By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
The Sitka Planning Commission on Wednesday approved variances for a home at 200 Park Street after the owners modified their plans to address neighbors’ concerns.
The property is at the corner of Park and Etolin street in an R-1, single family and duplex residential district.
Owners Jacquie and Zack Foss want to rebuild on the current foundation, knock down a shed on the Park Street property line, and build a garage next to the house. The zoning allows for two dwelling units on the property.
The vote was 3-0 to reduce a front setback from 14 feet to 8 on the west side; 14 feet to 7 on the south side; and 5 feet to 0 on the east side of the 4,500-square-foot property.
Without variances, the setbacks on the corner lot would be 14 feet on Park and Etolin streets, and 5 feet on the sides.
At the July 3 planning meeting neighbors objecting to the smaller setbacks voiced concerns about safety, traffic, visibility and increased density of the already higher-density neighborhood and its narrow roadway.
Jacquie Foss responded by modifying her plans to address concerns and presented them again to the Planning Commission Wednesday. After other questions were raised about an arctic entry close to the Etolin Street, Foss had an alternate plan ready for moving the entry to the Park Street side, farther from the road.
Neighbors expressed support for replacing the vacant and dilapidated structure on the site, which was built close to property lines before the city had a planning code.
But some still objected to the variances, telling the commission that they had general concerns about increasing the density of the neighborhood, and about variances on setbacks that were recently reduced in the planning code in the interest of making homes more affordable, and reducing variance requests.
They said these variances may set a precedent, and open the doors to a “flood of variances that will be asked for,” one neighbor said.
Some neighbors had no objections or expressed support.
Foss said she has tried to address her neighbors’ concerns by changing plans for the garage entrance, among other alterations.
“It appears to be contentious for a structure that’s already there,” she said. In the “emergency backup plan” she distributed Wednesday, she decreased her setback request on the Etolin Street side by moving the arctic entry to the Park Street side of the structure.
The Planning Commission said variances have been on the decline since the Assembly approved the new setbacks, but would still be needed from time to time.
“We try to make variances for extreme circumstances,” Chairman Chris Spivey said.
“We’re always going to have odd-shaped lots we’ll have to have variances for,” agreed commission member Darrell Windsor. “I’m happy with the changes (Foss) has made, especially with the garage and arctic entry ....”
City Planner 1 Amy Ainslie said this is the first variance that’s been requested following the Assembly’s approval of new setbacks.
On another agenda item, the panel voted 3-0 to give a property owner another nine months to start her short-term rental at 709 Lincoln Street. She had asked for a six-month extension, but the commission said they didn’t want owner Anne Chadwick to ask for more time if she couldn’t get the needed improvements done, including health and life safety requirements. Chadwick now has until May 20 to complete them.
Those who have been granted short term rental permits have a year to start them. The commission approved the permit Aug. 2, 2018.
