Sitka Planning Commission Meeting - June 4, 2025
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Sitka Planning Commission Meeting - June 4, 2025
The Sitka Planning Commission met on Wednesday, June 4, 2025, at Harrigan Centennial Hall to consider several conditional use permits and hear updates on pending appeals. The commission approved a marijuana retail facility and an on-site consumption area at 4509 Halibut Point Road, a short-term rental at 410 Spruce Street Apt B, and a food truck at 328 Lincoln Street. All votes were unanimous.
Consent Calendar
- Approved the May 21, 2025, meeting minutes (motion by Commissioner, seconded, all in favor).
Public Comments & Testimony
- Tom Jacobson (Old Barge Road resident) spoke in opposition to both CUP 25-08 and CUP 25-09. He argued against siting a marijuana facility in a residential neighborhood, stated it would reduce property values, and questioned the compatibility of the use with the existing residential character. He also raised concerns about inaccurate city plats and past zoning issues.
- Marty Martin (applicant) provided rebuttal, noting that the property is commercially zoned and that the city should address property line issues on Old Barge Road related to DNR management.
Planning Director’s Report
- Provided updates on two pending appeals:
- Cell tower height variance on Nancy Court: The assembly lacked a quorum due to conflicts of interest; the matter will be heard by the State Office of Administrative Hearings, likely in early to mid-July. A new notification will be sent to neighbors.
- Harris Island subdivision (Islander Drive/Shotgun Alley): Scheduled for the assembly meeting the following Tuesday.
- The Planning Director noted that code changes for telecommunications towers remain a priority and that outreach to property owners has begun.
Discussion Items
CUP 25-08: Marijuana Retail Facility at 4509 Halibut Point Road
- Staff report: The property (~30,000 sq ft) in the C-2 zone currently has two residences (a single-family home and a mobile home). The proposed retail building is ~676 sq ft with a max occupancy of 5 clients. Expected customers are primarily pedestrians from the adjacent cruise ship dock. Two parking spaces are provided. The staff recommended approval with conditions, including directional signage. A public comment in opposition cited negative impacts on neighborhood character and property values; staff noted mitigating factors (large property, adjacent commercial development, common ownership).
- Applicant testimony (Liza and Marty Martin): They are lessees; the property owner (Richard Burgess Bauder) initiated the project. The retail store would sell product for off-site consumption; on-site consumption is a separate permit. They emphasized that the location is commercial and that the facility is needed to give tourists a legal place to consume.
- Commission discussion: Commissioners acknowledged the neighborhood's mixed-use nature and the commercial zoning. Some expressed concern about customers wandering into residential areas; suggestions included signage inside the facility about consumption laws. The commission voted unanimously to approve with conditions.
CUP 25-09: On-Site Marijuana Consumption at 4509 Halibut Point Road
- Staff report: An outdoor consumption area (~2500-3000 sq ft) enclosed by a 6-foot fence, with two 120-sq-ft gazebos. Max occupancy of 12 clients. Hours 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Staff identified three main concerns: odor mitigation, visibility into the area, and pedestrian safety. Conditions added include raising the fence in sections and screening gazebos to prevent visibility from adjacent properties and the cruise dock.
- Applicant testimony: They plan to offer flower (half-gram joints), vape, and edibles with strict state limits. Fence is 8 feet tall. They expressed willingness to add fans and filtration in gazebos if needed. They requested a trial period before requiring full enclosure.
- Commission discussion: Strong debate on odor impacts. Some commissioners favored requiring ventilation and filtration from the start; others supported a trial period with a site visit. Ultimately, a condition was added requiring operable air ventilation and filtration in gazebos for smoking, and a planning commission site visit within one month of opening to assess odor; the commission may impose additional conditions, including enclosure, based on results.
- Vote: Motion to approve with conditions (as amended) passed unanimously.
CUP 25-11: Short-Term Rental at 410 Spruce Street Apt B
- Staff report: A two-bedroom unit in the R-2 multifamily district. Owners will live on-site and manage. Max occupancy 4 guests; quiet hours 9 p.m. to 8 a.m. Parking is ample; owners also own adjacent parcel 412 Spruce Street (paved area). Staff recommended approval with conditions (signage for address and parking).
- Applicant testimony (Jennifer Patrick): Confirmed that they own 412 Spruce Street and have no plans to develop it. They will limit parking to one space to reduce traffic.
- Commission discussion: Expressed general support but concern about conversion of long-term rentals to short-term rentals. Approved unanimously.
CUP 25-12: Food Truck at 328 Lincoln Street
- Staff report: A 25x8-foot food truck in the CBD, operating 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., six days a week. Located in a private parking lot with another existing food truck (Alaska Tie Kitchen). Parking is available on street. No generator needed except in power outages. Trash service provided. Staff advised moving the truck slightly to improve pedestrian safety and bank drive-thru access. The truck will have an awning and standing tables. Staff recommended approval.
- Applicant testimony (Ashley McNamee): Had a question about bank parking but no major concerns.
- Commission discussion: No opposition. Approved unanimously.
Key Outcomes
- CUP 25-08: Approved (unanimous) with standard conditions.
- CUP 25-09: Approved (unanimous) with additional conditions requiring air ventilation/filtration in gazebos for smoking and a planning commission site visit within one month to monitor odor; further enclosure may be required.
- CUP 25-11: Approved (unanimous) with conditions for signage.
- CUP 25-12: Approved (unanimous) with staff-recommended site adjustments.
- Future meetings: Code change discussions will be placed at the end of future agendas.
Meeting Transcript
I'd like to call this June 4th, 2025 Planning Commission to order. Can I get a roll call, please? Chair Windsor. Present. Vice Chair Riley. Here. Commissioner Modery. Here. Commissioner Alzerson. Here. Commissioner Sherman. Here. Similarly, John Tor Christensen. Here. Steps. Amy Ainsley, Kim Davis, and Ariadnewell. Thank you. And uh can I get a consideration of the last meeting's minutes? I move to approve the May 21st, 2025 meeting minutes. I second. Move to second. All in favor. Aye. Aye. Are there any persons tonight to be heard that's not on tonight's agenda? See none. Do we have anyone on Zoom? Okay, so we'll go right to Planet Director's Report, please. Yes, Mr. Chair. Um, so for two items um that have previously been before uh the planning commission that are um right now actively in appeal, just wanted to give a bit of an update. Um the height variants related to the cell tower on Nancy Court was scheduled to be heard by the assembly at their meeting last Thursday. Um unfortunately, um, four members of the assembly had conflicts of interest, and therefore the board of adjustment didn't have a quorum to rule on the issue, and so we will be um having the state office of administrative hearings serve as the hearing officer for that um for that item that we're anticipating um probably early to mid-July for that for that hearing to take place. So we're currently working um with our legal department to to contract with the state and to schedule and and set up the um the hearing and the procedures. Um we did also um want to note as well that we will um when we have more information about the date, what the procedure will look like, what options there are for um public testimony or public comment, we will be sending another notification to all of the neighbors in the area to update with them with that information. Um while the assembly didn't um hear the matter, um, and so there wasn't public comment on the item specifically, there was public comment during the meeting. Um, and several of the comments spoke to the need for um a revisit on our existing zoning codes as it relates to telecommunications towers, and this is something that we've talked about as a commission and is um high on our our priority list. And so um I reached out to a couple of the the um property owners in the area, of course, kind of made clear I can't talk about this specific case but wanted to just kind of extend an invitation for for those folks to help um participate or to to help kind of inform um that code that code rewrite process. So um we'll continue working on that as well on kind of in line with our our other code change priorities that we had discussed at our last meeting. Uh the other appeal item um is for the Harris Island subdivision at the on Islander Drive at the bottom of Shotgun Alley. Um that is scheduled to go uh in front of the assembly next week at their at their Tuesday meeting. That's everything I have. Okay, any question any questions for staff um were we gonna do these um code items at the end of the meetings if we have time, or was that going to be hit and miss when we have when we have a lighter agenda? We'll we'll plan to put them on the um the end of our um agendas. We did not have the bandwidth to do that for tonight's meeting. Oh sorry, pardon the pun. All right, so we'll go to the first bit of business. I just want to touch base on the appeal process the last meeting, besides being one of the stranger meetings I've ever been on in. Um it was it was interesting. Uh and the fact is that both JJ and I also could have been re there.
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