2025 Homer Comprehensive Plan Update
January 2025 Updates
Photo Contest!
Open through Friday, January 31, 2025
Help us showcase our vibrant community by sharing your pictures of Homer’s unique and vibrant people and places! For details, rules, and to submit your photos, visit: THIS FORM
Save the Date
Open House for the Release of the Draft Homer Comprehensive Plan
Tuesday, February 11, 2025
5:00–8:00PM
Islands & Ocean Visitors Center
(95 Sterling Highway #1, Homer, AK 99603)
More details to come.
Thank you to everyone who took time to comment on the Potential Growth Scenarios.
View a summary of the Growth Scenario Report Cards here.
The comment period has closed but you can still view the Potential Growth Scenarios here.
What happens now? Working in coordination with the Comp Plan Steering Committee, and other community partners, the project team is:
- Using the robust feedback and information we’ve researched, received, and you’ve shared to develop the Public Review Draft of the Revised Plan. The Draft will be released for public comment at the end of January.
- Check out the inputs graphic below and related resources in the “Project Resources” section of this site for the many outreach and research activities that are continuing to Draft Plan development.
Community Voices
“Homer’s draw is the small-town feel: The Beauty of Kachemak Bay, the south-side, KBay State Parks, trails, glaciers, berries, peace in general.”
“There is much more to Homer and the folks who live here than a lot of people realize.”
“People in this town are a pleasure to work with.”
“Youth should be considered when making decisions. Caring for their needs will serve the community as it ages.”
“There are endless opportunities to be involved in the community and people truly get involved.”
“Keeping a positive outlook and being supportive of our local businesses is a great way to support the community.”
Quotes are from the Homer Comprehensive Plan Revision Community Survey and Comment Map, Business Survey, and Growth Scenario Results.
Purpose
We’re Revising the 2018 Comprehensive Plan!
The City of Homer is updating the 2018 Comprehensive Plan to recognize and celebrate what we have accomplished, to address new challenges and opportunities for our community, and to coordinate efforts to achieve our shared vision for a future Homer.
The Comprehensive Plan will serve as a community resource and guide for community leaders, residents, and other partners to protect what residents value most about Homer while enhancing the quality of life for current and future residents.
The updated Homer Comprehensive Plan will be a combination of long-term vision, goals, and practical strategies that will: guide decisions about land use and environment, sustainability, resilience and climate change, public facilities and services, housing, transportation, economic development, quality of life, governance, and more. It will provide a roadmap for implementation, with clear priorities and actions.
The current comprehensive plan can be viewed here; it was last updated in 2018.
Phase 1 Project Timeline: Comprehensive Plan Update
Draft Plan
Plan drafting, staff review (accounts for holidays, review)
Draft Plan
Public review draft by end of January
Phase 2: Title 21 Code Rewrite
JANUARY – DECEMBER 2025
Kickoff and work plan
Public Participation
February 4 community open house to celebrate draft plan launch
Final Plan
Comment period and work session(s) with Steering Committee, Planning Commission, and City Council
Final Plan
Proposed comment deadline of March 7; consider revisions based on feedback and finalize plan
Final Plan
Adoption process TBD
ONGOING: Outreach and documentation; work sessions and/or monthly updates to the Steering Committee, Planning Commission, and City Council
Progress to Date
- December 2023: Signed contract
- January 2024: Kickoff project; develop Public Participation Plan (PPP); Steering Committee (SC) member appointment
- February 2024: Refine PPP; prep for community kickoff
- March 2024: Visit #1 March 25-29
- April 2024: Develop Community Snapshot; existing plans review (updates are ongoing)
- May 2024: Survey launches; release Snapshot to public; visit #2 May 13-17
- June 2024: Survey open; scope growth scenarios
- July 2024: Survey closes, begin analysis; start with growth scenarios methodology
- August 2024: Create growth scenarios; finish survey analysis
- September 2024: Continue developing growth scenarios; met with commissions and committees; release business survey results
- October 2024: Continue developing growth scenarios and outreach; Visit #3 October 22-24 for Community Work Session
- November 2024: Public review and finalization of growth scenarios; begin drafting plan
Project Team
Steering Committee
The Steering Committee aids in the development of the comprehensive plan. The five-member committing is made up of two city council members, two city commission members, and one city resident nominated by the mayor and approved by the City Council. The roles and responsibilities of the Steering Committee as outlined in City of Homer Resolution 23-129(A) include:
- Assist in the refinement and execution of the public outreach process, outreach program, and schedule.
- Participate in public outreach activities and events including work with each of the member’s represented organizations to keep them informed on the project and encourage their participation, solicit participation from a wide range of people and organizations in the community, participate in event exercises and provide feedback.
- Provide feedback and recommendations on Comprehensive Plan draft documents.
Steering Committee Members
- Kathryn Carssow, City Resident Member (Chair)
- Nicole Arevalo, Economic Development Advisory Commission Member
- Charles Barnwell, Planning Commission Member
- Shelly Erickson, City Council Member
- Jason Davis, City Council Member
Consulting Team
The City of Homer has hired a team led by Agnew::Beck Consulting to assists the City with a update to the Comprehensive Plan. Agnew::Beck is partnering with Stantec, Northern Economics, RESPEC, Kinney Engineering, and Corvus Design to ensure the planning process, and ultimately the final plan, meets community needs.
Get Involved
Contact the Project Team
Contact the project team. See details in the Contact Us section below.
Submit a Comment
Submit a comment using the comment form in the Contact Us section below.
Project Resources
- Community Survey Comparison Results Summary (October 2024). See how the community responded to key questions based on age, income, and location.
- Business Survey Homer Comprehensive Plan Business Survey Summary (September 2024). Learn what over 60 Homer businesses have to say about the challenges and opportunities of owning and doing business in Homer.
- Homer Comprehensive Plan Community Survey and Interactive Comment Map Results (September 2024)
- Homer Comprehensive Plan Community Survey and Interactive Comment Map Results – Executive Summary (September 2024)
- Plan Review (July 2024) – The Plan Review was conducted as part of the background and research activities that have and continue to inform the comprehensive plan update alongside community input, mapping, and other data gathering efforts. In addition to individual document summaries, the Plan Review identifies themes, strengths and challenges, and other commonalities among over 35 local, borough, and state generated plans, reports, and studies.
- Community Visit #2: May 2024 Results
- Community Snapshot (May 2024)
- Public Participation Plan (April 2024)
- Project Overview Flyer (April 2024)
- Community Visit #1: March 2024 Results
