Nome planning panel to correct zoning maps

The Nome Planning Commission discovered inaccuracies in their land use map during a work session on August 3.

Commissioners, who were reviewing the maps for future community planning, found several areas incorrectly zoned, and plan to correct the maps for future meetings. The work session was a half-hour session prior to their regularly scheduled meeting where commissioners also discussed zoning amendments, the 2021 abatement process and Common Council activities.

“Looking at the maps was really eye-opening, and it had a lot of information,” said Commissioner Carol Piscoya. “It was a good work session and I’m glad we’re going to start working on changing the makeup of the town.”

During the course of the regular meeting, commissioners discussed approval of a zoning map amendment request filed by William Potter. Potter requested his property, located on East Front Street, be rezoned from open space zoning to general use and residential zoning.

Commissioners opted to move Potter’s request forward under general use zoning, because they cannot “spot zone his property as residential,” according to Commissioner Sara Lizak.

“[The commissioners] can move forward the process, but not approve it yet,” said Nome Building Inspector David Barron. “You’re not approving it yet, you’ve still got to go through the process of changing [the zoning].”

Commissioners unanimously passed the motion to further pursue the zoning change request.

In addition to discussing zoning requests, commissioners discussed four properties from the existing abated property list in Nome, including properties located on Division Street, East Tobuk Alley, West 4th Avenue and Warren Place. One commissioner suggested the City develop a library of abated and abandoned properties that developers or others might be able to purchase and restore in order to address the blight in the community.

Details about the property located on Division Street were inaccurate in the commissioner packets and will be corrected for future use. Another property, once the site of an alleged meth lab, was under review during the session, though ownership of the property is in question, as the listed owner is dead.

Following property updates, commissioners heard from City Manager Glenn Steckman about Nome Common Council updates, including the council’s plan to offer a ‘bounty’ on abandoned and unused vehicles.

“I have proposed that we offer a bounty on vehicles: if you have an old vehicle, the City would pay to remove it for $50, and for snowmobiles and four-wheelers, $25,” he told commissioners. “The Council is also considering a program of paying for improvement to properties. Right now, it would be up to $10,000 to cover the cost of a roof replacement, and up to $5,000. For improvements to a one-story building, like painting or siding, and up to $10,000 for a two-story building. We may come with an abatement proposal, too.” [The proposal was addressed in Monday’s Nome Common Council work session, see related story starting on page 1]

The next planning commission meeting will take place on Tuesday, September 7.