PORT ANGELES — The Saturday Port Angeles Farmers Market will be the first event to use The Gateway’s pavilion with a permit.
The seven-member city Planning Commission on Wednesday unanimously approved a blanket conditional use permit for all activities held at the transit center’s pavilion.
The Saturday market will use the pavilion this week under a free trial run.
The smaller Wednesday market has been using the facility every week since June 17.
The facility also was used for a midway celebration for the Our Community at Work — Painting Downtown project July 11.
No permits in place
Permits were not in place until now because of an oversight on the city’s part while staff was working to accommodate the vendors.
Planning Manager Sue Roberds said city staff members began working on the permit about a month ago when they realized that it was missing.
It was likely overlooked, she said, because city staff members had planned for the pavilion to be used for such events for the last 12 years and were anxious to put it in use.
“No one actually stopped to check the boxes,” she said.
“As soon as we found out about it,” Roberds said, “we checked that box.”
The permit will apply to each use of the pavilion that is approved by the city’s Parks Division. Each use, unless under a free trial, costs $75 per day.
Without the permit, Associate Planner Scott Johns said, someone could challenge an event held at the pavilion by saying it’s not allowed in the central business sistrict, otherwise known as downtown.
“In my mind, we are erring on the side of caution,” he said.
The language in the permit is general.
It allows “public gatherings, festivals, open air markets, private parties and trade shows.”
The permit was written to ensure that public uses of the facility were not limited, he said.
Another conditional use permit had already been approved for a new market that began on July 26 to use The Gateway’s transit lane each Sunday.
Johns said the permit cost the Port Angeles Community Market $700. The permit is on an annual basis and can be renewed for roughly $100, he said.
Free under the blanket
Events at the pavilion that operate under the blanket permit will not be charged a fee for the permit.
Deputy Recreation Director Richard Bonine said a written policy on fees and rules for use of The Gateway’s pavilion and transit lane is still in the works.
Commissioner Werner Beier asked if approving the permit before that is done is “putting the cart before the horse.”
Bonine responded by saying that the permit needs to be approved prior to the City Council voting on the written rules and fees.
“First, I get the conditional use permit and then I cross those bridges when I come to it,” he said.
The $75 fee will be used at least until the rules and fee is finalized, Bonine said.
Parking is not reserved for events.
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Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.
