PORT TOWNSEND — A public hearing is planned before the Port Townsend City Council considers approving extending time limitations for temporary tent encampments.
The Port Townsend City Council will conduct a public hearing Monday on the proposed ordinance amendment at or about 6:30 p.m. during a hybrid meeting in council chambers in historic City Hall, 540 Water St.
To view the meeting live, go to https://cityofpt.us/citycouncil/page/agendasminutesvideos. To join the meeting, go to www.joinwebinar.com and enter the webinar ID 578-066-435. To listen only, call 360-390-5064 and use access code 942-105-283#.
During the hearing, the council will accept public testimony on Ordinance 3291 amending Port Townsend Municipal Code.
Those who want to testify can submit oral testimony during the public hearing or written comments to the City Clerk, 250 Madison St., Suite 2, Port Townsend, WA 98368. Written comments must be received by the close of the public hearing today.
Ordinance 3291 is available for inspection in the City Clerk’s office on the second floor of City Hall.
Written comments received at publiccomment@cityofpt.us more than two hours before the meeting will be attached to the council meeting record.
On May 16, the council passed the first reading of the ordinance. The current code provision allows for one tent encampment with a duration of 180 days and one 60-day extension.
For existing permitted temporary tent encampments, the proposed amendments would allow the Development Services Director to grant two extensions not to exceed 180 days each upon the applicant showing compliance with all conditions of permit approval.
Currently, the city has one permitted tent encampment, Pat’s Place, which consists of several tiny wooden shelters.
In recognition of the infrastructure required for it, city staff and the planning commission recommended that the council consider an interim ordinance that would allow a longer time period while the city considers permanent changes to the tent encampment code.
The 11 wooden shelters and their community kitchen of Pat’s Place are on 10th Street near Hancock Street, where a fence shields the village.
If approved, the provision would sunset in six months.
