Valdez Planning and Zoning Commission Regular Meeting - October 22, 2025
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Valdez Planning and Zoning Commission Regular Meeting - October 22, 2025
The Valdez Planning and Zoning Commission met on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, at 7:00 PM in the Council Chambers at 212 Chenega Ave., Valdez, AK. All commissioners were present except Commissioner Metroca (excused); Commissioner Wade attended by phone. The sole new business item was a recommendation to City Council for a lease with Central Environmental, Inc. for approximately 2 acres of the city-owned USS 439 (Pipeyard). The meeting also included a report from the Community Development Director and commission business from the floor.
Public Comments & Testimony
- One staff member indicated they did not wish to speak on non-agenda items; no public testimony was offered.
Discussion Items
- Lease with Central Environmental, Inc. (New Business): Commissioner Goodrow moved to approve the recommendation, seconded by Commissioner Beatis. Discussion addressed site conditions, environmental assessment, and land-use classification.
- Commissioner Goodrow asked whether soil samples were taken before material was placed and whether additional samples could be taken afterward to check for residue from transformers or other materials.
- The Community Development Director explained that the scrap metal storage was already in progress due to a planned fall barge shipment that was delayed. Staff encouraged a temporary land use permit but recognized the need for longer-term storage. A Phase I environmental assessment is required for leases on light/heavy industrial zoned city land, along with an appraisal for fair rental value. The applicant documented existing site conditions before moving materials, providing a baseline for the Phase I assessment.
- Sean Holland, representing the applicant, confirmed that a full site characterization with pre-utilization sampling was completed and that post-utilization sampling will follow as good practice. He stated there are no transformers or petroleum/oil/lubricant residues on the stored metal components.
- Commissioner Goodrow expressed satisfaction with the response.
- Another commissioner asked when the site would become a salvage yard requiring fencing and whether long-term storage is a permitted use. The Director clarified that the use is "storage for shipment and barging," not processing, and is a permitted use under the zoning code.
- The Director also noted an existing lease with the Valdez Motorsports Club at the same site; the club was notified and had no concerns, and the area will be well-marked to avoid conflicts.
- Community Development Director’s Report: The Director provided a verbal update:
- Title 16 draft subdivision code has completed legal review and management review; the draft is back with consultants and expected next week. Public review is being prepared, and the item will be brought to the commission at a November meeting.
- Several lease applications are being processed and will be agenda items for November meetings.
- Commission terms for three commissioners end at the end of November; the clerk's office is reaching out about reapplication. New or returning commissioners will join at the first meeting in December.
Key Outcomes
- The commission voted 6 yes, 0 no, 1 absent (Commissioner Metroca excused) to recommend approval of the lease with Central Environmental, Inc. to the City Council. Commissioner Wade participated by phone.
- Commissioner Bates announced she will not be able to continue serving next year due to PhD comprehensive exams and travel, effective after the remaining meetings.
- The commission will receive the Title 16 draft in November for review.
Meeting Transcript
We'll go ahead and call this meeting to order the Valdez Planning and Zoning Commission for Wednesday, October 22nd. But the record show that all commissioners are present with the exception of Commissioner Metroca, who is excused, and Commissioner Wade is on the phone. Public business from the floor. We have one staff member. Did you come to speak to us on a non-agenda item? No. I didn't think so. All right. So we'll go right to new business approval of a recommendation to City Council for release with Central Environmental Inc for an approximately two-acre portion of USS 439, the pipe yard owned by the city of Valdez. I moved. Moved by Commissioner Goodrow, seconded by Commissioner Beatis. Any discussion on this. And I guess my question is, and I'm sure it wasn't happened, but did anybody grab any soil samples before they put the stuff down, and then could we grab them again just to make sure that there isn't a bunch of stuff residue from transformers and other miscellaneous stuff that might be there? Yeah, I'm happy to speak to the required process and what has happened, and then Sean Holland representation for that applicant is on the line and he can add some more detail. Um, but I'll just speak generally about the process. And I do just want to mention for context for everyone, it's in the agenda statement. But um, this use as as Commissioner Goodreau referenced is already um in progress, and that's because um this project was um the the scrap metal associated with um the storage at this site was intended to go out on the barge this fall. And because the city of Valdez was doing that project, and we were working to gather enough material to get a full barge to be able to complete that project this fall. We strongly encourage the applicant um that to you know to pursue the temporary land use permit and that we wanted to move that material out in the fall. Um, unfortunately, the barge was not able to get in as planned due to multiple factors, and so this is an unexpected delay, which means that the materials do need to be stored there over the winter. Um, so staff really encouraged the temporary land use process initially, but also understood um from the applicant that there was a potential need for longer term storage. So with the lease process, there is a requirement that a phase one environmental assessment is done for any lease of city land that's um zoned, either light industrial or heavy industrial. Um, so that will be completed along with the standard appraisal for the fair rental value with this associated with this lease. Um, but prior to the temporary land use permit being issued, um, the applicant did a lot of work for documentation of the existing site conditions before they um moved the materials there because this is you know, this has been used as a lay down yard and for various other things. Um, and so that documentation has been provided to our department and will be something that can be utilized during the phase one environmental assessment process and establishes a good baseline of the conditions before the material is moved to the site. Um so Sean, if you or if the commission would like to hear from him, um can add anything else. Yes, feel free to chime in if you'd like to, but don't feel obligated to. Yeah, so this is Sean. Um yeah, I mean she pretty well summarized the the course of events there, but uh we did take a whole site characteristic uh characterization, which included all sampling pre-utilization. Um we will follow that up with a post. I know that's not necessarily a requirement for you guys, it's just good practice for us. Um, and of course, all that information will be shared across the board. Um, just so you know, there absolutely are no transformers. Um nothing with POL's um petroleum oil lubricants still on the on the metal components is stored there. Very good, thank you. Does that satisfy your concerns? Yeah, it does, especially that to grab samples once all the materials left there. Yes before now. All right, thank you. Any other concerns or questions? I had one question is at what point does this become a salvage yard where we need to have fences and is this a permitted use for long term just to cover, you know, just to put it on the record. Sure. So this is the use is considered storage for shipment and barging at this site. Um so they're not processing the scrap metal at the site. It's not a facility designed to do that. Um all of the processing of the other material associated with the separate city project to get um a scrap barge out is happening at either the Baylor site or at the um landfill site. Um so that's all you know, unrelated and happening at other places. This this use is just for storage of freight being ready to ship out to ship out, and so that's something that is identified as a separate and permitted use in the zoning code. All right, thank you. I figured you'd thought of it, but just wanted to make sure it was on the record.
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