2045 Homer Comprehensive Plan Update
THANK YOU, Homer, for helping to shape the 2045 Homer Comprehensive Plan Update.
The Public Hearing Draft is here and the plan adoption process has begun.
What’s Happened So Far?
- September 3 | The Planning Commission recommended the City Council adopt the plan with consideration of potential amendments. The plan will be introduced at the City Council on October 13.
- August 20 | The Planning Commission held a public hearing on the Public Hearing Draft and closed the public hearing to testimony.
- February 11 – March 14 | The Public Review Draft was published for public comment.
- April 29 | A Planning Commission Work Session was held to review comments on the Public Review Draft.
- June 11 | The City Council and Planning Commission held a joint work session on the Public Review Draft of the Plan (i.e., the Public Review Draft was updated to address public comments as discussed at the April 29 work session).
- July 23 | The Public Hearing Draft was published to the project website. See the full plan below.
What's Next?
- October 13 | The Public Hearing Draft will be introduced at the Homer City Council as a Comprehensive Plan Ordinance. A list of potential amendments from the Planning Commission’s recommendation with be included. The public can comment under public comments, early on the Council’s agenda. Check the City’s calendar for materials related to the introduction after October 2.
- October 27 | A public hearing will be held on the Public Hearing Draft Ordinance at the Homer City Council. Check the City’s calendar for materials related to the public hearing after October 20. The Homer City Council may choose to adopt the Public Hearing Draft Ordinance, adopt as amended, or continue discussions on the ordinance at a later meeting.
- Fall 2025 | If the Public Hearing Draft Ordinance is adopted by the Homer City Council, it will be sent to the Kenai Peninsula Borough for adoption.
Want to comment? Here's how!
- Submit written comments online here: https://www.cityofhomer-ak.gov/cityclerk/submit-written-testimony-commission-and-board-meetings. Please provide comments before noon on the day of the meeting.
- Email comments to clerk@ci.homer.ak.us. Please indicate in the subject line which agenda item you are providing written comment for (Comprehensive Plan) and provide comments before noon on the day of the meeting.
- Attend the meeting and speak in person or provide written comment if you missed the noon deadline.
- Telephonic or Virtual testimony using Zoom.
Access the July 2025 Public Hearing Draft and related background materials:
Hard copies of the full plan for view/pick up are also available at the Homer City Hall (491 E. Pioneer Avenue) or the Homer Public Library (500 Hazel Avenue).
Other materials:
- Full Plan (Executive Summary + Core + Appendices Combined) (21.4 MB)
- Individual Appendices:
Want to take deeper dive look into the Future Land Use Map? Check out the new interactive Future Land Use Map here.
Why Update the Plan Now?
Download this short supplemental document that answers some of your frequently asked questions, including:
- Why do we need an updated Comprehensive Plan?
- What have we accomplished since 2008?
- How is the proposed 2045 Plan different from the 2018 Plan?
- How has the City of Homer and surrounding area changed since the 2018 Plan was adopted? What other impactful changes have occurred?
Recently Completed Meetings
- September 3 – Planning Commission Regular Meeting
- August 20 – Planning Commission Public Hearing
- June 11 – Joint City Council and Planning Commission Work Session
- April 29 – Planning Commission Special Meeting
- March 20 – Parks, Art, Recreation & Culture Advisory Commission
- March 19 – Planning Commission Regular Meeting
- March 18 – Library Advisory Board
- March 11 – Economic Development Advisory Commission
- March 5 – Planning Commission
- February 26 – Port & Harbor Advisory Commission
- February 10 – City Council
Photo Contest Winners
Thank you to everyone who submitted photos in the Homer Comprehensive Plan photo contest! We received so many wonderful submissions that capture Homer, its people, and its beauty. We look forward to showcasing all your work in the comprehensive plan.
The project team chose four winners (five photos) we’d like to especially acknowledge for their beautiful work:
- John Bushell – Homer Moose
- Tim Hatfield – Aurora Sign and Diamond Volcanoes
- Kyra Wagner – Farmers Market
- Derek Mueller – Poot Spit
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 On February 7th, 2025.
- 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, public facilities and services, housing, economic development, transportation, governance, sustainability and resilience, 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
Launch, Outreach, Analysis
Launch project, gather community input, data collection, plan review, conduct growth scenarios activity
Draft Plan
Launch project, gather community input, data collection, plan review, conduct growth scenarios activity
Public Participation
February 11 community open house to celebrate draft plan launch
Public Review Draft
Comment period and work session(s) with Steering Committee, Planning Commission, and City Council
Public Review Draft
Comment deadline of March 14; consider revisions based on feedback and finalize plan
Feedback Review
Review by Planning Commission and City Staff for incorporation into Public Hearing Draft
Final Plan
Public Hearing Draft goes through City and Borough adoption process
ONGOING: Outreach and documentation; work sessions and/or monthly updates to the Steering Committee, Planning Commission, and City Council
Phase 2: Title 21 Code Update
To learn more about Phase 2, visit the project website at homert21codeupdate.com.
Project Team
Steering Committee
Thank you to our project Steering Committee! The Steering Committee aided in the development of the comprehensive plan. The five-member committee was 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) included:
- 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
- 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
Engagement Results
- KBBI Coffee Table show On February 13, 2025, Ryan Foster and Shelly Wade spoke with host Kathleen Gustafson about the Homer Comprehensive Plan.
- 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)
- Community Visit #2: May 2024 Results
- Community Visit #1: March 2024 Results
Background Documents
- 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 Snapshot (May 2024)
- Public Participation Plan (April 2024)
- Project Overview Flyer (April 2024)
Planning Commission and City Council Results
- April 29, 2025 Planning Commission Meeting
(View meeting materials) - March 19, 2025 Planning Commission Meeting
(View meeting materials) - November 25, 2024 City Council Meeting
(View meeting materials) - September 23, 2024 City Council Meeting
(View meeting materials) - September 18, 2024 Planning Commission & Parks, Art, Recreation & Culture Advisory Commission Joint Work session
(View meeting materials) - September 17, 2024 Library Advisory Board Meeting
(View meeting materials) - September 12, 2024 ADA Advisory Board Meeting
(View meeting materials) - September 10, 2024 Economic Development Commission Meeting (View meeting materials)
Public Review Draft:
- 2035 Homer Comprehensive Plan Update, Executive Summary Only (February 2025)
- 2035 Homer Comprehensive Plan Update, Core Plan Only (February 2025)
- 2035 Homer Comprehensive Plan Update, Full Plan (February 2025) Executive Summary & Core Plan Combined
- 2035 Homer Comprehensive Plan Update, Appendices (February 2025)
Growth Scenarios
- Growth Scenario Report Card summary (December 2024)
- Interactive view of Growth Scenarios (October 2024)
