The Petersburg Borough Assembly, which is creating a task force to look for solutions to the housing shortage in the community, held a work session Aug. 29 to get a better understanding of the challenges in developing or purchasing homes.
Assembly Member Dave Kensinger spoke on changing the zoning codes to make building affordable houses possible, and shared his concern that people cannot move to Petersburg if they do not have a place to live.
Some of the potential changes to the zoning codes discussed included allowing the development of more attached homes, condos and fourplexes to fit more units on a lot.
The lack of available housing also is a problem in Wrangell, with business owners reporting in a survey this past spring that a lack of rentals and homes to buy makes it hard to recruit and retain employees.
“I’m hoping that when we’re done here tonight that we can at least have a few ideas to move forward with to talk about at the next assembly meeting and at least have some kind of direction for the task force that we’re trying to put together,” Petersburg Assembly Member Jeff Meucci said at the start of the Aug. 29 work session.
Assembly Member Thomas Fine-Walsh also said there needed to be a focus on existing housing and lots that are underutilized or unused because of the high cost of developing new homes.
Petersburg builder Joshua Adams discussed ways to encourage the private sector and develop underutilized commercial lots, which already have utilities.
Another issue discussed was the damage that vacation rental services like Vrbo and Airbnb are causing by taking away units that were previously used as monthly rentals. Cummings said there are less regulations on vacation rentals than monthly rentals, and that some landlords transitioned their units to vacation rentals during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Petersburg Indian Association President Cris Morrison said she has talked to Borough Manager Steve Giesbrecht about ways tribal council could partner with the borough, such as sharing the cost or seeking grant money for a housing needs assessment.
Giesbrecht reported the borough has been in talks with the consulting firm that wrote the borough’s 2016 comprehensive plan about having them develop a housing needs assessment, which he said would cost $76,000 and would take about five to six months to complete.
The assembly also previously authorized engineering services from PND Engineers to design an expansion of the Airport Subdivision and an extension of Fram Street. Though utilities and other costs are not finalized, Giesbrecht reported that the expanded Airport Subdivision would open up 25 lots and cost an estimated $3.5 million, while the Fram Street extension would open up 12 lots and cost an estimated $2 million.
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