Planning Commission

CITY AND BOROUGH OF SITKA Minutes - Final Planning Commission Wednesday, August 21, 2024 7:00 PM Harrigan Centennial Hall I. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL Present: Darrell Windsor (Chair), Robin Sherman, Stacy Mudry Excused: Katie Riley, Wendy Alderson, Thor Christianson (Assembly liaison) Staff: Amy Ainslie, Kim Davis Public: Joshua Badder, Justin Karleski Chair Windsor called the meeting to order at 7:00 PM. II. CONSIDERATION OF THE AGENDA III. CONSIDERATION OF THE MINUTES A PM 24-10 Approve the August 7, 2024 meeting minutes. M/Mudry-S/Sherman moved to approve the August 7, 2024 meeting minutes. Motion passed 3-0 by voice vote. IV. PERSONS TO BE HEARD V. PLANNING DIRECTOR’S REPORT Ainslie updated the commission on the Planner 1 position being posted and would close on September 3. There were no application requests for the September 4 meeting and it was cancelled. VI. REPORTS VII. THE EVENING BUSINESS B LM 24-01 Public hearing and consideration of a tidelands lease request for municipal tidelands located seaward of 724 Siginaka Way in the C-1 general commercial district. The property is also known as a portion of ATS 15. The request is filed by Wild Strawberry Lodge, LLC. The property owner is the City and Borough of Sitka. Ainslie introduced a tidelands lease request from Wild Strawberry Lodge, LLC. These tidelands were adjacent to their lodge and charter operations located at 720 and 724 Siginaka Way. There were two leased areas that would be combined into one lease. Property A had undefined space and boundaries. This lease was under a month to month lease to Theresa Weiser since 2000 and had been used for parking and CITY AND BOROUGH OF SITKA Page 1 Planning Commission Minutes - Final August 21, 2024 storage. The applicants would like this use to continue and install a freezer Conex box. Property B had defined boundaries of 1,890 square feet and was currently leased to Theresa Weiser which would expire in October of 2037. There was a structure on the property with one side as a fish processing/packaging facility and the other side had a two bedroom residential unit. Both properties had private and public utility infrastructure including a critical sewer line from the Brady lift station to the Thomson Harbor lift station that would need to be identified and protected. Largely the impact would be unchanged as existing uses would continue. This area was next to a public harbor and would remain active with high to moderate traffic expected. The process for the lease agreement to be completed would include the Planning Commission making a recommendation to the Assembly, the Assembly would provide direction to staff, staff would develop the lease agreement and a ordinance would be finalized. This was support by comprehensive plan actions LM 1.1a, 1.1e, and ED 6.5. Staff recommended approval. Applicants Joshua Badder and Justin Karleski owners of Wild Strawberry Lodge, LLC were present. They had no additional comments but suggested a 30 year lease would work well for them. Commissioners discussed the lease review process, the inappropriateness of competitive bidding due to the long-standing use of the property by the applicant and their ownership of the uplands. They recommended combining the leases into one, with defined boundaries, and prioritizing the protection of public utilities and infrastructure. M/Sherman-S/Mudry moved to recommend approval of the lease request for municipal tidelands located seaward of 724 Siginaka Way. The property was also known as a portion of ATS 15. I further recommend that the Assembly find competitive bidding for this lease would be inappropriate as it would have unjust results to the existing lessee and neighboring property owners, and that identification, protection of, and access to public utility infrastructure in the area be prioritized in the new lease agreement. The request was filed by Joshua Badder for Wild Strawberry Lodge, LLC. The owner of record was the City and Borough of Sitka. Motion passed 3-0 by voice vote. VIII. ADJOURNMENT Chair Windsor adjourned the meeting at 7:20 PM. CITY AND BOROUGH OF SITKA Page 2