[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6075640,"mediaKeyId","2979256-d14313736eb77048dfe915a61ec58a9a","parentId",2979256,"title","Resident urges Washougal council to support bringing light rail across Columbia River","audioSeconds",325,"startMs",160000,"endMs",485000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2979256-d14313736eb77048dfe915a61ec58a9a&start=160&end=485","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2979256-d14313736eb77048dfe915a61ec58a9a/thumbnail_160000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6075640/Washougal/Clark-County/Washington/Resident-urges-Washougal-council-to-support-bringing-light-rail-across-Columbia-River","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6075640-6488d8a3e1887e95227f834ea59a8e23/orig.mp4?Expires=1771157057&Signature=SsXWZJBBBIZn20sfashDYbLdD0MycmjTR4FLCFuzqSBP3RuWTrkDIdp2e33KZMrfcAHuDVyNFFivyCjU4bcuzmenRym2NjdJy-kui4lJrr~ag695vqyZC65wnKNJfjN69d2hqpzE-EPNJ5NnAhYT26ppdBCnyK43P2Ee3pwRmBIzWfvZ7x35e37yCnX0bcxzY2xYF7-YrKBRowRlWqIwPNLxsMGHt11kwY04xfbP-XQDdd-00~PdgAcnfDwAMgPZ2LwvhDReptS7sMbqODNDEr6jLTPBIZpCKlI3IjEmwINmBCU8RNfb0ZQcdfarQu0W15FmPFRw4~t7EgtcyYdImQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Washougal City, WA","date","2025-02-24T00:00:00Z","article","A Washougal resident urged the City Council during the Feb. 24 workshop public‑comment period to support bringing light rail across the Columbia River to connect Washougal and other southwest Washington communities to the Portland metropolitan transit network.

William Carter, who identified himself as a longtime resident and described himself as part of “the older demographic,” said Washougal and neighboring cities are economically tied to Portland and that regional mass transit would be necessary to accommodate future growth. “If we don't bring the light rail across, no one will have an alternative but to use a car or maybe a bus, which also gets stuck in traffic,” Carter said. He warned that opposition could jeopardize funding for the project and asked the council to “seize this opportunity of bringing the light rail to this part of the Portland Metropolitan Area.”

Carter said the I‑5 bridge project funding, from what he understood, is “predicated on promoting mass transit,” and that an isolationist stance could cause the region to lose financial support. He acknowledged potential costs and tax implications but said the city should engage in negotiations and planning rather than reject the idea.

The council did not take action on the subject during the workshop; staff noted there will be additional public‑comment opportunities at the regular council meeting later that evening.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council Workshop of February 24, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","A member of the public urged the Washougal City Council to support efforts to extend light rail across the river, warning that opposing the project risks losing funding and limiting future transit options.","taxTitle","Washougal, Clark County, Washington","taxId",54092,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6075645,"Washougal hears shoreline master program and critical‑areas update; state 'best available science' will raise buffers and mitigation",3782,2238000,6020000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2979256-d14313736eb77048dfe915a61ec58a9a&start=2238&end=6020","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2979256-d14313736eb77048dfe915a61ec58a9a/thumbnail_2238000.jpg","/articles/6075645/Washougal/Clark-County/Washington/Washougal-hears-shoreline-master-program-and-criticalareas-update-state-best-available-science-will-raise-buffers-and-mitigation","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6075645-1ba044f902cf7d9d10a4fb3006ba14d1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771157057&Signature=l1ecdBfEISoz4fkJCbi3qCtylEvMIVXSe~ZLnmn3thTu-p3ttOBfhno9Y-tmRab6AKqhDJtFbo5qDZnZtffjxz33ckyIdMK9x4e4UPVo0dN2K0RLm6vp9m5gSeLBChImzjPfnnY76ND86bZJ-DXUyPmQpqkY8wJu5eehOoHQb3yAJk0cYYrsTk1qD~zWjLHl1dt~UgpFHtxIn-Uu4NoVTis1PEUtLz0zTxh0-60XcihxbKcwV7ZWJHNEOui8XUTVPka7XPreJgC0PVNdYyT7bWZ5HA37rsByUXLGu-t~thAquZOdmXaJZx0~bRJN3IPCLMjEyqMu0D1pBaekU0-UuQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City staff and consultants presented an update on the Shoreline Master Program (SMP) and related Critical Areas Ordinance at the Washougal City Council workshop on Feb. 24, explaining that new state guidance will require updates to local regulations and likely expand regulated areas and mitigation requirements.

Benjamin Knight, Community Development Director for the city, introduced the presentation and said the SMP update is tied to the city’s concurrent comprehensive-plan work and a Washington Department of Ecology grant that requires adoption by June 30. Ethan Spoo, a planner with DOWL, summarized the key changes the city expects to adopt to comply with state rules and “best available science.”

Spoo described three primary effects of the SMP update: protecting shorelines to a “no net loss” standard, promoting water‑oriented development where appropriate, and increasing public access where required. He said the SMP commonly covers a 200‑foot shoreline jurisdiction measured from ordinary high water and includes associated wetlands when those wetlands straddle the 200‑foot area.

On critical areas, Spoo and Knight discussed recent state “best available science” updates affecting riparian buffers, Oregon white oak habitat and wetlands. Spoo said the state guidance uses site‑potential tree height (the height of a mature native tree, often a Douglas fir at 200 years) as the basis for riparian buffers, which will generally increase buffer widths and expand the mapped riparian jurisdiction where land is undeveloped. He said that where property is already developed, the city expects to rely on existing exemptions and the standard permit/mitigation process rather than blanket prohibitions.

On oak habitat, the presenters said the state’s updated mitigation approach is more prescriptive. Spoo described replacement and temporal mitigation expectations and cited an example mitigation ratio discussed in the briefing: replacing a large, high‑quality oak may require a substantial number of new plantings (presenters discussed a high‑end example of 250 replacement saplings for certain large trees, plus preservation of other oak stands for temporal mitigation).

For wetlands, the presentation said state guidance offers three buffer/mitigation options ranging from simple (larger standard buffers) to more complex (smaller buffers if an applicant performs detailed site work). The presenters noted the state’s increasing preference for off‑site mitigation via wetland banks — professionally managed wetland credits — rather than on‑site created wetlands, and told council members that mitigation ratios for high‑quality wetlands can be large.

Staff noted several city projects tied to shoreline and access goals, including a Shepherd Road improvements grant of about $4.3 million to add sidewalks, bike lanes and access to the Sandy Swimming Hole, and early‑phase planning for Schmidt Family Park (roughly 18 acres, about 13 acres in the 100‑year floodplain), which the presenters said will likely emphasize lower‑intensity public access and restoration in floodplain and wetland areas.

Knight and Spoo said the city must update local code to meet state requirements and that the updates will likely result in more areas subject to review and higher mitigation costs for some private projects. They recommended further outreach, focus groups and a follow‑up council workshop in May, with Planning Commission review before the June adoption deadline.","City consultants and staff outlined changes to the Shoreline Master Program and the Critical Areas Ordinance, including likely wider riparian buffers based on site‑potential tree height, more stringent mitigation for wetlands, and new mitigation ratios for Oregon white oaks.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6075650,"Washougal staff hear pavement plan showing strong condition but long-term funding need",1670,522000,2192000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2979256-d14313736eb77048dfe915a61ec58a9a&start=522&end=2192","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2979256-d14313736eb77048dfe915a61ec58a9a/thumbnail_522000.jpg","/articles/6075650/Washougal/Clark-County/Washington/Washougal-staff-hear-pavement-plan-showing-strong-condition-but-long-term-funding-need","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6075650-a0c42f05093d21907f3d95a9b4e6c8c6/orig.mp4?Expires=1771157057&Signature=WXREimHaqa~a~U1xgwQqakh655hL3ZBpgwf1SkRtMmqLfjeLd5sVydA4r1ahYxdFXNPKeWSgpPnA9FzS5A-W1XVpsxi2mchJJzd3SgQ1EjO-cqC~-r~-cXQq6ddcDy3cy6J1YI8VK-rO~~sTbsAITOnxvSbG3slFaDLYQoK4ywF~fTDaX~DzzMFJRw63GCpqqAHyrv9AbH~4nL0Tmt41TpTVsbVd0TKnI00WQRcku6Wm1gnC2M7j2Gn-tyYngQ2z4hv5XaaahQj3Rt2jkrU0gUgvP21BIAfaxiEdKR5eZMIIQBhbYrHKH91c62Br3Y3Tkpfkd11JmhcK8mdIQGO21w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A consultant told the Washougal City Council workshop on Feb. 24 that the city’s streets are in good condition now but will require increased long-term investment to avoid a large maintenance backlog.

Gail Kupler, a pavement-management consultant with Capital Asset Pavement Services, said Washougal’s current pavement condition index, or PCI, is 82 — “an excellent PCI,” Kupler said — and that the city’s network is in better shape than the statewide average of 71. She told council members the city’s maintenance program and use of seal coats and crack sealing are preserving pavements now but that those surface treatments can be applied only a limited number of cycles before structural overlays become necessary.

The presentation explained why early preventive maintenance — crack sealing and slurry or chip seals — costs far less than reconstructing pavement later. Kupler said a city with no budget for routine maintenance would see its PCI drop about seven points over five years; by contrast, Washougal’s current five‑year investment trajectory (about $1 million per year, or roughly $5 million total) would increase the PCI by about one point and keep deferred maintenance from escalating immediately.

Kupler walked the council through three scenarios produced by the city’s StreetSaver pavement‑management model: an “unconstrained” scenario (roughly $7.8 million over five years to nearly eliminate all deficient pavement), the city’s current funding level (about $5 million over five years, which would modestly improve network condition) and a “do nothing” scenario (rapid PCI decline and sharply higher deferred maintenance). She showed a deterioration curve that pulls sharply downward after roughly 12–15 years without appropriate maintenance, and urged the council to consider stockpiling funds now to smooth the larger overlay costs anticipated in about 12–15 years.

Kupler also explained that some newer streets in a recent subdivision showed unexpected alligator cracking and that in many cities thin or poorly constructed pavement sections fail early if construction inspection and compaction are not adequate. She said cities typically have two‑year contractor warranties on new streets, which can provide recourse when defects appear soon after construction.

Council members asked about specific map areas and construction sequencing. Kupler recommended running a 20‑ to 30‑year scenario at the next analysis to better estimate overlay needs beyond the five‑year horizon; when asked how to plan for the longer term she suggested either identifying new revenue sources, shifting existing general fund priorities, or considering revenue measures during broader community funding analysis work. She noted one transportation grant project — Shepherd Road improvements — and said strategic tradeoffs will be required if council chooses to increase street funding now.

The consultant and staff emphasized that Washougal’s current approach has kept the network healthy but that planning for larger, structural costs later will give the city more options.

“Once those streets fall into the structural overlay category, the cost becomes very large,” Kupler said, summing up the risk of delaying investment.","Consultant and staff told the Washougal City Council workshop the city’s pavement condition index is 82 — better than state average — but long-term structural overlays and rising deferred maintenance will require planning and possibly higher funding in the next decade.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Resident urges Washougal council to support bringing light rail across Columbia River

Washougal hears shoreline master program and critical‑areas update; state 'best available science' will raise buffers and mitigation

Washougal staff hear pavement plan showing strong condition but long-term funding need