Anchorage, AK Zoning Overlays & Bonuses: Density Bonus Law (2026)
Key Facts
- Base FAR
- 1.5 in the R-4 district
- Open space bonus
- 1 sq ft per sq ft, 2:1 high-quality
- Affordable housing bonus
- 4 sq ft per sq ft, capped +1.0 FAR
- Below-grade parking bonus
- 2 sq ft per sq ft, +1.0 FAR cap
- Height with bonuses
- Up to 70 feet via site plan review
- Governing section
- AMC 21.04.020.I.2.c
Summary
Anchorage's R-4 multifamily district caps floor area ratio at 1.5, but Municipal Code Section 21.04.020I.2.c lets developers earn more square footage by building open space, below-grade parking, or affordable rental housing. Buildings that stack enough of these incentives can also rise to 70 feet through an administrative site plan review, well above the district's base height limit.
The maximum floor area ratio (FAR) in the R-4 district is 1.5, but may be increased through the bonus provisions below. These incentives provide for an incremental increase in the floor area of a development in exchange for incremental increases in any of the following special features deemed of benefit to the community. ... Bonus for affordable rental housing. Four square feet of additional gross floor area is allowed per square foot of affordable rental housing unit floor area, up to a maximum increase of 1.0 FAR. The affordable housing units shall be consistent with the standards of section 21.07.110G, affordable housing.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 5010260; v11 updated 2026-09-01).
Full Breakdown
c of the Anchorage Municipal Code. Rather than a hard cap, the section lays out five separate incentive paths a developer can combine. 030D, doubling to two square feet if the space meets the code's 'high quality' open space standard. 0 FAR increase, and that ratio jumps to four square feet per square foot on a second level built below grade. 110G. g, round out the list. 5 FAR toward the district's practical ceiling. 8, and the project goes through administrative site plan review rather than being approved by right.
Violations & Fines
The FAR and height bonuses are self-executing through the permitting process, not a separate enforcement chapter: a project that wants the extra square footage or the 70-foot height must document its open space, parking, or affordable-housing commitment on the approved site plan before Development Services will issue a building permit. If the recorded open space, garage, or affordable units are not built or are later removed, the extra floor area and height are no longer authorized, and continuing to occupy space built on that basis exposes the owner to Title 21 zoning enforcement.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the base floor area ratio in Anchorage's R-4 district?
How much extra floor area does affordable housing earn in Anchorage's R-4 zone?
Can a building use the FAR bonus to exceed the normal height limit too?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Anchorage
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