Matanuska-Susitna Borough, AK Building Setbacks & Zoning: Structure Height Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Height cap
- 35 feet above finished grade
- Where it applies
- Only within the Denali State Park SLUD
- Minimum lot area
- 4.75 acres in this district
- Highway setback
- 75 feet from Parks Highway right-of-way
- Max fine
- $1,000 infraction under MSB § 1.45.080
Summary
In the borough outside Wasilla, Palmer and Houston, within the Denali State Park Special Land Use District, MSB § 17.17.090 caps building height at 35 feet above finished grade. The cap applies only inside this district's mapped boundaries along the George Parks Highway, not to the rest of unincorporated Mat-Su.
The maximum building height shall be 35 feet above finished grade.
Full Breakdown
Matanuska-Susitna Borough has no area-wide zoning code; height limits exist only where the assembly has adopted a special land use district covering that land. 090 sets the cap: the maximum building height shall be 35 feet above finished grade, adopted by Ordinance 90-125 in 1991. 120. 080 backs the height cap with a compliance clause: no building or structure may be used, occupied, erected, constructed, reconstructed, moved, repaired or structurally altered except in conformity with the chapter's regulations, so a structure over 35 feet cannot lawfully be built, occupied or altered within the district.
This cap governs only land inside the mapped Denali State Park district; it does not apply to Wasilla, Palmer, Houston, or to the rest of unincorporated Mat-Su, which either sits in a different special land use district with its own dimensional standards or carries no height limit under Title 17 at all.
Violations & Fines
Constructing, occupying or altering a structure over 35 feet within the Denali State Park district violates MSB § 17.17.080's compliance clause and MSB § 1.45.010(A), which makes every act prohibited by the code a violation. Absent a more specific penalty, MSB § 1.45.080 classifies it as a borough infraction: a fine up to $1,000, with no jail time. Appeals from a planning commission decision run through MSB Chapter 15.39 per § 17.17.200; variance requests follow MSB Chapter 17.65 per § 17.17.190.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a borough-wide building height limit in Matanuska-Susitna Borough?
How tall can I build inside the Denali State Park district?
What happens if a structure exceeds the 35-foot limit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Matanuska-Susitna Borough
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