The door is open again for Alaska Native corporation Doyon, Limited to try building a hotel, employee housing and several triplexes at the base of the Homer Spit. That’s after Homer’s Planning Commission denied a conditional use permit application that was deliberated across three meetings last winter.
The commission’s main argument for denying the permit was that the proposed hotel would be larger than what’s allowed in city code.
However, Doyon representatives appealed the decision in March, stating that the code only applied to large retail businesses.
The appeal went to the state’s Office of Administrative Hearings, which upheld Doyon’s argument and remanded the application back to the commission on June 21. In this case, Doyon will need to submit a new application and site map, as well as describe the changes they will make.
The Planning Commission will then hold a public hearing on the new plan.
The previous application relied on rezoning lots and vacating a right of way used to access Mariner Beach. The commission agreed to recommend the rezoning, but voted down recommendations to vacate the right of way and change how the lots are split up.
Homer City Planner Ryan Foster said in an email “I do not know what the impact would be on the other applications until the revised application/site plan for the CUP is submitted.”
According to the decision, future deliberations will be based on the new plan. Both parties waived their right to appeal any other issues that are connected to the original plan and application.
The next planning commission meeting is July 17. However, a new CUP application for the development is not on the meeting agenda.
