The new zoning proposal to be voted on June 25 would allow three separate units on any residential lot, ending R1 zoning – a change favoring singles, investors/developers. This change would end the dream of purchasing a home in a single-family neighborhood – it changes neighborhood character by making all neighborhoods multi-family. Originally, planners recognized the No. 1 Alaskan dream of owning a single-family home and named it R1 zoning.
Families seeking safety for their children will be challenged by streets congested with tenants’ parking, as on-site parking is no longer required. Triplex density destroys privacy; hillside owners will face contamination problems. Triplex investors may be absentee and not continue the neighborhood “pride of ownership” which creates good maintenance, design and landscaping.
Builders, hoarding lots, are not building in affordable neighborhoods to alleviate affordable housing problems – they seek elite neighborhoods where they can maximize profits and therefore seek these zoning changes. Why are we not developing Ship Creek, Third Addition, etc., where land is cheaper and more affordable housing can be built? Why should our hard-working taxpaying families give up their quiet, appealing neighborhoods, created for their children, with parks, schools and safety?
Marty Margeson
Anchorage
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