FIFTH OPENING – The Sitka seine boats Hukilau and Rose Lee pump herring aboard this afternoon at the end of Deep Inlet during the fifth opening in the Sitka Sound sac roe herring fishery. The opening was being held in two locations beginning at 11 a.m. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
The future of management and operations at the Perform [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
The Sitka Sound commercial herring sac roe fishery continued today with open [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Sports Editor
After storming into the state 3A boys basketball brac [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
The Queen Bees’ spotless season record ended Tuesday night with a 2-1 loss [ ... ]
By SHIRLEY SNEVE
Indian Country Today
A major renovation at an Alaska museum to attract tourist [ ... ]
By CLAIRE STREMPLE
Alaska Beacon
A presentation about a jump in the number of inmate deaths in [ ... ]
By NATHANIEL HERZ
Northern Journal
Tribal and environmental advocates calling for a crackdown o [ ... ]
Police Blotter
Sitka police received the following calls by 8 a.m. today:
March 26
At 2:10 p.m. a man e [ ... ]
Big Rigs Sought
For April 13
The 3 to 5 Preschool’s spring fundraiser and Big Rig event is happening [ ... ]
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
The city’s reassessment of taxable real estate, alo [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
The third opening in this year’s Sitka Sound sac roe herring fishery was held Mon [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Sports Editor
Sitka High’s Lady Wolves bounced back from an openi [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel ports Editor
Competing in the state 3A basketball tournament in Anc [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
Playing in a competitive division City League volleyball game Monday evening [ ... ]
By JAMES BROOKS
Alaska Beacon
A bill that passed the Alaska House of Representatives on Monday [ ... ]
By NATHANIEL HERZ
Northern Journal
Gus Schumacher, the Anchorage Olympic cross-country skier, a [ ... ]
By CLAIRE STREMPLE
Alaska Beacon
Alaska’s rural schools are on track to access faster interne [ ... ]
By YERETH ROSEN
Alaska Beacon
In the language of the Gwich’in people of northeastern Alaska, [ ... ]
Police Blotter
Sitka police received the following calls by 8 a.m. today:
March 25
At 7:48 a.m. a calle [ ... ]
Vietnam-Era Vets
Invited to Lunch,
Commemoration
American Legion Post 13 will host a luncheon 1-3 p.m. [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
The 2024 Sitka Sound sac roe herring fishery got under [ ... ]
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
The Assembly will start the annual process of determi [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
Competing in the 3A state championship title basketball game Saturday, the M [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
Playing through the afternoon Sunday, City League volleyball teams faced off [ ... ]
Daily Sitka Sentinel
Back Street Variance Held Up by Protest
The Planning Commission Tuesday announced that a request for a set of variances that would pave the way for the construction of a new home on Kaagwaantaan Street has to be resubmitted.Boyd Didrickson wants to demolish existing structures at 428 Kaagwaantaan and build a new two-story house. The Planning Commission approved variances for the project back in 2009, but the Assembly kicked the issue back to the Planning Commission after the Anderson family, owners of an adjacent house, raised questions about whether Didrickson rightfully owned the Kaagwaantaan lot.
The decades-old ownership issue was settled in 2011 and Didrickson has been back before the Planning Commission in recent weeks. He’s seeking four variances for the project: reduction of the front setback, reduction of a side setback, an increase in the allowable lot coverage to roughly 50 percent, and a reduction in the required parking spaces from two to one.
The Anderson family has asked the Planning Commission to reject the variance requests. They’ve said Didrickson’s lot is too small to accommodate the house he’s planning.
Didrickson has said the project will improve the lot, where the existing structures have fallen into disrepair. He said he can build a three-story home, up to 35 feet, without a variance.
Didrickson’s variance requests were set to be taken up Tuesday by the Planning Commission. But at the outset of the regularly scheduled meeting, Jeremy Twaddle, the commission chairman, said the Anderson family had submitted a letter to the Planning Department pointing out that Didrickson had not formally resubmitted his variance requests, relying instead on an updated version of the original application. They said the old application, from 2008, predated the settlement of the ownership issue and should be thrown out.
Members of the commission agreed that a new application should be submitted. Twaddle said he expected Didrickson’s variances to come back before the commission next month.
In other business Tuesday, the commission held another in a series of public hearings on a set of changes to the city’s zoning and subdivision codes. A small group of Sitkans, mostly island property owners, has been following the proposed changes, which will ultimately go to the Assembly for final approval.
Robert Carlson, who has a home on Long Island, said Tuesday he was worried about a proposed change to how the public would be notified when a new subdivision is going before the commission.
So far, the commission has been collecting public comments. Members have not had much debate about the proposed changes.
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20 YEARS AGO
March 2004
Matthew C. Hunter of Sitka recently returned from Cuba as part of a St. Olaf College International and Off-Campus Studies program. Hunter, a junior physics major at St. Olaf College, is the son of Robert and Kim Hunter of Sitka.
50 YEARS AGO
March 1974
Eighth graders have returned from a visit to Juneau to see the Legislature. They had worked for it since Christmas vacation ... Clarice Johnson’s idea of a “White Elephant” sales was chosen as the best money-maker; Joe Roth won the political cartoon assignment; highest government test scorers were Ken Armstrong, Joanna Hearn, Linda Montgomery, Lisa Henry, Calvin Taylor and David Licari .....