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Public concerned about traffic, parking as food bank conditional-use hearing remains open pending SEPA checklist
Summary
Public commenters raised traffic and parking concerns about a proposed Ocean Shores food bank location; the hearing examiner left the public hearing open to allow a SEPA checklist to be submitted and reviewed.
A public hearing on a proposed food bank location in Ocean Shores remains open while planners await a State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) checklist, city staff and public commenters said Tuesday.
The issue matters because neighbors and commissioners raised questions about whether the site would generate additional traffic into residential streets and whether on-site parking and nearby pedestrian access are adequate for clients and staff.
At the meeting a resident who spoke during public communication said the food bank purchased a lot from Galilee Lutheran Church and that the organization was struggling to finance construction. The resident also said the chosen site would be closer to several new subsidized housing buildings and predicted increased vehicle trips to and from Magellan Avenue and Point Brown.
Marshall, planning staff, clarified the current procedural status: the hearing examiner asked the planning department to submit a SEPA checklist and left the hearing open through Feb. 17 to allow a 14-day comment period on that checklist. Marshall added that SEPA review could, if other agencies require it, trigger additional studies such as a traffic study.
Commissioners and members of the public also noted the food bank's offer to make its parking available for public use when not serving guests, which some commissioners said could provide additional event parking in the downtown area.
No final action was taken by the Planning Commission; the hearing remains administratively open pending the SEPA checklist and any comments or supplemental studies that result.
The commission separated personal views from official positions: one commissioner said personal donations supported the food bank but expressed reservations about the proposed location. Marshall repeated that no zoning change was required for the proposed use; the issue before the hearing examiner was a conditional-use permit and the outstanding SEPA checklist.
Looking ahead, commissioners said they expect the SEPA checklist to be posted, reviewed, and subject to the 14-day comment period before the hearing examiner renders a decision.
