ITEM TITLE:
Approval of Temporary Land Use Permit #26-02 for Alyeska Pipeline Service Company, Agent for TAPS Owners, for Six Months, for a .57 acre Portion of Tract C Section 34 ASCS 98-30 (Brown’s Creek) Per Plat 2016-7 Owned by the City of Valdez
SUBMITTED BY: Nicole Chase, Senior Planner
FISCAL NOTES:
Expenditure Required: N/A
Unencumbered Balance: N/A
Funding Source: N/A
RECOMMENDATION:
Approve temporary land use permit #26-02 for Alyeska Pipeline Service Company, agent for TAPS owners, for six months, for a .57 acre portion of Tract C Section 34 ASCS 98-30 (Brown’s Creek) per Plat 2016-7
SUMMARY STATEMENT:
Community Development staff received temporary land use permit application from the Alyeska Pipeline Service Company, an agent of Trans-Alaska Pipeline owners, for use of a .57 acre portion of Tract C Section 34 ASCS 98-30 (Brown’s Creek) per Plat 2016-7 for six months starting February 1, 2026.
Alyeska has requested use of the property to support investigation of the buried pipeline at Trans-Alaska Pipeline Milepost 784-6. “One edge of the excavation will likely extend onto the City property with the majority being inside the TAPS right-of-way on state land. Excavators, dump trucks, pick-up trucks, boom-trucks, abrasive-blasting and pipe coating skids, welding skids, heaters, light plants will be used, with all except the excavator bucket expected to be situated within the existing right-of-way. Site ingress and egress from/to the Richardson Highway will use the existing TAPS access roads and workpad and be confined to the right-of-way including at the Browns Creek crossing. The excavation will extend to about 2.5 feet beneath the bottom of the pipe and will remain open at that depth until the inspection, repairs and re-coating are complete. The excavated materials will be temporarily stockpiled on the workpad and re-used as backfill of the excavation. The disturbed areas will be restored to their pre-dig grade and drainage patterns in accordance with TAPS manual MR-48, Section 23, Erosion Control” (see attached application and narrative). The area requested is vacant, zoned public lands, totaling approximately .57 acres.
Per Valdez Municipal Code 17.12.120 (F) (2) , temporary land use permits greater than ten days in duration and not to exceed six months may be granted by the Planning and Zoning Commission. Fees for temporary land use permits of this type were established by City Council with Resolution #23-43. For the period Alyeska has requested, the permit cost for the .57 acre portion will be $1,866.00.
City Manager, Public Works Director, and Parks and Recreation Director were solicited for comments on the application and had no objections.
Pursuant to Valdez Municipal Code 17.12.120 (G) Approval Criteria, staff review of the proposed temporary use request found that all 10 approval criteria were satisfied.
Per VMC 17.12.120 (I) (5), if temporary land use permit 26-02 is approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission, the decision will be reported to City Council.