Planning Panel Puts Off Decision on Subdivision

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Created on Friday, 06 December 2024 15:17

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By CATHY LI
Special to the Sentinel
    The Planning Commission Wednesday approved a two-lot merger, a final review of a minor subdivision on Halibut Point Road, and a conditional use permit for operating a food truck.
    A preliminary request for a minor subdivision on Islander Drive was postponed until February because of concerns about potential future subdivisions and the neighborhood’s lack of a maintenance agreement.
    Commission members Darrell Windsor, Catherine Riley, Stacy Mudry and Wendy Alderson were present, and approved the items unanimously. Robin Sherman was absent.
Food Truck Permit
    Canyon Lewis, representing Thai Alaska Kitchen, applied to operate a food truck at 328 Lincoln St., or the back lot of the former Columbia Bar. Thai Alaska Kitchen had served food in that location over the summer.
    Planning staff members were apprehensive about the visuals of business activity triggering more jaywalking during the tourism season, to which Lewis responded that the Kitchen’s customers are mostly locals. He also said he observed more jaywalking from tourists getting to the bus stops than visiting the food stand.
    The commission agreed with Lewis, with Wendy Alderson saying people will jaywalk regardless of the presence of a food truck, and also noting the truck won’t be on a sidewalk and will be in a site with plenty of room for a line to form.
Two-Lot Merger
    Ashleigh and Clayton Stromquist filed to merge their adjoining lots, 605 Merrill St. and 604 Geodetic Way, in order to fulfill bank requirements allowing them to begin construction on the side of the property facing Merrill Street.
    Although the merger doesn’t align with the city’s plan to encourage higher density, staff said, the numerous undeveloped lots in the area mean that any construction will help the city meet its ultimate goal of maintaining attractive and livable neighborhoods.
Islander Drive Minor Subdivision
    Ryan Nichols submitted a preliminary plat to subdivide the lot at 305 Islander Drive so he can split the inherited property between himself and his sister.
    If approved, it would be the first subdivision of a lot on Harris Island since the Single Family Low Density zoned Harris Island subdivision was created in the 1970s.
    The subdivision request has drawn objections from other Harris Island property owners. One speaker at the commission meeting expressed concern about the precedent that would be created  by approval of the request, as the 16 lots in the neighborhood could theoretically be subdivided into 35, all meeting the 15,000 square foot minimum for SFLD. He said that Harris Island doesn’t have adequate infrastructure to support more inhabitants.
    Other residents echoed the lack of infrastructure, and also brought up the inconsistency of being able to subdivide but not able to build accessory dwelling units on their lots. One speaker called for restructuring the district’s zoning laws altogether.
    The commission acknowledged the difficulty of evaluating the proposal in a vacuum, but also didn’t think it was fair to deny Nichols’ plat based on correlative concerns. A compromise was reached to draft a letter urging Harris Island residents to formulate a maintenance agreement — so that collective action is more clear in case a crucial part of their infrastructure, such as the bridge, fails — and revisit the Nichols request in February.
Halibut Point Road Minor Subdivision
    Marty Martin plans to subdivide a 42,415-square-foot tract at 2030 Halibut Point Road into two lots. In the final plat review, completion of the last major construction item – a 10-foot drainage easement – was announced and the commission approved the subdivision plat unanimously.
    Lot 3A in the new subdivision is occupied by a single-family house. Lot 3B is undeveloped and will need separate utilities installed.