By ARIADNE WILL
Sentinel Staff Writer
The Planning Commission discussed short-term rental issues and unanimously approved a conditional use permit and two variances at their regular meeting Wednesday night.
Short-Term Rental
The discussion on short-term rental regulations was the first step in what may become a recommendation to the Assembly for amending the city general code.
No conclusion was reached, and discussion will continue at the commission’s next meeting.
The panel received 12 public comments on the issue, 11 of them favoring a restrictions on short-term rental permitting process.
Many of the commenters said they believe that an increase in short-term rentals harms access to long-term housing in the community.
Commissioner Katie Riley — who made the motion to discuss the situation — said she wants to be able to take the long-term housing impacts into consideration when decisions are made on permits for short-term rentals.
The discussion came after a conditional use permit for a short-term rental was issued at the commission’s April 21 meeting. That permit will allow its owner to turn what was previously a long-term, single-family rental into a short-term rental.
Riley suggested small changes to the city’s short-term rental approval policy, such as that short-term rental sites be located at the owner’s primary residence, and that the permit be void when the property is sold.
Chair Chris Spivey said he’s wary of passing more restrictions, as there is no current data to suggest that short-term rentals are a driver of Sitka’s housing issues.
The 12th public comment — the only one that was sympathetic of the short-term rental market — was by Dave Miller, who said that he’s been considering turning the apartment in his house into a short-term rental.
Miller’s apartment would meet Riley’s suggested guideline of being at the property owner’s primary residence.
Commissioners directed staff to conduct a community survey asking opinion on if and how short-term rentals should be permitted, how much rent is being paid by responders who are long-term renters, and information on the income brackets of people in various housing situations.
Regular Business
The commission unanimously approved a conditional use permit for multi-family housing at 601 Lincoln Street in the R-1 single-family and duplex district.
The property is owned by Kent Bovee, and is also known as Lot 3, Gregory Subdivision.
The conditional use permit will allow Bovee to create another living unit within the existing structure, which is currently a duplex.
The renovation will create a studio apartment from one of the three bedrooms in the structure’s existing upper unit. The effect would be two upper units — one studio and one two-bedroom — and the lower unit would remain the same.
The permit was approved with the condition that the owner install an additional parking space. City code requires a minimum of six parking spaces for triplexes. Bovee said the property currently has parking space for five vehicles, and he’s willing to create a sixth space.
A variance was issued to Josh Arnold to reduce the side setback from 15 to 8 feet and to increase the maximum height limit for accessory structures from 16 to 24 feet.
Arnold wishes to build a two-story garage at his home at 106 Shotgun Alley. The property is also known as Lot 1, Tom Williamson Subdivision and is located in the R-1 single-family/manufactured home low-density district. Due to the elevation change of the property, there is limited area suitable for building an accessory structure.
Arnold said the second story will be for storage, and that it is more cost effective to add a second story while he’s already building the garage.
A variance was also issued to Sitka Salmon Shares to reduce the front setback from ten feet to zero feet at 4690 Sawmill Creek Road in the Gary Paxton special district.
The property is also known as Lot 4, Block 4, Sawmill Cove Industrial Park Resubdivision No. 1, and is owned by the City and Borough of Sitka.
Danen Vest, who spoke for the applicant, said the variance would allow installation of “a big swamp cooler” at the front of the lot. He said the two cooling towers will service the building Sitka Salmon Shares already operates on the property.
