Homer Comprehensive Plan Update Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC) Meeting #4

Tuesday, June 26^th 6:00-8:00 pm.

Cowles Council Chambers

Meeting Notes

Nine of the thirteen committee members were present at the meeting held at the Cowles City Council Chambers. The meeting was facilitated by Chris Beck and Tanya Iden of Agnew::Beck Consulting, Steve Colt from the University of Alaska, Anchorage and Tamas Deak of KPB.

Attendance:

Committee Members

Allegra Bukojemsky

Marianne Schlegelmilch

Bill Smith

Christopher Story - ABSENT

Hannah Bradley - ABSENT

Anne Marie Holen

Tina Day – ABSENT

Ethan Martin

Michael McCarthy

Val McLay

Jim Henkelman

Bob Howard - ABSENT

Barb Seaman

Interested Community Members

n/a

Staff

Beth McKibben, Homer Planning Dept.

Tanya Iden, Agnew::Beck Consulting

Chris Beck, Agnew::Beck

Tamas Deak, KPB

Steve Colt, ISER

Meeting Overview

The meeting’s purpose was to review the draft Homer Comp Plan Economic Vitality Chapter and Land Use Chapter.

Economic Vitality

The CAC was generally pleased with the Chapter. As the CAC provided input, revisions were made to the document. The CAC’s feedback will be reflected in the revised document. A summary of key suggestions follows:

• Encourage small scale employers with approximately 10 employees (in addition to sole proprietorships)
• Work to position Homer as a leader in new technologies that respond to changing climate
• Broaden the discussion of affordable housing to include a range of housing options for many economic levels.
• Illustrate the challenge of balancing the positives/negatives of tourism. Strengthen Homer as a destination but also focus on the importance of benefiting the community.
• Strengthening educational opportunities is very important. Strong desire for the university to expand.

Land Use

The CAC, in general, liked the Chapter. The CAC’s comments will be reflected in the revised document. Key suggestions follow:

• Better describe and illustrate land use districts discussed in Goal 1.
• Include an objective to shift platting authority from Borough to City.
• Use incentives where possible to implement standards.
• Define “strip development.”
• Add the right to vote to the discussion on the benefits of annexation.
• Underscore the importance of a clear and orderly process for annexation if it is to occur.

Wrap-Up

Agnew::Beck, KPB, and Steve Colt will incorporate the changes to the documents and circulate them for review (with the changes indicated).

The CAC determined that the next meeting should last until 8:30 because there is a lot of information to cover.

Next Meeting:

Monday, July 30, 2007, 6-8:30pm in City Council Chambers

Purpose will be to review the Land Use Map and Classifications and the Public Facilities and Services Chapter.