The planning and zoning commission on Nov. 4 recommended that the borough assembly approve a planned unit development designation for a 3.28-acre parcel uphill from Zimovia Highway that SEARHC is developing for employee housing units.

The assembly was scheduled to take up the recommendation at its meeting Tuesday, Nov. 12.

Clearing has started on the parcel where SEARHC plans to construct eight rental units.

In approving the planned unit development, the planning and zoning commission reviewed the site plans for emergency access, drainage, stormwater management, utility easements, fire hydrants and other provisions required by the borough’s land-use and zoning code.

Construction of the rental units, planned for next year, will require a building permit and further borough review.

The nonprofit health care provider also will need to work with the Alaska Department of Transportation for approval to put in a new roadway entrance to the highway.

The new housing “is a huge economic opportunity for the community,” Kate Thomas, borough economic development director, told the planning and zoning commission. “It’s been a long time coming,” and will mark a significant addition to Wrangell’s housing inventory.

SEARHC, with more than 160 staffers, is the largest employer in town. The development will be its first employee housing in Wrangell.

The regional health care provider first presented its plans to the commission in May, starting the formal approval process to develop the wooden property it owns, about 1,000 feet out the road from TK’s Mini Mart.

The initial phase of the development includes eight housing units, consisting of six one-bedroom rentals in duplexes and two two-bedroom single-family rentals, according to material SEARHC provided to the commission.

The units will range from approximately 773 to 1,344 square feet in size.

The rentals will be located toward the back of the lot, farthest from Zimovia Highway, with the potential for additional rentals in a second phase closer to the highway.

Many of the SEARHC staff in Wrangell are travelers, who come to town for temporary assignments. Ensuring housing for temporary staffers and relieving the pressure on the community’s tight housing market are the main drivers behind the development, a SEARHC official said this summer.

The organization has built employee housing in Sitka, and this fall announced plans to construct employee housing in Haines, where it also plans to build a new medical clinic and hospital.