Planning Commission approval of a proposed housing development on Mendenhall Loop Road brings Juneau closer to a goal to build hundreds of new dwellings.
The project proposed by Richard Harris owner of RH Development would develop 22 new housing unites at the corner of Atlin Drive and Mendenhall Loop Road.
The City and Borough of Juneau Planning Commission passed Conditional Use Permit 20120010 (goo.gl/7pwPs) unanimously at its regularly scheduled meeting, Aug. 28. The CUP now moves on to the CBJ Assembly for hearing.
Public comment during the Planning Commission meeting brought up concerns of privacy, noise and access to public sidewalks at the site, according to CBJ draft minutes (goo.gl/Kxprf). Linda Wyeth asked for a privacy fence to separate her mother’s nearby property and Ed Quinto requested sidewalk access to the site.
City and Borough of Juneau staff recommended approval of the permit with conditions that mirrored concerns expressed during public comment as well as a request for the developer to provide a plan for on-site lighting and assure all setbacks are accounted for. Staff recommend sidewalk access and a fence of at least six feet in height.
A gravel path would stretch the length of the property, Richard Harris said during testimony at the Aug. 28 meeting.
RH Development is the permit applicant and owner of the parcel at 9050 Atlin Street, located north of St. Paul’s Catholic Church. Harris founded his business in 1992. The development company is responsible for the 3-bedroom Del Rae Condominiums on Del Rae Road in the Mendenhall Valley (goo.gl/5DEXw).
A U-shaped driveway would connect the nearly two dozen 3-bedroom, two and a half bathroom homes to Mendenhall Loop Road, according to CBJ memorandum. The 1,840 square foot residences would include a one-car garage. In addition to the garage space, 44 additional parking spaces would be provided, according to the developer’s plan. All 22 detached units are planned to occupy 2.19 total acres, the maximum density for land zoned Medium Density Residential. The development would comply with a 50-foot anadromous stream setback from Duck Creek Pond.
An adjacent lot contains dated Quonset huts and tall flora, according to CBJ’s memo.
CBJ staff said the housing may attract young families and may help open up more affordable housing in Juneau.
The Assembly’s Housing Commission has described its hope to eventually reach and maintain a 5 percent vacancy rate for all housing types. A recent report shows Juneau to have a vacancy rate for all housing of around 1.4 percent for owned homes and 3.2 percent for rentals, according to the Juneau Economic Development Council.
• Contact reporter Russell Stigall at 523-2276 or at russell.stigall@juneauempire.com.
Comments (24)
Add commentHopefully they have better
Hopefully they have better luck getting him to keep his promises than they did with the Del Rae Condos...
Tight fit?
22 units on 2 acres. The openness and natural beauty of Alaska. I hope the buyers learn to think alike!
Good/Bad
Those look like pretty tightly packed together homes... I'd be bummed if I owned a house over there already, gonna be way more traffic that's for sure.
On the other hand, it's good to see some more affordable starter homes for people to buy in Juneau and the location is logical.
Good and bad
Wow, 22 homes on a little over 2 acres. Hope they like their neighbors. Good to see something happening to ease the housing crunch here.
Bubb, define affordable.
Bubb, define affordable. Ever price the Del Rae ones?
This is good news. Juneau
This is good news. Juneau needs more housing.
Juneau needs more guys like Harris who put up their own capital and then roll the dice on making a profit.
This is terrible.
More housing needs to be built when there are over 80 residential properties on the market in this town right now?
And they want to build on an historic site? How many people actually know that this used to be the location of the WWII U.S. Army Base in Juneau?
If anything, that place should be restored as a military park (like that one in Waikiki...Fort Derussey I think?).
@kpaw
I guess I'd consider "affordable" to be in the high $200k range for a single family home. I haven't looked at the Del Rae ones, but weren't they around $280k each? And they are condos, with condo dues that included heat if I remember right.
I'd be suprised if people are willing to pay $300k+ for a tightly packed home with no view, yard, or other selling points other than new construction and all the perks that come with it.
Whatever!
It's never been affordable to buy a home on a single income. I mean home, not an old tiny condo with common walls and condo dues. I would gladly buy a small 2 bdrm home on a small property, enough to enjoy a little garden but that isn't ever going to happen in Juneau because it's not affordable.
Single wides and double
Single wides and double wides. Right next to that ORV park out the road. A perfect fit!!!
This feels really sad and
This feels really sad and reminds me when Montana Bills place was burned down in a thoughtless training exercise by the Fire Dept.
Why are we not preserving our Veterans history??
What Juneau and or the Valley really needs is a high-rise apartment building but not 22 homes on 2.5 acres.
affordable?
My husband and I both have decent full time jobs and have been looking for a home for quite a while now. So far we haven't really been able to find anything affordable here in town that we like. We sure can't afford a 300K home and now live in a $1100 a month small 2 bedroom appartment. Please define what people consider affordable living??
I remember not that long ago when the husband worked full time, mom stayed at home taking care of the kids and were able to afford a decent home, and even a vacation every once in a while. What happened?
@ spoox
You have to help pay for the welfare and food stamps and section 8 housing of those who choose to not work for a living, that is just one reason you can no longer afford it on one salary.
To all the other bloggers here: These are 1840 sf single family detached homes, I bet the starting costs are going to be close to $400,000 to start. They are NOT for the low or even middle income families, However, Juneau still needs these homes as we have a bit of a shortage.
@ Tikitime
How about Defense? The Defense budget is nearly twice the size of the budget for "Safety Net Programs." AND... a good chunk of those "Safety Net Programs" represents the earned income tax credit and child tax credit... so compared to things like welfare, food stamps, and low-income housing the Defense budget is even more massive.
One other major difference between the two is how the money is spent. Think about it, nearly every dollar spent in those "Safety Net Programs" gets spent in our economy, it's income for those who ARE employed. Own a store? That's your income! Own a rental property? That's your income! Some defense spending gets spent here, but a lot gets spent abroad too - which has ZERO economic impact on the US economy.
And in the end, bin Laden was killed the way he was always going to be killed... by a small, covert team of US soldiers.
ill agree with alskntwnsfn
war is expensive, bailing out banks is expensive, welfare is not a major expense (in fact war and banksters create the welfare state). looks this i possible because of private investor, so its not a welfare issue. if cbj appropriated the funds, it would be different.
What ever happened to taking
What ever happened to taking personal responsibility and living where you can afford to live? I am just baffled by people that play the blame game.
Shoes used to cost .25 cents and I remember when people appreciated the fact they had a roof over their families head!
Good lord, people. Count your blessing and stop blaming.
When you choose to live in a small town, small city or small state costs for housing goes up. This is how it is.
Look at housing costs in San Francisco or Boston, people there are looking a $1,000,000.00 for a studio.
There are plenty of homes just sitting on the market right now, new homes will not be any cheaper than those. But as you see here you will pay more and end up with less property.
So abotney, are you
So abotney, are you suggesting that its our fault that we moved here, bought a house, got jobs, then watched the city and assess our homes to the point we could not afford them? Greedy people buying their homes in the 90's for $60k now selling them for $600K? But we are supposed to just move to Haiti and be happy for shoes and a roof?
what??
"You have to help pay for the welfare and food stamps and section 8 housing of those who choose to not work for a living, that is just one reason you can no longer afford it on one salary."
Welfare and food stamps are generally paid for with federal funds... how does that raise the cost of living in Juneau, for instance?
I'm no housing expert, but I'm pretty sure the homes in Juneau are in no way dependent on section 8 abusers...
I honestly can't tell if tikitime was being sarcastic. I hope sarcastic, but I'm not sure.
The housing in Juneau is incredibly expensive, but it's not due to welfare recipients. That I can be certain of. Limited housing opportunities make for competitive buying and inflated market prices. This is one of the reasons Juneau's housing market weathered the national housing crash. Large welfare populations generally do the opposite in terms of housing markets. Prices fall to accomodate low income populations. Juneau does not have that problem.
cheeesypoof 09/06/12 - 01:59 pm
"Welfare and food stamps are generally paid for with federal funds... how does that raise the cost of living in Juneau, for instance? "
Learn some basic economics. When you artificially remove that part of the market you increase price pressure on the remaining part. Stop all section 8, welfare and food stamps for awhile and the competitive market kicks in and prices come down. Likewise service and quality go up (for those who work).
Good,
Really? You really think basic economics suggests that the cost of living in Juneau is due to residents paying for section 8 or welfare?
Read the post I was replying to, then place foot in mouth.
Either you don't understand the topic of discussion, you don't understand basic economics, or you're a troll. You decide.
Haven't you heard,
Haven't you heard, cheesypoof? Everything that isn't brown people's fault is poor people's fault.
It's always easier to scapegoat a group that can't defend itself--their silence is misinterpreted as acquiescence.
If the name Rich Harris is
If the name Rich Harris is involved, somebody is going to get screwed. He will cut every corner possible and charge through the nose for the final product and I'm speaking from experience with him. He's a crook!
wildiris and spoox -
I'm single - I bought a 2 bedroom condo in 97. Had a roommate for about 5 years, lived in the condo, kept it up, and made extra payments for 15 years. Just bought an attached home in the neighborhood I like last November. It's still not my dream home; I'd rather it was free standing, and had an updated kitchen, but I brought enough equity forward that my mortgage is very low. Will update my own kitchen in a few years, learn to live with my neighbor, and enjoy my garden, until I can afford something nicer.
People who complain about no affordable housing while they are paying upwards of $1,200 a month rent are being silly and spoiled. You aren't going to get a showcase home your first time out for peanuts. It takes time. Buy something, anything you can afford - a trailer in the nicest park you can find. Fix it up, make extra payments. Build some equity. THEN you can get something nice.
Copenhaver
Another park in Juneau? Maybe an ORV park, but not another place that collects black bags of dogsh_ t.