Daily Sitka Sentinel

Panel Taking a Look At Short-Term Permits

By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
    The Sitka Planning Commission at tonight’s regular meeting will take up requests to add three more short-term rental units to Sitka’s housing rolls, this time out Halibut Point Road.
    So far this year, the commission has approved 11 short-term rental conditional use permits, eight of which are within walking distance of downtown, the planning office said today.
    The meeting starts at 7 p.m. at Harrigan Centennial Hall.
    The number of short-term rentals in Sitka is a matter of concern to the Planning Commission, members said today.
    “The Planning Commission is watching in two ways,” said member Randy Hughey. “The overall number of short-term rentals and the potential impact on the availability of long-term housing. Also the density in any given neighborhood, which can change the qualities of a neighborhood.”
    To that end, the commission requested that in any permit request, staff include a map showing the location of short-term rentals in the neighborhood. Staff also compiles an annual report on the number of conditional use permits that are active for that purpose.
    “The number is increasing but it’s not increasing by the same number as we approve conditional use permits for,” Hughey said.
    “We are keeping our eye on it,” agreed another commission member, Darrell Windsor.
    Hughey and Windsor noted that not everyone granted a permit decides to keep operating their short-term rental.
    “Sometimes it’s too much work or it’s not as appealing as they thought it would be,” Hughey said.
    “We also see a decline every year when people don’t use it or bail out,” Windsor said.
    But they said the commission will keep their eye on the issue.
    “I think we feel we’re still OK - we’re just watching at a time where there are more long term rentals than there have been historically,” he said. “The market for long term rentals is softer than it has been.”
    The planning office estimated the number of active short term rental permits at 45 to 50.
    “I’m not that concerned just yet,” Windsor said. “That’s not that many for a town this size. We want reports, and we are keeping our eye on it. If it gets to be too high, we’ll talk to the Assembly about it.”
    While the increase in short-term rentals sometimes takes long-term rentals off the market, short-term rentals are also seen as a tool to make home ownership more affordable to some individuals and families, Hughey said.
    “That’s the flip side,” he said.
    In the requests tonight, two of the homes are close together, and two of the three are owned by the same couple. All are in the R-1 MH single family, duplex and manufactured home district.
    The short-term request is for 103 Kramer Avenue, requested by Matthew and Sidney Kinney. A density map requested by the commission shows the home is located near two other short-term rentals, and a prospective third, if the request for 2160 Halibut Point Road is approved later in the meeting.
    The building sketch with the first application shows a three-bedroom house 2.3 miles from town.
    The second short-term rental request is for 3009 Halibut Point Road, owned by Charles and Theresa Olson. If approved, the two bedroom house would be the fifth short-term rental in a two-block area.
    The third request, also by the Olsons, is for a one-bedroom short-term rental at 2160 Halibut Point Road, two properties away from 103 Kramer Avenue. The Olsons’ current residence is 3009 HPR, the planning office said.
    In other business, the commission will consider final plat approval for Alice Loop, filed by Shee Atika Holdings Alice Island LLC, and Shee Atika Inc.
    The commission gave preliminary approval for the plat changes at its last meeting.
    They are for:
    – a final plat for a minor subdivision to turn one lot into two at 601 Alice Loop, in the Waterfront zoning district, filed by Shee Atika Holdings Alice Island. The property is the location of the Shee Atika office park, formerly the Mt. Edgecumbe Elementary School. The subdivision would create two lots measuring 60,512-square-feet and 78,101-square-feet.
    – a final plat for a hybrid minor subdivision, to turn two lots into a total of five, at 430 and 479 Alice Loop. The request was filed by Shee Atika Inc.
    If approved, the lots would measure 12,558-square-feet, 7,283-square-feet, 9,744-square-feet, 9,869-square-feet and 7,185-square-feet.