The Anchorage Assembly voted Tuesday night to waive certain building design requirements in an effort to spur more housing construction.
The change, approved by a 9 to 2 vote, is temporary, lasting until the end of May 2028. Essentially, buildings will no longer have to conform to residential design standards. Mayor Suzanne LaFrance spoke in favor of the ordinance, and said it won’t get rid of standards for safety and won’t allow for multi-family homes to be built in new zones.
“This is a pause, not a repeal,” LaFrance said. “This is all about testing whether removing cost-adding rules helps build more housing get built.”…