Valdez Planning and Zoning Commission Regular Meeting - July 23, 2025
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Valdez Planning and Zoning Commission Regular Meeting - July 23, 2025
The Valdez Planning and Zoning Commission held a regular meeting on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, at 7:00 PM in the Council Chambers. The primary action was the approval of a temporary land use permit for Granite Construction Company. The commission also received reports on a previously issued permit and an ongoing housing needs assessment, and discussed recent code changes regarding camping.
New Business
- Approval of Temporary Land Use Permit #25-09 for Granite Construction Company: The commission considered a permit for a 1.9-acre portion of Tract C1, ASLS 79-116, owned by the City of Valdez. Granite Construction Company had already set up an asphalt batch plant on the site for a state project before realizing a temporary land use permit was required. City staff observed the operation during a gravel lease renewal site visit and informed Granite, who then submitted the application promptly. Commissioner Moulton expressed concern about the timing, noting the application was submitted after work had begun, but acknowledged this was likely due to confusion because the site is city property with an existing gravel lease held by Harris Sand and Gravel, who provided a letter of non-objection. Commissioner Bolton moved approval, seconded by Commissioner Goodrow. The applicant, Ben Lameron of Granite, confirmed the timeline and thanked the commission. The motion passed unanimously: 6 ayes, 1 absent (Commissioner Wade). The permit was dated July 23, 2025, to avoid post-dating and additional fees.
Reports
- Report on Temporary Land Use Permit 25-05: A written report was provided regarding a temporary land use permit issued to Fireweed 400, Inc. for approximately 5.6 acres of city-owned land at 3100 Richardson Highway, Tract D 79-116, for use as ball fields. No discussion or questions were raised.
- Community Development Director’s Report: Director Kate (staff) provided a verbal update on the ongoing housing needs assessment project with AgNU Beck, an Anchorage firm. A preliminary presentation was made at a city council work session on July 15, 2025. Key preliminary findings include projected number of dwelling units needed in the next 10 years, number of dwellings requiring rehabilitation or replacement, and needs across income brackets. The final report is expected this fall. The director offered to share the presentation slides with the commission. Discussion clarified that the work session recording may not yet be available on the city website, but slides could be provided. Commissioner Moulton also inquired about the camping ordinance update. Staff reported that the ordinance (regarding camping and RV parks) was adopted on second reading at the July 15 city council meeting, with a much simplified version aligning with Title 17. The update removed RV park requirements from the camping ordinance and placed them in the zoning code. The final ordinance is available in the July 15 agenda packet.
Key Outcomes
- Temporary Land Use Permit #25-09 approved (6-0, one absent). Effective date set to July 23, 2025.
- Housing needs assessment slides to be included in next meeting's agenda packet for commissioner review.
- Camping ordinance update adopted by city council on July 15, 2025; commission informed for reference.
Meeting Transcript
Commissioner Raditic, can you hear us? Yes, I can. All right, thank you. All right. Public business from the floor is a time for anyone in the audience to address us on a non-agenda item. One staff member in the audience. All right. New business item number one approval of temporary land use permit twenty-five dash zero nine for granite construction company for a one and a one point nine acre portion of track C one ASLS seventy-nine dash one one six owned by the city of Valdez. Okay. Oh sorry. Moved by Commissioner Bolton, seconded by Commissioner Goodrow. Any discussion on this one? I agree. Yeah, uh, no, this is not an objection by any means, but um I did send an email earlier today to uh Kate about just the timing of these applications. Um they wanted to start the seventh, but they didn't submit it to the fifteenth. Here we are the twenty-third. Um, and just being the point really is an I I asked for just a little baby history in the timeline. Not that I don't want to approve it, but um yeah, from my time on council, I never liked seeing stuff after the fact, and it makes me think a little bit about their planning and what their idea was when they took this project, and that they're here, and then they really set up signs and do work, and they don't have anywhere to do their asphalt plan. If there was an issue with this property, which again, I'm not saying there is. In this case, um, I from my understanding that granite was not aware of the need for the temporary land use permit. And then we had city staff who was at the site because we're working on a renewal of the gravel lease at that site who observed that they were operating there. And as soon as we informed them that there was a permit required, they responded immediately and submitted an application. Um so again, the applicant is online. I don't know if Ben or somebody else on the line would like to speak to that process, but my understanding is that they were unaware of the requirement, and as soon as we made them aware, they responded immediately, and then we brought it before you. And would that be if I may continue? Um would that be more of nature because this was a state project. So yes, I'll let the applicant speak to it. Is the state project also I suspect because there is an asphalt batch plant at this site for um Harrisan and Gravel who has a permit to do gravel extraction at this site that I think that probably played into the confusion of not understanding that a permit would be required, that it actually is city property. And any time that we have somebody who has a permit for gravel extraction, a gravel lease, that's not actually a land lease, it's not actually a land interest. They have a permit to go in and extract gravel. So we see that as a point of confusion, and we actually had the same situation arise with a different gravel lease a few years ago where a different construction company um needed or desired to operate a plant at that site. And so we went through the same process with them. But at that time, we kind of had to, we worked with the city attorney to determine what was appropriate since there is an existing gravel lease at that site. And so what we settled on is the same um process that you saw in that in the packet tonight, where we had the um the person who holds the gravel lease in this case Harris Sand and Gravel submit a letter of non-objection, just so that you all know that the person operating there is aware that um granite will be on site and that they can work together. And so that's that's the same process that we went through before, but I don't think it's well known amongst the public that that's a necessary step. Yeah. So I don't I don't know if you'd like to hear from the applicant, but they are on the line. Um if if they wish, I mean, that was a good explanation. I'll just that was what I was worrying about. I don't I don't like being behind the curve or putting a bad place where like, well, they're already working, so you know if there was an issue with the property, we'd be in a tight spot to approve it regardless. Again, not saying that with this current site, but in the future, and thinking if it was a city project, that probably would have been a little more clear, but since work with the state, this and that. I'm glad you brought that up. Uh would the applicant care to address us on this? You're not required to, but if you'd like to say something, this would be a good time. Yeah, this is uh Ben Lameron from Granite. I was just going to comment that's a pretty accurate representation. We were unaware of the permit requirements for that. Uh, the land use to application, and as soon as we got the notification, we turn in the application the same day. All right, thank you. Anyone else have concerns or questions?
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