Daily Sitka Sentinel

Island Lodge Cleared on Use Permit

By SHANNON HAUGLAND

Sentinel Staff Writer

The Sitka Planning Commission agreed Tuesday night that Dove Island Lodge has been in compliance with its conditional use permit for the past four years.

When the lodge was granted the conditional use permit in 2010 for its commercial dock and 24-guest lodge operation, annual reviews were required for five years. 

Dove Island Lodge owner Duane Lambeth uses a door jimmy as a pointer in his a presentation at the Sitka  Planning Commission meeting at the fire hall Tuesday. Seated are Carole Gibb, planner 1, and Maegan Bosak, planning and community development director, right. (Sentinel Photo)

One review was conducted in January 2011, but none for the three years after that. Maegan Bosak, city planning and community development director, told the commission that initiation of an annual review will be the responsibility of the permit holder, not the planning department, from now on. It hasn’t been consistent in the past, she said.

Lodge owner Duane Lambeth presented the commission with statistics on his lodge operation, including the number of guest nights, fish box taxes paid, and the number of nights the lodge was at capacity, for the years 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014.

One complaint letter was received last week about wake, safety and float plane noise affecting nearby Ring Island.

The complaint, from Bradley Shaffer, said the noise level was unacceptable, particularly in early morning, and that the area where Lambeth’s planes take off is unsafe because of heavy boat traffic.

Lambeth said his satellite tracking device records will show that the flights from the lodge depart no earlier than 8:09 a.m., and usually later than that. He said he altered his flight and takeoff route after receiving calls from neighbors complaining about the noise, and believes complaints in the future can be resolved in this simple manner.

He said he doesn’t believe the traffic is any worse than the more popular seaplane route through Sitka Channel.

Neighbor Thor Christianson said the area is a historic float plane spot, and Lambeth’s operation is reasonable. He called Lambeth a good neighbor, who helps out when asked and would respond to concerns if approached by neighbors.

“I support them in their permit,” Christianson said. 

He didn’t see a problem with the wake created by the planes, and added that the float house residents also had no problems with Lambeth’s operation.

“They all know Duane and get along with him,” Christianson said.

Lambeth reported guest nights ranging from 1,300 to 1,517 a year for the past four years, and a total of three nights with 24 guests (full capacity). The number of nights with 18 guests or more ranged from nine to 40 a year. Fish box taxes were collected on 186 to 339 boxes per year.

After hearing the report, commission members did not propose taking any action. This was the last year of the required annual review.

In other business, the commission approved a front setback variance for the Sitka Christian Center, at 502 Hirst St. The variance, reducing the setback from 20 feet to 5 feet, will allow the church to build a roof over the entryway stairs.

Commission members present were Randy Hughey, Darrell Windsor and Chris Spivey, who acted as chairman in Richard Parmelee’s absence.