Homer has changed rapidly over the last dozen or so years, as any local can tell you. Many such locals filled the upstairs of Kachemak Bay Campus’s Pioneer Hall on Tuesday, March 25, to discuss these changes, as well as what they want the community to look like in coming years.

The meeting was held to examine community priorities and discuss the rewriting of the city’s comprehensive plan, which is currently underway. Additionally, attendees brainstormed ways the city code could be rewritten to better serve Homerites in the future.

Health improvement coalition MAPP, Kachemak Bay Conservation Society and Guiding Growth hosted the event. Guiding Growth, a self-described ad hoc creation, was inspired two years ago by a MAPP-hosted event addressing Homer’s housing crisis.

On Tuesday, the conversation split into three main groups, led by facilitators: one focused on housing, one on energy, and one on open spaces.

The groups were based on feedback received in the initial survey sent out by the City of Homer seeking input on the comprehensive plan rewrite.

Groups on Tuesday were encouraged by the hosts to “get curious, listen generously, risk changing your mind, and be present.”

Housing

Housing in Homer reflects national trends in that home prices have increased substantially over the years without reflecting income increases. On Tuesday, Penelope Haas with Kachemak Bay Conservation Society noted statistics that stated the median home price in 2003 was $160,000, with an estimated $39,000 income needed to qualify for a conventional loan. In 2023, the median home price was $468,000, and an estimated household income of $105,000 is needed to qualify. In 2003, a mortgage at an average rate, with no down payment would be $1,150 a month. In 2023, it would be more than $3,000. The median household income in Homer, based on the 2022 census, is $69,757.

The city faces challenges with “outside-of-area” ownership, which makes up 27% of home ownership in the area, according to Haas, from numbers provided by the Kenai Peninsula Borough. The 27% is made up of 9% “receiving assessment notices at an address outside the state of Alaska” and 18% who receive in-state notices “outside the area of interest.”

This means that housing is limited for young workers to move to or remain in the area, particularly for seasonal workers needed to support the local tourism industry.

Some community members also expressed concerns about the current city code relating to bed-and-breakfast establishments. They wondered if it could be changed to better moderate and reflect the recent uptick in short-term rentals.

Solutions discussed by the housing workgroup included potentially lowering administrative hurdles to allow easier building of different types of housing, including accessory buildings such as tiny houses, townhouses, cottages, fourplexes and condos.

Energy

A looming natural gas shortfall means energy prices could substantially rise in as soon as two years.

Potential solutions discussed by the energy workgroup included increasing city procurement strategies by incorporating energy efficiency into city purchasing decisions and considering life cycle costing when buying equipment. The group pointed out that there are many areas to focus on for energy-efficient choices, both for individuals and the city, such as heating systems, roof insulation, and electric and hybrid vehicles.

Additionally, considerations of alternative housing designs for workers and a promotion of solar panel energy could provide valuable avenues for reducing energy consumption and creating more housing in Homer, bridging the gap between housing and energy.

The lack of current stormwater management was noted during the meeting, with some suggesting that adding stormwater management codes, especially in the city’s core areas, would be beneficial going forward.

Open spaces

Seventy-seven percent of respondents to the city survey supported preserving open, public spaces within the city from development.

Some ideas discussed on Tuesday included the identification of and further, in-depth mapping of peatlands and ecological areas around Homer, with an emphasis on preserving tree habitats for moose. These methods could help lead to land conservation, trail expansion and restrictions that prevent development in areas of high landslide risk, deep peatlands, important wildlife corridors, and areas with significant water retention.

There seemed to be a shared concern among some of the group around accessibility between the community and the consultant group hired to complete the comprehensive plan rewrite, Agnew::Beck.

Penelope Haas with Kachemak Bay Conservation Society said that one of the consultants was invited to attend the event, but was absent. Several participants suggested that direct engagement with the planning commission and city council might be more effective than relying on the consultants.

“I sometimes think that we trust the consultants to do a better job than we can do ourselves,” said a community member attending. “But you know what, we live here. We know what we need. We know what’s off. We know what’s right. And I think that’s probably the easiest way to get some movement.”

The deadline to submit public comments on the draft comp plan was March 14. According to previous reporting by the Homer News, the final comp plan draft is slated to go before the Homer City Council and other city commissions and committees for review, as part of the adoption process, throughout this spring and summer.

You can sign up to receive updates on future events at guidinggrowthhomer.com or by following MAPP and Kachemak Bay Conservation Society on Facebook.