Planning Commission ok’s conditional use permit for Kiewit crew camp

The Nome Planning Commission approved a conditional use permit  for a proposed 186-person crew camp in town to house construction crews working on the Port of Nome expansion project, slated to begin this summer.
The special meeting included a public hearing and the planning panel discussed at length 17 conditions attached to the use permit.
The proposed site is located at 6th Avenue, off Steadman Street, with the Richard Foster Building to the north. The location is zoned for a commercial district, meaning that crew camps are only allowed with a conditional use permit.
Only industrial zoning areas  allow for crew camps.
Bering Straits Native Corporation owns the land and plans to lease the property to Kiewit.
The temporary  camp structure is ok’d for its intended use for five years and an extention request must be brought before the planning commission if it needs to be in place longer.
As the camp was in the past only talked about as a necessity for the Port of Nome expansion, one condition includes that the camp is also conditionally permitted for  Sound Quarry operations as rock is being harvested from Cape Nome for the port and other projects around the state.
After its use, the Army Corps requires the camp’s deconstruction.
Under an agreement with the Army Corps of Engineers, the City of Nome was required to provide a 4-acre location for a man camp for the duration of the port expansion. The city rejected the proposed location and suggested Satellite Field as a proper man camp site.
However, Kiewit preferred to not take up the city’s offer to use Satellite Field and presented the argument that the 6th Avenue location would allow for power, water and sewer connections. The water consumption and a projected daily volume of 20,000 gallons of sewage would make a septic and water delivery system at Satellite Field impossible to maintain. Also a connection to water would assure functioning fire suppression systems at the crew camp in addition to proper sanitation.
Kiewit said they choose the site based on zoning options, and access to utilities.
As for the public’s concerns for safety, the company noted their zero tolerance policy, to have a security guard at the main entrance and exit to the building and have an alcohol-free camp.
In public comment, voices offered both support for the project and the necessity to bring in workers to get the project done as well as concerns that social problems may arise with a large influx of construction workers, predominantly men.
Concerns about dust, traffic routing and parking were also brought up. 
Approximately 60 trucks and vehicles would be parked and started there, potentially shining their lights into surrounding residences and spewing diesel exhaust into the neighborhood as the trucks run to warm up.
Commissioners discussed traffic conditions to be met before the Planning Commission will issues a building permit. Conditions included that Kiewit shall develop and submit a traffic routing plan to avoid travel on Alaska Gold Access Road, and to submit a revised parking plan with no parking along Steadman Ave.  
Other conditions include that the water and sewer infrastructure shall remain after the camp’s deconstruction for future site development; that installation will not redirect stormwater onto adjacent properties or public rights of way; that conditions on set backs are kept and that no personal vehicles by crew camp tenants are allowed.
After adopting all 17 conditions, the Planning Commission unanimously voted to grant the conditional use permit to Kiewit.