ITEM TITLE:
#26-04 - Repealing and Reenacting Title 16 of the Valdez Municipal Code Titled Subdivisions. First Reading. Public Hearing.
SUBMITTED BY: Kate Huber, Community Development Director
FISCAL NOTES:
Expenditure Required: n/a
Unencumbered Balance: n/a
Funding Source: n/a
RECOMMENDATION:
Introduce Ordinance 26-04 in first reading.
SUMMARY STATEMENT:
Plan Valdez, the 2021 Valdez Comprehensive Plan identified the revision of the Title 17 Zoning Code and the Title 16 Subdivision code as high priority action items. Following adoption of the comp plan, Community Development Department staff completed a full revision of the Title 17 Zoning Code which was adopted by City Council in 2024. In 2025, Community Development staff joined with a consultant team from R&M Consultants in Anchorage to revise Title 16.
The goals identified for the code revision project were as follows:
- Bring Title 16 into conformance with the comprehensive plan and the revised Title 17
- Balance individual property rights with the community vision and goals
- Address unique characteristics of Valdez, including provisions for required snow storage dedications
- Increase ease of code administration and refine procedures
- Incorporate easy to understand language
On May 7, 2025, The Valdez City Council and Planning & Zoning Commission held a joint work session to learn more about the code revision project and provide input to guide the project team.
After completing the first draft of the revised ordinance, a public comment period was held for two weeks, officially ending on February 27, 2026. During the comment period two sets of written comments were received from surveyors who work frequently in Valdez. These comments were provided to the Planning & Zoning Commission.
Due to the extensive nature of the comments received, the project team opted to revise the draft ordinance. The proposed ordinance includes changes made in response to the comments received. Also attached for review is the existing text of Valdez Municipal Code Title 16. Because of the extensive changes proposed, including reorganization of the title, a separate draft for the revision was necessary.
Significant changes to the title include:
• Added administrative approval process for minor plats, subject to approval by the Community Development Director.
• Clarified the process for transferring required snow storage lots to the City of Valdez.
• Added variance process and criteria for approval.
• Added public way vacations process and requirements.
• Incorporated plain, easy to understand language throughout.
• For ease of reading and interpretation, provides additional definition of terms used throughout the title.
• Rewrite is done in formatting and organization similar to Title 17.
• Increases the public notification period from 10 days to 14 days and updates the notification requirements to explicitly require published, mailed, and posted notice.
• Updated the plat monumentation section to reflect current survey practices.
At their regular meeting on April 22, 2026, the Planning & Zoning Commission held a public hearing to take public comment on the proposed ordinance. No public comments were made during the meeting or received in writing.
The Planning & Zoning Commission held a robust discussion of the draft ordinance prior to voting on their recommendation to City Council to adopt the draft ordinance. During the discussion two errors were noted in the draft that have been corrected. Additionally, the commission voted to recommend two amendments to the ordinance. Please see below for more details on each of the four topics and how staff has handled them for the draft ordinance:
1. Line 598 - two redundant words were deleted.
2. Line 497 - 5 seconds was replaced with 1 second.
3. Line 944 - A maximum slope of six percent was added, in addition to the allowable minimum slope. The Planning & Zoning Commissioners voted to recommend this amendment to the draft. The amendment passed with 6 yays and 1 absent.
4. Lines 824, 1074, 1161 The final recommended change made by the Planning & Zoning Commission relates to the mechanism for dedicating the snow storage areas required for newly established subdivisions with dedicated right-of-way. The proposed ordinance identifies (in multiple locations) a requirement that all dedicated snow storage must be conveyed to the city via deed after the platting process. This method has been a common practice for the city in recent years but is not an explicit requirement of the existing Title 16.
City staff is recommending this change to add clarity to the process and ensure that snow storage is maintained. It also ensures that the developer will not have to pay property taxes on lands that are required for public snow storage. The Planning & Zoning Commissioners expressed concerns with the addition of this strict requirement and discussed other mechanisms for dedicating snow storage while maintaining private ownership of the land.
The Planning & Zoning Commission voted to recommend that all three references to ‘deeded’ snow storage be replaced with ‘dedicated’. The amendment passed with 4 yays, 2 nays, 1 absent. Because the staff recommendation differs from the amendment recommended by the Planning & Zoning Commission, staff has not made this change to the ordinance.
City Council should consider this recommendation by the commission and provide staff direction and amend the ordinance and if the change is desired.
An ordinance amending Chapter 2.52 of the Valdez Municipal code is also in first reading to adjust language related to the Planning & Zoning Commission’s platting authority and allow administrative approval in platting process as outlined in this rewrite.
Later on, Community Development staff will also bring forward a simple revision to Title 12 to add clarification regarding driveway requirements and bring Title 12 in alignment with Titles 16 and 17.