Planning Commission

CITY AND BOROUGH OF SITKA Minutes - Final Planning Commission Wednesday, February 5, 2025 7:00 PM Harrigan Centennial Hall I. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL Present: Stacy Mudry (Acting Chair), Wendy Alderson, Robin Sherman, Thor Christianson (Assembly Liaison) Excused: Darrell Windor, Katie Riley Staff: Amy Ainslie, Kim Davis, Ariadne Will Public: Luigi Sequenzia, Courtney Lecrone, Jami Rivera, Jarred Rivera, Cathy Li (Sitka Sentinel) Acting Chair Mudry called the meeting to order at 7:03 p.m. II. CONSIDERATION OF THE AGENDA III. CONSIDERATION OF THE MINUTES A PM 25-02 Approve the January 15, 2025 meeting minutes. M/Alderson-S/Sherman moved to approve the January 15, 2025 meeting minutes. Motion passed 3-0 by voice vote. IV. PERSONS TO BE HEARD V. PLANNING DIRECTOR’S REPORT B MISC 25-04 Notice of vacation of utility easement located at 4612 Halibut Point Road. The property is also known as Lot 1, Wyatt-Cox Resubdivision No. 2. The property owner is Anchor, LLC. Ainslie updated the commission on a utility easement vacation at 4612 Halibut Point Road and on the postponement of a subdivision request at 305 Islander Drive. The subdivision request had originally been postponed to the February 5, 2025 meeting, but was rescheduled to appear again before the commission at the February 19, 2025 Planning Commission meeting. VI. REPORTS VII. THE EVENING BUSINESS C CUP 25-01 Public hearing and consideration of a conditional use permit for a short-term rental at 508 Hirst Street in the R-1 single-family, duplex residential district. CITY AND BOROUGH OF SITKA Page 1 Planning Commission Minutes - Final February 5, 2025 The property is also known as Lot 2, Shaffer/Rezek Lot Line Adjustment and Lot 2, Block 1, Sirstad Addition. The request is filed by Courtney Lecrone and Luigi Sequenzia. The owners of record are Courtney Lecrone and Luigi Sequenzia. Davis introduced a request for a conditional use permit at 508 Hirst Street in the R-1 single-family and duplex residential district. The property was the primary residence of applicants Luigi Sequenzia, Jr. and Courtney Lecrone, who planned to rent the single-family home on the property out short-term from May through September. The applicants said the capacity for the four-bedroom, single-story home was to be six guests. Davis said that the applicants needed to stay informed about an infrastructure project scheduled to start in the summer, involving repaving and utility work on Lake, Hirst, and Kinkead streets. She said this included alerting renters to impacts the project would have on stays. Lecrone said she would inform renters about the street project and that the property had room at its rear for parking when the project reached Hirst Street. Staff recommended approval. Commissioners asked Lecrone where she was planning to stay when renting the house. She said that she split time between Sitka and Pelican, and that her sister-in-law would manage the property and handle renter turnover. The request did not receive any public comment or further commission discussion. M/Alderson-S/Sherman moved to approve the conditional use permit for a short-term rental at 508 Hirst Street in the R1 single-family and duplex residential district. The property was also known as Lot 2, Shaffer/Rezek Lot Line Adjustment and Lot 2, Block 1, Sirstad Addition. The request was filed by Courtney Lecrone and Luigi Sequenzia. The owners of record were Courtney Lecrone and Luigi Sequenzia. Motion passed 3-0 by voice vote. M/Alderson-S/Sherman moved to adopt and approve the required findings for conditional use permits as listed in the staff report. Motion passed 3-0 by voice vote. D CUP 25-02 Public hearing and consideration of a conditional use permit for a short-term rental at 105 Patterson Way in the R-1 single-family and duplex residential district. The property is also known as Lot 2, Block 2, Dave Cox Subdivision. The request is filed by Jarred and Jami Rivera. The owners of record are Jarred and Jami Rivera. Davis introduced a request for a conditional use permit for a short-term rental at 105 Patterson Way in the R-1 single-family and duplex residential district. The three-bedroom single-family home was the primary residence of applicants Jami and Jarred Rivera, who said that they wanted to rent their home short-term from the end of May through early August, when Jami was planning on being out of town and Jarred planned to live with family while working a seasonal job. The applicants listed a five-guest capacity and clarified to the commission that renters would be told to leave garbage in the garage prior to pickup day. Staff recommended approval. Two public comments were included in the staff report, one expressing support but concern about guests using on-street parking. The second comment requested the commission deny the permit and said that the neighborhood did not permit short-term rentals. The commission reminded the public that short-term rentals are allowed as a conditional use in residential zones and said that the public could submit complaints to CITY AND BOROUGH OF SITKA Page 2 Planning Commission Minutes - Final February 5, 2025 the Planning and Community Development Department if they observed short-term rentals violating policy and conditions of approval. M/Alderson-S/Sherman moved to approve the conditional use permit for a short-term rental at 105 Patterson Way in the R-1 single-family and duplex residential district. The property was also known as Lot 2, Block 2, Dave Cox Subdivision. The request was filed by Jarred and Jami Rivera. The owners of record were Jarred and Jami Rivera. Motion passed 3-0 by voice vote. M/Alderson-S/Sherman moved to adopt and approve the required findings as listed for conditional use permits in the staff report. Motion passed 3-0 by voice vote. E MISC 25-03 Discussion and review of letter to Harris Island property owners regarding an maintenance agreement for Islander Drive. Ainslie reviewed a draft letter to be sent to Harris Island property owners and inviting recipients to a neighborhood meeting to discuss the creation of a maintenance agreement. The island had no maintenance agreement and neighbors at the December 4, 2024 Planning Commission meeting had said that they were concerned about the wear and tear on the road following a proposed subdivision, which was postponed and was to be heard at the February 19, 2025 Planning Commission meeting. The neighborhood meeting was scheduled for February 18, 2025. Ainslie also informed the commission of a covenant pertaining to all the properties on Harris Island, which had been improperly recorded by the state recorder's office. Notably, the covenant said that property owners could only construct one single family home on each lot. The commission consented to sending the letter to Harris Island property owners. VIII. ADJOURNMENT Acting Chair Mudry adjourned the meeting at 7:31 p.m. CITY AND BOROUGH OF SITKA Page 3