Clallam County Planning Commission hears dozens of public concerns on proposed open-space code revisions

The Clallam County Planning Commission on Tuesday continued a public hearing on draft revisions to the county's open-space program after extensive public comment on how the changes would affect individual landowners and county tax distribution.

The draft code would revise the county's open-space benefit-rating system, clarify qualifying criteria and administrative procedures, and set minimum parcel-size rules. Staff told property owners they should submit written comments by April 8 for inclusion in the commission's next meeting; the public hearing was continued to April 16.

The commission sought public input on proposed changes that county staff and commenters said are intended to modernize a program established in 2001 and to make administration consistent with later state growth-management and critical-areas regulations. "The program is not being eliminated," a member of the commission said; "it's simply an effort to modernize the program and make it more applicable to the current needs of the county."

Department of Community Development staff and the assessor's office answered questions about how the draft would be applied. Danelle, a Department of Community Development staff member, said the point-based system that…