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Public hearing set for proposed Ocean Shores food bank move; planning staff explain conditional‑use process
Summary
A public hearing is scheduled for Jan. 29 at 10 a.m. on a conditional‑use permit application to relocate the Anchor Avenue food bank to a parcel at the Shoal/Point Brown intersection. City staff said the move must undergo a conditional‑use hearing because the proposed use is classified as public assembly in the B‑1 district.
The Ocean Shores Planning Commission discussed community concerns about a proposed relocation of the Anchor Avenue food bank and noted a public hearing scheduled for Jan. 29, 2025, at 10 a.m. at the Ocean Shores Convention Center to consider a conditional‑use permit for the site at the Shoal/Point Brown intersection.
Marshall, the city’s community development liaison, told the commission that the food bank application must go to a hearing examiner because the proposed use is listed as a conditional use in the B‑1 commercial district. “The reason that the food bank is having a hearing is because it's listed as a conditional use in the B‑1 district,” Marshall said. He described the hearing as the forum for proponents to present responses to public questions and for the hearing examiner to weigh benefits and detractors.
Members of the public raised concerns about the site’s visibility and suitability. A resident said she had worries about placing a food bank on a “prime piece of property” near other commercial uses and noted that the parcel did not appear to be officially sold yet. Marshall said the applicants have discussed remodel work, including removing a triple‑wide structure and seeking contractor quotes, and that staff had identified two buildings on the site that are candidates for abatement to address appearance issues.
Background and procedure: staff said the Anchor Avenue food bank is the town’s main food bank and that it had a partnership with the senior center. Because the proposed use is classed as public assembly rather than a grocery store, the city attorney advised routing the application through a conditional‑use permitting process so the hearing examiner can consider public testimony and any conditions the examiner finds appropriate.
The commission encouraged residents with concerns to attend the hearing and to submit testimony. Marshall said tomorrow’s hearing should answer many community questions about operations, site remediation and proposed building work. No final land‑use decision was made by the planning commission at the Jan. 28 meeting.
