ITEM TITLE:
Public Hearing for Conditional Use Permit #19-04 Application from the Valdez Community Garden for Non-commercial Gardening and the Placement of a Temporary Shed and Temporary Greenhouse on the City of Valdez Owned Parcel Located at 911 Meals Avenue (Medical Park)
SUBMITTED BY: Kate Huber, Senior Planner
FISCAL NOTES:
Expenditure Required: N/A
Unencumbered Balance: N/A
Funding Source: N/A
RECOMMENDATION:
Public hearing only.
SUMMARY STATEMENT:
The purpose of this hearing is to allow the public to comment on the conditional use permit (CUP) application submitted by the Valdez Community Garden for non-commercial gardening and the placement of a temporary shed and temporary greenhouse at their current site at 911 Meals Avenue (Medical Park).
Property Information
Street Address: 911 Meals Avenue
Legal Description: Medical Park
Property Owner: City of Valdez
Existing Uses: Hospital, clinic, senior center, dog park and community garden
Zoning District: Public lands
The public lands district is intended to contain major open space areas, watershed management areas and major public and quasi-public, recreational, educational and institutional uses, including private lands and uses that are essentially public in character and of specific value to the entire community. (VMC 17.12.010)
Allowable Conditional Uses: Commercial farming, stock raising, truck gardening, tree nurseries and greenhouses, agriculture, aquaculture and horticulture including necessary accessory buildings and the storage of required equipment to be used on the land. (VMC 17.12.050)
The Valdez Community Garden is already established at this location and is currently utilizing the area for non-commercial gardening and a temporary shed. The Conditional Use Permit for the garden was granted in 2016 and expired on May 16, 2019. See the attached Conditional Use Permit for specifics.
If the Valdez Community Garden is granted a conditional use permit, their next step will be to seek the approval of a lease for the use of City of Valdez property. More detail including the exact boundary of the garden area and the term of the agreement will be established in that lease. The applicant is seeking a permanent conditional use permit. A permanent conditional use permit would not grant the organization the use of the land in perpetuity, it would simply establish this use as approved for that site.
The May 22, 2019 Planning and Zoning Commission meeting was cancelled due to a loss of quorum and the public hearing was rescheduled for June 12, 2019. Unfortunately, the June 12, 2019 Planning & Zoning Commission meeting was also cancelled due to a loss of quorum and the public hearing for CUP #19-04 was moved to June 26, 2019.
A public notice regarding this hearing was published in the online Valdez Star on May 8, May 15, and May 29, 2019. The same notice was also posted in City Hall. Notification letters were mailed to property owners within 300 feet of the site on May 8, May 31 and June 14, 2019. Notifications were also sent to Providence Valdez Medical Center and to the Valdez Medical Clinic, as well as the Valdez Community Garden President and Vice-President.