Sitka Planning Commission approves merging three Halibut Point Road lots into one

The Sitka Planning Commission voted 4-0 on Oct. 7 to merge three lots at 3317, 3319 and 3321 Halibut Point Road into a single 24,625-square-foot parcel so the owner can build one new single-family home, according to the October 7 Planning Commission minutes.

Planning Director Amy Ainslie told commissioners the merger supports the borough's Comprehensive Plan goal of rehabilitating older housing. She also said it runs against the plan's push for higher housing density. Staff still recommended approval because the proposal met all development standards, she said.

The land is zoned R-2 MHP, a multifamily and mobile home district with a 6,000-square-foot minimum lot size. The owner of record is the Revocable Living Trust of James Stephen Goodfellow. A home at 3321 Halibut Point Road was recently torn down, and the planned replacement would cross existing property lines unless the lots were combined.

Chris McGraw spoke for applicant Chuck McGraw. He said one of the three lots was substandard once an easement was subtracted, and another sat in the flood plain. Commissioner Sherman asked whether the house was being built for a Sitka resident. McGraw said it was being built for a revocable trust.

Commissioner Foss said the merger felt counter to Sitka's housing goals but that she understood why the applicant wanted it. No one from the public commented.

The same night, the commission also approved splitting a lot at 1403 Halibut Point Road in two, where the owner plans a retirement home and a duplex. In August, Alaska News reported on a Sitka nonprofit seeking smaller lots on another Halibut Point Road parcel to fit in more homes.