Yachats commission OKs permit for employee apartment in downtown

YACHATS – The Yachats Planning Commission voted unanimously Tuesday to approve a conditional use permit allowing the owner of a downtown building to convert a storage area above Luna Sea Fish House into a one-bedroom apartment.

In doing so, the commission stipulated that the apartment be rented only to someone who worked in the complex that houses Topper’s Ice Cream & Candy, Turtle Island or Luna Sea.

Gary Church, who owns the complex and Topper’s, told the commission it would be for one his employees.

“We all understand the challenges a person faces when looking for housing in the local area and this would be a positive step that I could make to help create a more stable situation for Topper’s, an employee and the community,” Church said in his application.

The one-bedroom apartment would be remodeled from an office and storage area above the indoor dining area of Luna Sea. The apartment entrance would be from Beach Street.

The commission also used language in city code to get around a requirement that new apartments include two off-street parking spaces. The code allows one parking spot if the use is for housing above a commercial business. While city planner Katherine Guenther said Luna Sea has expanded seating without increasing its off-street parking, all four commissioners – one was absent and there are two vacancies – said requiring two off-street parking spaces for the apartment was “overkill.”

In other business the commission:

• Delayed a conditional use hearing on a proposed two-room bed-and-breakfast proposal at 355 Horizon Hill Road until its April meeting;
• Conducted a brief interview with Marc Sakamoto for one of the vacant commission positions and recommended his appointment by the city council;
• Heard from commissioner Loren Dickinson that striping to designate parking areas along West Fourth Street seemed to be working well, one of many suggestions from a recently completed downtown Yachats parking study. Public Works crews used old fire hoses – copying an idea from the Drift Inn’s parking lot — to mark off the areas. The commission is scheduled to discuss the full parking study with the city council soon.