Matanuska-Susitna Borough, AK Building Setbacks & Zoning: Setback Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Front/ROW setback
- 25 ft (10 ft for small pre-existing lots)
- Side/rear setback
- 10 feet minimum
- Eave projection
- Up to 3 feet into setback
- Excluded cities
- Palmer and Wasilla exempt
- Shoreline setback
- 75 ft from ordinary high water mark
- Max penalty
- $1,000 per violation, MSB Ch. 1.45
Summary
Outside Palmer and Wasilla, the Matanuska-Susitna Borough's Chapter 17.55 sets minimum setbacks: 25 feet from any public right-of-way (10 feet on small pre-existing lots or older nonconforming structures), and 10 feet from side and rear lot lines, under MSB § 17.55.010. Eaves may project up to three feet into the required setback.
No structure or building line shall be placed within 25 feet from the right-of-way line of any public right-of-way, except no furthermost protruding portion of any structure shall be placed within ten feet from the right-of-way line of any public right-of-way when the pre-existing lot: ... This setback shall be known as the structure or building line setback. ... Except where specifically provided otherwise by ordinance, no furthermost protruding portion of any structure or building line shall be located nearer than ten feet from any side or rear lot line. ... The setback requirements of this section do not apply to property within the cities of Palmer and Wasilla.
Full Breakdown
MSB § 17.55.010(A) sets the borough's front, or 'structure or building line,' setback at 25 feet from the right-of-way line of any public right-of-way. That distance drops to 10 feet for a pre-existing lot that measures 60 feet or less in frontage and is not on a cul-de-sac bulb, or for a nonconforming structure erected before July 3, 1973. MSB § 17.55.010(B) sets a separate 10-foot minimum from any side or rear lot line, and MSB § 17.55.010(C) allows eaves to project up to three feet into either required setback.
Two additional distances apply: MSB § 17.55.010(G) keeps structures at least 10 feet from railroad rights-of-way, except for utilities and rail-dependent structures, and MSB § 17.55.010(H) keeps structures at least 10 feet from a pedestrian easement. Where a government condemnation shrinks a building line setback below 25 feet, MSB § 17.55.010(E) locks in the reduced distance as the lot's new setback, so long as at least 10 feet remains and the setback met the rule before the condemnation.
Chapter 17.55 sets the borough's default subdivision setbacks, but MSB § 17.55.010(D) exempts property within the cities of Palmer and Wasilla entirely, and MSB § 17.55.005 defers to any special land use district's own setback standard elsewhere in Title 17. Shoreline setbacks are separate: MSB § 17.55.020 requires structures to stay at least 75 feet from the ordinary high water mark of a body of water, with narrow exceptions for docks, piers, and boathouses.
Violations & Fines
MSB § 17.55.040 makes a violation of Chapter 17.55 an infraction, enforced under the terms of MSB Chapter 1.45. That exposes a noncompliant structure to a civil penalty of up to $1,000 per violation under MSB § 1.45.060(A)(5), with each day the encroachment stands counted as a separate violation under MSB § 1.45.010(C), plus injunctive relief or an order to restore the structure to a compliant location.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far must a building sit from the road in the Mat-Su Borough?
Do these borough setbacks apply inside Palmer or Wasilla?
How close can I build to a lake or river in the borough?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Matanuska-Susitna Borough
Compare Matanuska-Susitna Borough to another location·View the Alaska building setbacks & zoning overview
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