The Planning Commission approved two marijuana-related conditional use permits, one of them for onsite consumption, at its regular meeting Wednesday.
Two other conditional use permits were approved, one for a short-term rental and the other for operating a food truck in downtown Sitka.
All Commission members were present at the meeting and all items were approved unanimously
Marijuana Retail Facility
Elizabeth and Marty Martin filed to operate a marijuana retail facility at 4509 Halibut Point Road in the C-2 general commercial mobile home district. They are also applying for an on-site consumption permit, as authorized by the Assembly’s May 13 approval of a code change.
The property is adjacent to the cruise terminal, and consists of a 676-square-foot retail space, with two 120-square-foot gazebos. The entire 29,737-square-foot lot is surrounded by a fence.
The applicants said the facility is expected to operate 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week, opening in September 2026 at the earliest.
Staff recommended approval because it supports the comprehensive plan’s goal to promote the growth of tourism-related enterprises and manufacturing businesses, in addition to reducing illegal public consumption of marijuana products by providing tourists with a legal venue that's accessible from the cruise ship docks.
A public comment from Tom Jacobsen supported the concept of a legal consumption facility, but strongly opposed its placement near a residential area. Although it's labeled as a commercial district, the development adjacent to it is functionally residential, Jacobsen said.
Commission members agreed with his concerns, though specific discussion about odors was held over for consideration of the next conditional use permit request, specifically dealing with on-site consumption.
The permit for marijuana sales was approved unanimously with the added condition requiring signage that clearly outlines local and state regulations about marijuana consumption.
On-Site Marijuana Consumption
In its consideration of the companion request to allow consumption of marijuana products at the 4509 Halibut Point Road facility, the Planning Commission's primary concern was with the visibility of the consumption area and the dispersion of marijuana odors in the neighborhood.
Commission members disagreed on whether odors would be noticeable outside the permit area.
Planning and Community Development Director Amy Ainslie said there's no technology to determine the level of offensive odors other than the “sniff test.”
Commission Chairman Darrell Windsor said that he’s “walked the neighborhood and doesn’t think [odors] will be a problem,” because of the proximity to the beach and the usual windy conditions at the site.
Commission member Wendy Alderson disagreed. “You will smell it. I know you will,” she said. “It’s really tough, because I want to see this happen, but I don’t know if I can wrap my head around this permeating smell of marijuana smoke in the neighborhood.”
Commission members generally agreed they’d be more comfortable with approving the permit if the smoking areas were an enclosed space, instead of open-air gazebos.
The permit was amended to require a ventilation and filtration system, and states that additional enclosures of the gazebos may be required, pending a site visit by the Planning Department.
Approval by the Alaska Alcohol and Marijuana Control Office is required before onsite consumption operations will be allowed to commence, the Planning Department said.
410 Spruce Street Apartment B Short-Term Rental
Jennifer and Wyatt Patrick applied for a conditional use permit to turn their downstairs apartment into a short-term rental at 410 Spruce Street, in the R-2 multifamily residential district.
There will be a maximum of four guests and hours will be from 9 p.m. to 8 a.m., with owners on-site.
Before the unanimous vote on approval, commission member Robin Sherman reiterated her concern about how turning long-term rentals into short-term rentals impacts the housing crisis in Sitka.
Food Truck Conditional Use Permit
Ashley McNamee, the owner and chef of Ashmo’s, applied to operate the food truck at 328 Lincoln Street, in the same lot where Thai Alaska Kitchen is already located.
The hours will be 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., six days a week, and the truck will be connected to city power.
There was some debate about fitting another food truck into the available space on the lot and the best configuration to ensure pedestrian safety. The permit was approved with the condition of working with the city during the first month of operation to ensure the best positioning of the truck.
