaged in the basic processing and manufacturing of
materials or products predominately from extracted or raw materials; or a use engaged
in storage of or manufacturing processes using flammable or explosive materials; or
storage or manufacturing processes that potentially involve hazardous or commonly
recognized offensive conditions.
Noxious use. A use which is injurious or harmful to health, highly disagreeable or
offensive.
Manufacturing, light. A use engaged in the manufacture, predominantly from previously
prepared material, of finished products or parts that, because of the nature of its
equipment, operations, processes, materials, and products, has little or no potential of
creating noise, vibration, dust, smoke, fumes, odor, glare, or other environmental
impacts on surrounding properties or uses.
E. Land Uses Allowed Table changes. See Land Uses Allowed Table on page 83.
Carefully consider allowing people to live in truly Industrial areas. Rezone those non -Industrial
areas to AC, see above.
Dwellings:
Delete apartment in a commercial building 1 unit: in truly I?
Allow apartment in a commercial building 2 or more units in RM by CUP?
Allow efficiency and accessory apartments in HC and CB by CUP?
Delete apartment studios by CUP in truly Industrial areas?
Allow watchman or caretaker in OR, AC, HC by CUP?
Housing:
Should seasonal employee construction camps be allowed? This is undefined and
currently not allowed.
Where are modular/manufactured homes allowed? Code should allow them wherever
stick -built homes are allowed, with oversight of plans by Building Inspector.
Modular home. A factory -built residential structure that is transportable in one
or more sections, is built on a permanent chassis, and is used as a place of
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human habitation, but which is not constructed with a permanent hitch or other
device allowing transport of the unit other than for the purpose of delivery to a
permanent site, and which does not have wheels or axles permanently attached
to its body or frame. Includes factory -built and manufactured home.
F. Other Suggestions:
Consider replat of 30x100' lots on existing public works facility land on Sixth and reserve for at
least one studio apartment and 2-3-4 bedroom apartments which are more affordable than
single-family houses, and less desirable for seasonal residents.
Continue to seek grants and funding to expand utilities to unserved residential areas, and/or
allow wells and septic in certain areas.
Advocate for and support weatherization programs from state and feds through Legislative
Priorities to improve building efficiencies and lower utility costs.
10/28/2024 CC Meeting: Kevin Dunham re: reducing electricity costs. Six or seven customers,
including Jag and high school, are not using electricity efficiently. They should install power
factor correction capacitors and other equipment like the ASLC did and all customers and the
Seward Utility will benefit from improved efficiencies.
G. See previous list of accomplishments:
City has made many changes in code and by CUP to allow increased density already:
Developer Reimbursement Program
South of Van Buren: 3000 SF lots, resulting in loss of yards, landscaping (historic in many cases)
Throughout city: efficiency/accessory apartments allowed outright in RR, R1, R2, R3, UR, OR, AC.
Throughout city: studio apartments allowed by CUP in OR, AC, HC, CB I, RM
Throughout city: multifamily housing allowed by CUP in R3, UR, OR, AC, HC, CB, RM
Approved CUPs for duplex to triplex, triplex to fourplex (Willard Way)
Approved CUP for planned unit development for mix of housing options (Nash Road)
Approved rezone of RM to R3 (Forest Acres)
Approved rezone of Industrial to R3 (Nash Road)
Approved rezone of R1 to R2 and R3 (Hilltop)
Seasonal employee housing needs:
Approved bunkhouses in AC and Industrial (Phoenix Road, Leirer Road 2x)
Approved seasonal employee housing in converted storage containers in Industrial (NW Circle)
Approved 9-plex studio apartment and crew housing (809 Third) (2022, no progress)
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