Waterbody Setback Board Discusses Recommendations

The Mat-Su Borough Waterbody Setback Advisory Board met last Tuesday to discuss recommendations for updates to the legislation. The goal for the legislation has always been to protect waterbody habitats, specifically lakes.  

Though the Board has not yet finished draft recommendations, they did discuss and agree on several main issues. The group agreed that the 75-foot setback should remain in place for new construction. 

Borough Planning and Land Use Director Alex Strawn says the group discussed the issue of buildings illegally built in the buffer since 1987. That’s when the current restrictions went into place. He says the Board will likely recommend providing a path for those structures to become legal. 

The Board did agree that there should not be any structures within 45 feet of a waterbody. Though there were no specific recommendations on how structures might be allowed between 45 and 75 feet, the group did discuss the potential for standards and permits.

One main topic is to which water bodies the regulation will apply. According to Borough Planning and Land Use Director Alex Strawn, State law says that the Borough can provide incentives to protect anadromous stream habitats. But the Borough regulation is meant for lakes. Strawn says the group may recommend working with the State to add lake shoreline protection incentives to that regulation.

Strawn says the Board now has some direction and made decisions on a few issues. But there is still work to be done. He hopes to have draft recommendations by September.