Planning Commission Considers Wind Power and Many Other Issues
The Columbia County Planning Commission hopes to complete its recommendations for the update of the county's Comprehensive Plan before the end of the year.
by Ken Graham
The future of wind energy in Columbia County has dominated discussions at County Planning Commission meetings for the past several months. People favoring and opposing future wind project development have attended the public meetings and have submitted countless written proposals and suggestions to the commission. A large group of wind energy supporters showed up in bright yellow T-shirts at one meeting in September. And dozens of people have stood up at meetings to express their views on the subject.
"Sometimes it's hard for us to get our work done," says Planning Commission Chairman Mike Mathews. The commission has spent most of this year reviewing the county's Comprehensive Plan, which is now due for its 10-year update. Mathews stresses that future development of wind projects is just one of many issues the commission must address during this process. The review and update of the Comprehensive Plan is required every ten years by the Washington State Growth Management Act, which took effect in 1990. The county and the City of Dayton have jointly hired Don Brigham, a consultant from Clarkston, WA, to assist in preparing their plan updates.
Mathews says the commission hopes to complete the plan review and submit recommended updates to the County's Board of Commissioners for approval by the end of 2007. Once they receive the Planning Commission recommendations, the Commissioners will hold a public hearing on proposed changes to the plan. The Commissioners can then choose to accept the commission's proposed changes and/or make further revisions to the plan before it is signed by them and implemented.
New county planning director Rich Hendricksen says the purpose of the Comprehensive Plan is to provide a framework of goals and objectives for government entities as they deal with land use and growth issues. He says that even in a rural environment like Columbia County, planning is crucial in making sure that elements like water, sewer and roads are planned in a way that is cost efficient and minimizes their impact on the environment.
As an example, Hendricksen cited other counties where numerous 1- acre lots have been developed with individual septic systems. It is much preferable, he says, both in terms of efficiency and impact on the environment, to have higher density housing served by a modern sewage treatment facility. But that takes planning.
The broad areas covered by the county's Comprehensive Plan include:
• Land Use – defines "urban growth
areas" and provides guidelines for
zoning.
• Capital Facilities – includes
construction and maintenance of
roads and bridges; water, sewer
and solid waste facilities; parks and
trails; public buildings; etc.
• Transportation – addresses current
traffic patterns and planning for
new roads, as well as bicycle and
pedestrian trails, and public transit,
etc.
• Housing – addresses future growth,
density and affordability.
• Utilities – addresses delivery of water,
sewer, solid waste, electrical and
telecommunications services.
• Economic Development
– includes education and
training, infrastructure, business
development, tourism and
community development.
• Rural Lands – addresses policies
toward land not designated for
urban growth.
• Parks and Recreation – addresses
facilities like parks and ball fields,
pools, golf courses, camp grounds,
trails, marinas, museums, etc.
In each of these areas, the Planning Commission first looks at the current situation in the county, including population (current and forecast) and inventories of land, housing, and commercial and public facilities, etc. Overall goals, objectives and policies are then established for the next 10 to 20 years. Once the recommended changes to the Comprehensive Plan are established, the Planning Commission will begin addressing what specific changes they will recommend to the County's zoning ordinances. These ordinances are the specific land use restrictions placed on property in the county.
The issue of wind power projects has been by far the most controversial topic for the Planning Commission during this year's Comprehensive Plan review. Currently the Comprehensive Plan has no language addressing the county's overall stance on development of wind projects, even though its zoning ordinances make wind projects an allowed conditional use in the A1 zone. The A1 zone encompasses most of the agricultural land in Columbia County. The commission is considering several alternative policies regarding what level of support or encouragement the county will give to wind energy development.
Stay tuned.
Copyright (c) 2007, Blue Mountain News