In a brief meeting Dec. 23, the Planning and Zoning Commission approved findings of fact for a special contract zone requested by Wrangell Cooperation Association’s road office.
The findings are based on discussions held by the commission at its Nov. 12 meeting, when it recommended allowing the WCA to build a permanent office, storage and maintenance facility for its Transportation Office at a property currently zoned residential.
City staff had initially recommended denying the request, which would see the addition of a light industrial property in a residential area. The 6.87-acre property is at the Torgramsen-Smith subdivision on Zimovia Highway, near the power plant.
During the meeting’s discussion, a majority of zoning commissioners decided the economic and social benefits of the proposed facility to the community would greatly outweigh its potential impact, which they felt would be “minimal.” Some additional conditions were stipulated with the commission’s approval, to reduce noise and visual effects on neighbors. Indoor storage would be necessary, as would 50-foot minimum green belt buffers along the highway and adjacent property lines.
Since the ruling, commissioners have received letters from transportation head Bill Willard and property owner Lisa Torgramsen asking them to reconsider the 50-foot buffer they established. A minimum 25-foot buffer is called for in the regulations, and the doubled distance was arrived at as a compromise between commissioners at odds on the contract zone proposal.
However, for the commission to change its mind on the green belt a new public hearing would need to be held. Economic development director Carol Rushmore explained this would ultimately delay a decision until at least February.
The choice before commissioners was whether to schedule another public hearing or allow the letters to be forwarded to the Borough Assembly for its consideration and possible amendment on Jan. 26. Commissioner Don McConachie recommended going the latter route, and Torgramsen and Willard were not opposed to the idea.
“It would be faster, it would be easier,” McConachie explained.
Commissioners voted 4-0 to approve findings and forward its recommendations and letters to the Assembly, with commissioner Jim Shoemaker
abstaining due to a conflict of interest.
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