Planning Commission

CITY AND BOROUGH OF SITKA Minutes - Final Planning Commission Wednesday, September 6, 2023 7:00 PM Harrigan Centennial Hall I. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL Present: Darrell Windsor (Acting Chair), Wendy Alderson, Stacy Mudry, Katie Riley Absent: Thor Christianson (Assembly liaison) Staff: Amy Ainslie, Coral Crenna, Kim Davis Public: Thomas Ensign, Dan Evans, Joel Warner Acting Chair Windsor called the meeting to order at 7:00 PM II. CONSIDERATION OF THE AGENDA III. CONSIDERATION OF THE MINUTES A PM 23-13 Approve the August 16, 2023 meeting minutes. M/Mudry-S/Alderson moved to approve the August 16, 2023, meeting minutes. Motion passed 4-0 by voice vote. IV. PERSONS TO BE HEARD V. PLANNING DIRECTOR’S REPORT Ainslie reminded commissioners the September 20th meeting was canceled. The October 18th meeting was scheduled for Alaska Day and asked commissioners if they wanted to move the meeting or cancel. Commissioners moved the October 18th meeting to October 19th. Ainslie informed commissioners the Norwood short-term rental was postponed until the October 4th meeting. Also the Assembly would be reviewing applications for the vacant planning commission seat at the September 12th Assembly meeting. VI. REPORTS VII. THE EVENING BUSINESS B CUP 23-17 Public hearing and consideration of a conditional use permit for a mobile home (travel trailer) on an interim basis at 325 Eliason Loop in the R-1 single-family and duplex residential district. The property is also known as Lot 4, Block 5, Hillside Subdivision. The request is filed by Thomas Ensign. The owner of record is Thomas Ensign. Crenna introduced a request for a conditional use permit for an interim trailer at 325 Eliason Loop. This was to facilitate the construction of a single-family dwelling. The CITY AND BOROUGH OF SITKA Page 1 Planning Commission Minutes - Final September 6, 2023 conditional use permit was for 12 months with a possible 6 month extension that would come back before the planning commission for approval if requested. The applicant would be required to get permits from Public Works for grading, utilities, foundation and building. A signed financial guarantee would be required in the event the City and Borough of Sitka (CBS) was to remove the trailer from the property at the owner's expense. Commissioners asked staff when the activation period would start. Staff clarified that the permit would be activated when the unit was placed on the property and a life safety inspection was completed. Staff recommended approval. The applicant Tom Ensign was present. He had received the grading permit and informed the commission he would possibly request a variance for setbacks for construction of the dwelling unit. He stated he expected construction to be completed by the end of next summer. Riley asked about removal plans for the trailer if he was unable to complete construction by the time the permit sunsets. Ensign stated he would move the trailer. A letter read into public comment from Mike Vieira, stated his concerns with the interim trailer changing the character of the neighborhood and the removal of the trailer when the permit ended. Ainslie explained the financial agreement between the applicant and CBS was to facilitate the removal of the trailer. Commissioners discussed the item, Riley had some concerns regarding trash disposal and enforcement if the trailer was not removed, Windsor was in favor and Alderson liked that he was providing his own housing while constructing his new residence. M/Riley-S/Mudry moved to approve the conditional use permit for a mobile home on an interim basis at 325 Eliason Loop in the R-1-single-family/duplex residential district subject to the attached conditions of approval. The property was also known as Lot 4, Block 5, Hillside Subdivision. The request was filed by Thomas Ensign. The owner of record was Thomas Ensign. Motion passed 4-0 by voice vote. M/Riley-S/Mudry moved to adopt and approve the required findings for conditional use permits as listed in the staff report. Motion passed 4-0 by voice vote. C CUP 23-18 Public hearing and consideration of a conditional use permit for a short-term rental at 611 Etolin Street in the R-1 single-family and duplex residential district. The property is also known as portion of Lot Eight (8), Block Fifteen (15), Sitka Townsite. The request is filed by Daniel Evans. The owners of record are Daniel and Janet Evans. Crenna introduced a request for a conditional use permit for an short-term rental (STR) at 611 Etolin Street. The applicants would like to rent their home while at Baranoff Warm Springs during the summer. The STR would be managed by both the applicants and Sitka Travel. There was landscaping and fencing buffering the property. The STR was limited to five guests and quiet hours were listed from 10 PM - 7 AM. The property had three parking spaces and was within walking distance to town. There were 13 other STR's in the area but only 11 were activated. Staff recommend approval. Alderson asked to be recused from the item since she lived on Etolin Street. Acting Chair Windsor excepted the recusal. Windsor suggested the applicant may want to postpone since there would need to be an majority vote. The applicant Dan Evans was present and asked to postpone to the next meeting. Riley asked if the applicant could provide additional information in the renter handout regarding trash management and more specific details about house rules. There was no public CITY AND BOROUGH OF SITKA Page 2 Planning Commission Minutes - Final September 6, 2023 comment. M/Riley-S/Mudry moved to postpone to the October 4th meeting. Motion passed 3-0 by voice vote. D CUP 23-19 Public hearing and consideration of a request for a conditional use permit to operate a day care at 1113 Edgecumbe Drive in the R-1 single-family and duplex residential district. The property is also known as Lot One (1), Kashevaroff Subdivision. The request is filed by Joel Warner. The owner of record is the Sitka Church of Christ. Crenna introduced a request for a conditional use permit for a day care with five or more children located at 1113 Edgecumbe Drive, also known as the Sitka Church of Christ (Church). The day care would be in operation from Monday-Friday from 7:30 AM-5:30 PM. The applicant Joel Warner would be operating the day care under Little Blessing Inc, a non-profit. The day care would be limited to twelve children. There would be two paid employees and Mr. Warner operating the day care. The property had a fence and there would be a playground by the side of the building. Parking had been calculated as a mix use with the church requiring nine parking spaces and the day care requiring seven parking spaces. There were twenty eight parking spaces available and only sixteen required for operation. The applicant Joel Warner was present. Commissioners asked if children would be playing in the front yard and if it would be fenced. Warner stated any fence installed would have to be short to maintain visibility at the corner of Kashevaroff Street and Halibut Point Road. They had a playground next to the building and would be installing a fence so the children would not be out in the front yard. There was no public comment. M/Mudry-S/Alderson moved to approve the conditional use permit for a day care at 1113 Edgecumbe Drive in the R-1-single-family/duplex residential district subject to the attached conditions of approval. The property was also known as Lot One (1), Kashevaroff Subdivision. The request was filed by Joel Warner. The owner of record was Sitka Church of Christ. Motion passed 4-0 by voice vote. M/Mudry-S/Alderson moved to adopt and approve the required findings for conditional use permits as listed in the staff report. Motion passed 4-0 by voice vote. VIII. ADJOURNMENT Acting Chair Windsor adjourned the meeting at 7:51 PM. CITY AND BOROUGH OF SITKA Page 3