Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Planning topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Community Development reports surge in land‑use filings, staffing moves and comp‑plan work
Summary
Walla Walla County’s Community Development director told commissioners the department is handling an unusually large docket of Type 3 land‑use applications, hired a new building inspector/plans examiner, and is coordinating population‑allocation and land‑capacity work as part of the comprehensive‑plan update.
Lauren Prentiss, director of Walla Walla County Community Development, briefed commissioners on staffing, permit workload, major projects and comprehensive-plan coordination at the March 3 meeting.
Prentiss said the department began March with two planners available after a period of short staffing and that the planning docket is heavier than usual. She described multiple Type 3 applications pending before the hearing examiner — including county bridge projects and conditional‑use permit requests for breweries and event centers — and said the department expects decisions on several matters within about two weeks. Prentiss said two county road shoreline permits (7‑Mile Bridge and Burns Road stabilization) were tentatively scheduled for April hearings and that other public‑works projects will be scheduled for May to meet funding deadlines.
On staffing, Prentiss said the building‑inspector/plans‑examiner position was filled after a long recruitment and the new hire, Jason Rollins, brings 30 years of private‑sector construction and plans‑review experience. She said the hire should reduce reliance on outside plan‑review contractors for residential permits within four to six months and improve responsiveness to applicants.
Prentiss said the consultant‑facilitated comprehensive‑plan work continues with the cities of Walla Walla, College Place and Waitsburg. The department is analyzing population projections, allocation methods and land‑capacity analyses; she said cities and the county have not yet agreed on methodologies and that consultants and staff will continue weekly coordination meetings. Prentiss said staff also plan a community steering committee to help with outreach and to serve as public ambassadors; she expected to advertise committee openings within a week or two.
Other items: pre‑application discussions with the Rockwell project team continue, SafeBuilt and in‑house permit coordination is ongoing, and the department is preparing code amendments related to ADUs and permit‑streamlining requirements from state law. Prentiss told commissioners that administrative (Type 1) permit processing is on schedule while Type 3 land‑use workloads require continued attention and staff support.
Ending Prentiss said the department plans to present planning commission public hearing dates soon and will use consultants selectively to handle heavy dockets while building in‑house capacity. Commissioners requested notification when steering‑committee recruitment is posted and thanked staff for the new hire.
