HomeMy WebLinkAboutPC Minutes 2023-09-27MINUTES
PLANNING COMMISSION
Hybrid Meeting – In Person and Virtual
City Council Chambers: 321 E 5th Street, Port Angeles, Washington 98362
September 27, 2023, at 6:00 P.M.
REGULAR MEETING
CALL TO ORDER
Acting Chair Schwab opened the regular meeting at 6:04 P.M.
ROLL CALL
Commissioners Present: Andrew Schwab (Acting Chair)
Richie Ahuja
Tammy Dziadek
Marolee Smith
James Taylor
Colin Young
Commissioners Absent: Benjamin Stanley (Chair) – excused
City Staff Present: Ben Braudrick (Planning Supervisor)
Shannen Cartmel (Deputy Director of Community Services)
Zach Trevino (Associate Planner)
Ethan Walker (Housing Administrator)
Public Present: Laurel Cripe, Skip Hutchinson, Kate Jacobs, Jake Purvis, Steve
Workman, additional unidentified members of the public
PUBLIC COMMENT
Acting Chair Schwab opened the meeting to general public comment.
The following individuals provided comment:
• Kate Jacobs explained that she and her family are residents of Port Angeles and have
experienced short-term rentals (STRs) in their neighborhood. She noted that STRs are
prohibited in her zone but that there are more than one dozen operating in her
neighborhood. She has reported these to the Code Enforcement Division, but no action
has been taken. She is concerned that the vetting process for occupants of STRs is not
thorough enough to ensure safety. She knows the zones in which STRs are prohibited
but does not know of any enforcement actions that have been taken in response to STRs
operating in those zones. She advocated for a requirement that STRs be commercially
zoned. She distributed written comments to staff following her verbal comments.
• Laurel Cripe distributed written comments to staff and the Planning Commission. She
asked to table the discussion of STRs so staff can focus on enforcing existing
regulations. She explained that in 2017 she was told that Code Enforcement capacity
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did not exist. She explained that data must be gathered before new regulations are
formulated. She asked why the Planning Commission is talking about regulations
without data from GovOS. She noted that the City does not ban STRs altogether, but
that current regulations must be enforced. Requiring platform compliance should be
added to the code as a process modification. She noted that the City needs to address
this before conducting an outreach process.
• Steve Workman expressed a desire to reiterate what Laurel Cripe stated. He claimed
that lack of enforcement is the reason for the proliferation of STRs. He encouraged the
Commission to talk with City Council to make an effort at enforcing existing City
policy.
• Jake Purvis operates an STR in the City. He volunteered for participating in the
subcommittee that is scheduled to be created. He explained that limiting STRs to high
density neighborhoods is counterproductive because it incentivizes the creation of
single-household dwelling units in high density neighborhoods.
• Stephen Pelayo wants to educate the community about STRs. He noted that there has
been a net decrease in overall hotel capacity and that STRs are integral to the tourism
industry. The City lacks sufficient capacity for lodging. He claimed that the largest
share of lodging tax revenues comes from STRs. An STR is a product that is in demand.
• Steve Workman spoke again with permission of Acting Chair Schwab. He explained
in response to Stephen Pelayo’s comments that metrics do not exist regarding STRs.
Acting Chair Schwab closed the meeting to general public comment.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
MOTION: Commissioner Smith moved to approve the minutes from the August 9, 2023
regular meeting of the Planning Commission. The motion was seconded by Commissioner
Taylor and passed unanimously (6-0) through a consent vote.
DISCUSSION ITEMS
1. Short-Term Rentals – Public Engagement Plan
Planner Braudrick introduced the item by noting that the City Council directed staff to move
forward with STR data collection and review, reviewing potential regulation updates, and
identifying a way to permit/license STRs. One purpose of the work being conducted by GovOS
is to help with creating a regulatory framework. The proposed Public Outreach Plan is a part
of the larger public engagement plan. Staff is working to develop a standardized engagement
plan that can be used for this and other City initiatives. Staff wants to solicit constructive
feedback on the draft vision, goals, and objectives provided to the Planning Commission.
Planner Braudrick read the vision statement and noted that the goal is to create a conversation.
He proceeded to read the draft goals and objectives, obtaining feedback from the Planning
Commission one goal at a time.
Commissioner Ahuja noted that zoning for STRs already exists, but the existing policy is just
not enforced correctly. He asked why the City should pursue engagement when the existing
regulations are not enforced. Code Enforcement in the City is based on voluntary compliance.
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He explained that the most important thing that GovOS is doing is a comprehensive inventory
and analysis process, stating that the public process should occur after the analysis.
Commissioner Ahuja noted that compliance through the STR platform is more efficient than
pursuing compliance by household.
Deputy Director Cartmel responded by noting that here was not a robust public engagement
process when the original STR regulations were adopted.
Commissioner Smith noted that the Pursuing Housing for All process did incorporate
engagement related to STRs. An enforcement officer now exists. She noted that the existing
regulations need to be enforced before additional steps are taken. She explained that companies
like Airbnb and VRBO will take down STRs immediately if the City requests that they do so.
Business licenses do not presently provide an opportunity to monitor STRs. The City needs
data from GovOS before a public engagement conversation occurs. The existing law on the
books is a “dead-letter law” and is more important than new regulations at this point.
Planner Braudrick noted that data is being collected now. Staff is going through a process to
build a plan for public engagement in anticipation of receiving this data. The City is
concurrently conducting an inventory and analysis in preparation for a public process that can
be implemented at any point.
Commissioner Dziadek noted that the City needs to work on enforcement of the current code
before moving forward with engagement.
Commissioner Taylor explained that the issue is the lack of housing. The City needs to start
building housing and it is preferable for the City to form a committee that focuses on getting
units built. A lack of hotel space is one problem. The housing shortage will not get fixed by
squabbling over STRs.
Commissioner Young explained that objectives need to be included in the purview addressing
the lack of hotel space in the community. STRs are often owned by local residents, employing
local housecleaners and other labor. STRs affect the entire community and the business side of
things is an important aspect of this matter. Increasing hotel space should be another objective
in the process to regulate STRs.
Vice Chair Schwab noted that staff has merely devised an introduction to the issue of outreach
and the Commission must focus on feedback. The public engagement plan must be data driven.
He noted that the initial goals and objectives are aimed at figuring out how we should proceed,
which addresses the concerns of other Commissioners. Budgeting and restrictions on Code
Enforcement capacity has led to a lack of enforcement historically. Working with the public to
develop a self-sustaining approach does not prescribe answers. He supports the idea of
enforcing current codes while also asking the public how the City should proceed. The point
of this effort is to reach people who have yet to voice their opinion. He concluded by noting
that all of the Commissioner comments made at the meeting so far fit within the process
outlined in the draft goals and objectives.
After initial remarks by each Planning Commissioner, further discussion of the draft vision,
goals, and objectives ensued.
MOTION: Commissioner Ahuja moved to recommend that the City Council table the
STR public engagement plan development process to give the City time to further analyze
the matter until it is clear whether the current zoning-based STR policies need to be
changed and to ask staff to prioritize platform based enforcement of the existing code
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requirements.
The Planning Commission discussed this motion, and it was noted that data collection must be
accounted for before further steps are taken to conduct public engagement . This discussion
resulted in an amended motion.
AMENDED MOTION: Commissioner Ahuja moved to recommend that the City
Council:
1. Table the short-term rental public engagement plan development process to
give the City time to collect more data and further analyze the matter until it
is clear whether the current zoning-based short-term rental policies need to
be changed; and
2. Ask staff to prioritize platform-based enforcement of the existing Port Angeles
Municipal Code requirements.
The motion was seconded by Commissioner Smith and passed (4-2) through a roll call
vote. Acting Chair Schwab and Commissioner Young voted no.
2. 2025 Periodic Update of the Comprehensive Plan
Planner Braudrick introduced the item, explaining that staff is interested in soliciting input
from the Planning Commission in anticipation of the public outreach effort associated with the
periodic update of the Comprehensive Plan.
The Planning Commission asked questions of staff and provided the following comments in
response to the proposed engagement strategies:
• Surveys in multiple formats need to be incorporated as part of the interactive website
content because surveys can be difficult to receive by paper.
• The difference between a storefront studio and a public workshop was clarified.
• The subcommittee should be more explicitly mentioned in the engagement process.
The subcommittee will be the ambassador during the process for the outreach, so the
outreach plan should specify how specifically the subcommittee will be involved.
The Planning Commission did not make a motion following its review of the anticipated
engagement strategies.
ACTION ITEM
1. Short-Term Rentals – Subcommittee Creation
Vice Chair Schwab noted that this item should be tabled in light of the motion made earlier
in the meeting.
MOTION: Commissioner Taylor moved not to form a short-term rental subcommittee
at this time and to table the item of forming a short-term rental subcommittee until the
Planning Commission feels a subcommittee is necessary, at which time the item will be
revisited.
The motion was seconded by Commissioner Smith and passed unanimously (6-0) through
a roll call vote.
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STAFF UPDATES
City staff provided the following updates to the Commission:
• Planner Braudrick announced that Callam County is developing a Strategic Marketing
Plan for the entire North Olympic Peninsula. The planning process has included over 1,300
people providing feedback. The team has conducted outreach at various places. A high
volume of feedback is being received about how the plan is being developed. The
engagement process went well, and plan development continues.
REPORTS FROM COMMISSION MEMBERS
• Commissioner Taylor would like to see an interactive joint meeting between the Planning
Commission and the Utility Advisory Committee.
• Commissioner Taylor stated that there is a contradiction regarding who can serve on
Planning Commission subcommittees, noting that Chair Stanley serves on the Climate
Resiliency Subcommittee.
ADJOURNMENT
Vice Chair Schwab adjourned the meeting at 7:58 P.M.
Zach Trevino, Secretary Andrew Schwab, Acting Chair
MINUTES PREPARED BY: Zach Trevino, Secretary
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