Shane Moles with Oceanside Excavation moves logs on the site of the new SEARHC hospital on Japonski Island this afternoon. The Sitka Planning Commission approved site plans for the new hospital, which will replace the hospital pictured in the background. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)
The new SEARHC hospital is shown in this rendering presented to the planning commission Wednesday night. The panel unanimously approved the plan. (Image from cityofsitka.com)
By ARIADNE WILL
Sentinel Staff Writer
The Planning Commission gave unanimous approval Wednesday night to the site plan for construction of a new SEARHC hospital on Japonski Island.
Commission Chair Chris Spivey was absent from the meeting. Present were Darrell Windsor, Stacy Mudry, Wendy Alderson, and Katie Riley.
The new hospital is a part of an expansion by the Southeast Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC) that has been years in the making. The site of the new facility is across the street from SEARHC’s existing Mt. Edgecumbe Medical Center.
In July 2020 the planning commission granted a conditional use permit for the new hospital, requiring approval of a site plan prior to construction. The building site is at 227 Tongass Drive in the P - public lands district.
Maegan Bosak, SEARHC senior director of lands and property, presented the site plan to the commission. Plans call for construction of a new clinic and emergency care facility housing services such as pharmacy, lab, ICU, surgery, specialty care, and rehab. The plan also shows driveways and parking infrastructure, and green spaces on the north and east portions of the lot.
Bosak said SEARHC is still deciding what the future of the existing multi-story SEARHC hospital will be.
Prior to the approval of the site plan for the new hospital building, commissioners unanimously approved two variances for the site, one increasing the maximum allowable height of principal structures from 40 feet to 126 feet, and the other reducing the parking requirement.
The parking variance was issued on condition that SEARHC form a parking agreement with future owners of surrounding properties to ensure that there is enough parking to accommodate hospital visitors, patients, and employees.
City code requires hospitals provide one parking spot for every five occupants at the hospital’s maximum occupancy, which would require the new hospital to provide 325 spots at the 227 Tongass Drive property instead of the 257 in the site plan.
Planning Director Amy Ainslie said in a staff report that the campus, which includes several lots surrounding the 227 Tongass Drive construction site will have a total of 428 parking spaces, which is more than the 415 parking spaces SEARHC estimates they will need.
The site plan and other materials can be found by visiting sitka.legistar.com and selecting the agenda for the Planning Commission’s Jan. 19 meeting. The site plan and related attachments are listed under Item G.
Short-Term Tourism Plan
Commissioners unanimously approved and recommended a final draft of the Short-Term Tourism Plan to the Assembly. A first reading of the plan will be held at the Assembly’s regular meeting Tuesday, Jan. 25.
The final draft includes further wording indicating the Planning Commission’s recommendation to close Lincoln Street to vehicular traffic from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on days with 3,000 or more cruise passengers in town.
The commission’s recommendation on the Lincoln Street closure was passed in a 4-1 vote at a December meeting, with Chair Chris Spivey opposed. The plan can be viewed in its entirety by visiting sitka.legistar.com and clicking the PDF link listed under Item H of the Planning Commission’s Jan. 19 meeting agenda.
A video overview of the plan is also available by visiting the Planning Department’s website, The website and video can be found by googling “Sitka Planning Department” and selecting the first result.
Other Business
Two agenda items were postponed at the request of applicants.
A conditional use permit for a short-term rental at Crescent Harbor was postponed by applicants Cameo Padilla and Brooks Areson after three neighbors gave public comment opposing the permit.
Padilla said at the meeting that she and Areson were unaware that their neighbors were so opposed to the idea, and that they would like additional time to talk things over.
A request for a zoning map amendment at 205 Shotgun Alley from SFLD single-family low density district to LDMH single-family and duplex residential district was postponed until further notice.
