PORT ANGELES — A permit for a two-story, maximum 80-bed building at the Serenity House homeless shelter, nearly doubling its potential capacity, was approved this week by Port Angeles Hearing Examiner Andrew Reeves.
But the capacity of the 2,000-square-foot building — in effect a bunk house — will be determined after a Zenovic & Associates of Port Angeles engineering study determines the fire exit requirements for the second floor by Jan. 31, Executive Director Sharon Maggard said Wednesday.
The maximum size will allow up to 40 beds on each 2,000-square-foot floor — if 6-foot distancing is not required.
Twenty beds on each floor will be allowed if social distancing is the rule.
“This is being designed for extra sleep space,” Maggard said.
“There will definitely be two floors.
“We just don’t know the size, how big the upper floor will be. That will be determined by the fire codes.”
The deadline for appealing Reeves’ decision in Jan. 21. His findings and conclusion are at tinyurl.com/PDN-SerenityPermit.
No objections to the project at 2321 W. 18th St. were raised by 13 people who testified at the Dec. 16 hearing. The city Department of Community and Economic Development had recommended approval.
“There were no surprises,” Maggard said. “We are really pleased with the outcome.”
The $403,000 expansion project will be funded with federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act money funneled through the state Department of Commerce and pledged by Clallam County and the city of Port Angeles.
The project must reach the level of “substantial completion” by April 30 under the grant’s requirements.
Reeves said the project is consistent with the city comprehensive plan, is in keeping with public use, the public interest, and zoning regulations and “would protect public health, safety, and welfare and prevent depreciation of neighboring properties.”
The shelter holds 108 beds, although its capacity currently is reduced due to COVID-19-related distancing restrictions.
Five tent campsites on the northwest corner of the parcel and five overnight vehicle sites in the parking lot, plus 80 extra beds, will boost the site’s occupancy limit to 198 people, increasing Serenity House capacity by 83 percent.
Conditions include quarterly meetings with invitations to representatives of the police department and the department of community and economic development.
Maggard said a neighborhood open house was held this fall at which residents north of Serenity house raised concerns over tent camping. The neighbor recalled that 35 tent sites sprang up at the outset of the pandemic.
“We assured them we would never be up to 35 tents ever again,” Maggard said.
The new building, located behind the existing shelter, will not be visible from 18th Street.
It will be designed without bathrooms, which will remain available in the shelter.
A new restroom “gives people a place to use, that we can’t monitor,” Maggard said.
“It opens up an opportunity we don’t want to open up.”
According to the DCED staff report on the permit, “building and fire permit reviews will require code analysis for [the Americans with Disabilities Act], plumbing fixtures, fire, life and safety, fire sprinkler system approval per code and application of all adopted codes.”
Under current social distancing guidelines, Serenity House is at capacity.
Maggard said 78 people were staying there as of Wednesday.
The new building is intended to house people who are staying at the nearby Clallam County Social Distancing Center in the Port of Port Angeles’ 1010 building, where the census was 49 individuals as of Tuesday night.
County commissioners extended the monthly lease Tuesday and signed agreements with three providers for medical services, staffing and security, committing $449,470 in general funds — unless CARES Act money becomes available — through May 31 to keep the distancing center open through one month after the new Serenity House facility opens.
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Senior Staff Writer Paul Gottlieb can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 55650, or at pgottlieb@peninsuladailynews.com.
