Planning Commission

CITY AND BOROUGH OF SITKA Minutes - Final Planning Commission Wednesday, January 16, 2019 7:00 PM Harrigan Centennial Hall I. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL Present: Chris Spivey (Chair), Darrel Windsor (Vice Chair), Randy Hughey, Victor Weaver Absent: Taylor Colvin, Aaron Bean (Assembly liaison). Staff: Scott Brylinsky - Interim Planning Director, Amy Ainslie - Planner I Public: Jennifer Corak, Thad Poulson, Klas Stolpe, Phelonie McClenchan, Bryant Mett Chair Spivey called the meeting to order at 7:00 PM. II. CONSIDERATION OF THE AGENDA III. CONSIDERATION OF THE MINUTES A PM-57 Approve the December 19, 2018 minutes Attachments: DRAFT 12.19.18 Minutes Windsor/Weaver moved to approve the December 19, 2018 minutes. Motion passed 4-0 by voice vote. IV. PERSONS TO BE HEARD No persons came forward to provide comment on items not on the agenda. V. PLANNING DIRECTOR’S REPORT Scott Brylinsky made staff introductions to the Commission. Brylinsky was serving as the Interim Planning Director, and Amy Ainslie was the new Planner I. Sitka's Comprehensive Plan received a statewide award, Maegan Bosak was accepting the award on behalf of the City. Brylinsky extended recognition to all those who were involved in its formation and completion, including the Commissioners and former staff members Michael Scarcelli and Samantha Pierson. Brylinsky noted a few items that would come before the Commission in future meetings. Included in the list were: a Master Plan for the No Name Mountain area, an Overlay District for the Sheldon Jackson campus, a Zero Lot Line on Alice Loop, and the Historic Preservation Plan. Lastly, Brylinsky informed the Commission that a conditional use permit for Green Leaf that had been presented to the Commission during the November 7, 2018 meeting (and had subsequently been postponed as the Commission asked for the City Attorney to CITY AND BOROUGH OF SITKA Page 1 Planning Commission Minutes - Final January 16, 2019 weigh in on a parking lease) would not be brought back to the Commission as Green Leaf was no longer operating. B MISC 19-01 Review / Recommendation of the Sitka Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Attachments: MISC 19-01 Sitka Hazard Mitigation Plan 2018 Update Staff Report Sitka Mitigation Plan_DRAFT_2018-11-14 Brylinsky informed the Commission that the Sitka Hazard Mitigation Plan is an active document updated annually, with major updates every five years. It was necessary to have in place in order to receive FEMA funding in the case of a major emergency or natural disaster. If approved by the Commission, it would then be taken to the Assembly for approval through a resolution. Hughey inquired when landslide mapping and associated implications for the FEMA plan would be incorporated into the Hazard Mitigation Plan. Brylinsky was not aware of the status of landslide mapping and would follow up with Commission. Windsor/Hughey moved to approve the Sitka Hazard Mitigation Plan to be approved by the Assembly. Motion passed 4-0 by voice vote. VI. REPORTS VII. THE EVENING BUSINESS C LM 18-03 Public hearing and consideration of a vacation request for municipal right-of-way adjacent 114 Erler St. The property is also known as Lot 7 Spruce Glenn Subdivision No. 2. The request is filed by Howard Merkel. The owner of record is Howard Merkel. PULLED D CUP 18-33 Attachments: CUP 18-33 Corak 105 Jeff Davis Staff Report CUP 18-33 Corak 105 Jeff Davis Staff Materials CUP 18-33 Corak 105 Jeff Davis Applicant Materials Brylinsky presented the Staff Report recommending approval and outlining conditions of approval. The property resided in a multi-use neighborhood including single-family housing, a hostel on an adjacent lot, and the Sitka Fine Arts Camp campus across the street. The property had three dwelling units; the owner occupies the primary unit and the other two are under consideration for short-term rental use. The applicant, Jennifer Corak, echoed the information from the Staff Report and took questions from the Commission. Corak clarified the impact that the conditional use permit would have on the stock of long-term rentals in town. One unit had been contracted for hospital staff and therefore was not available to the public, and the other unit had a long-term renter that Corak would not displace, but would turn into a short-term rental when the tenant eventually moved out. Thad Poulson spoke as the owner of an adjacent lot which was the Sitka International Hostel. Poulson expressed concern primarily regarding the use of an easement and CITY AND BOROUGH OF SITKA Page 2 Planning Commission Minutes - Final January 16, 2019 parking on the North side of Corak's property. A plat was displayed to show the easement in relation to Corak's property. Poulson interpreted the easement on the plat to be used only for lots 1, 3, and 4; Lot 2 was not party to the easement. Therefore, the easement should not be used to facilitate access and parking for a short-term rental at Lot 2. Poulson felt a fair compromise would be to restrict parking to only two cars on the North side of Corak's property and require all other parking to be directed to the South parking area on the same property. The Commission and Staff both read the plat to indicate that the easement was on Corak's property and that Lot 2 was in fact party to the easement. Commissioners discussed parking and traffic issues. Hughey moved to amend the conditional use permit to allow two parking spaces on the North side of the property only. Motion failed for lack of a second. Weaver/Windsor moved to approve the conditional use permit as presented at 105 Jeff Davis Street in the R-1 single-family and duplex residential district. The property is also known as Lot 2 Jeff Davis Subdivision. The request is filed by Jennifer Corak. The owner of record is Jennifer Corak. Motion passed 3-1 by voice vote. Weaver/Windsor moved to approve and adopt the required findings as presented by staff. Motion passed 4-0 by voice vote. VIII. ADJOURNMENT Chair Spivey moved to adjourn. Seeing no objection, the meeting adjourned at 8:00 PM. CITY AND BOROUGH OF SITKA Page 3