By ARIADNE WILL
Sentinel Staff Writer
The Planning Commission issued two conditional use permits for short-term rentals and a zoning variance — all by unanimous votes — at their regular meeting Wednesday.
The two conditional use permit requests for short-term rentals were the first to come before the commission since the Assembly amended the zoning code last month, adding a residency requirement for issuance of new permits and automatically terminating a permit upon the sale of the property.
Also Wednesday, the commission reviewed questions on the End-of-Season Tourism Survey, now under way. The survey will be open until October 15 and can be found on the city website. Hard copies are available at city hall and at the library,
The Planning Commission and Assembly will hold a joint work session later this month to discuss planning for next year’s tourist season. The work session is scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday, October 27.
Short-term Rental Permits
A conditional use permit for a short-term rental was issued to Amanda Kern Chambers and Klinton Chambers for their property at 102 Lance Drive in the R-2 multifamily residential district.
The applicants told the commission that they plan to rent out their home during winter and spring school breaks, as one of the applicants works for the Sitka School District.
Another conditional use permit for a short-term rental was issued to Rebecca and Michael Martello for their property at 202 Jeff Davis Street, in the R-2 multifamily residential district.
The Martellos said they plan to rent out their home during the summer, when they sometimes stay at an island cabin they own. They told commissioners that they would manage the property themselves, as the cabin is only a short distance from town.
Other Business
A zoning variance request to increase the height of an accessory structure was granted to Marty Johnson and Devin Colliver-Johnson for their property at 4202 Halibut Point Road, in the C-2 general commercial mobile home district. Code limits the height of an accessory structure to 16 feet and the owners plan to build a garage that will be 21 feet tall at its highest point.
