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Council continues public hearing on clearing and grading code amendments to Sept. 2
Summary
The Oak Harbor City Council continued its public hearing on proposed changes to the city’s clearing and grading regulations (ordinance 20-25) to allow staff and planning to reconcile state law and code exemptions; the item will return Sept. 2 for further review.
The Oak Harbor City Council on July 1 continued the public hearing on ordinance 20-25, a proposal to move and consolidate the city’s land‑clearing and grading rules into Title 20 (environmental code) and place administration with the engineering division.
City Senior Planner Dennis Lefever told the council the change would give engineering administration over both clearing and grading to align permitting and to place clearing in the city’s environmental code where stormwater, vegetation preservation and other related rules sit. He said the proposal reflects prior planning‑commission review and a State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) checklist and that no comments were received on the DNS (determination of nonsignificance).
Resident Jeff Ward told the council he was concerned that exemptions in the draft ordinance might conflict with state law protecting “middle housing” (he cited RCW 36.70A.635), and he urged the city to reconcile the language before adoption. Councilmembers and staff acknowledged changes in state law that occurred since the ordinance work began early in the year, and Councilmember Wiesner moved — and the council approved — continuing the public hearing to Sept. 2 so planning staff can evaluate the RCW impacts and return with recommended edits.
The continuation was unanimously approved. No public comment had been filed in advance of the meeting on this item; one resident spoke in person. The council directed staff to consult planning commission input and legal counsel before the Sept. 2 hearing.
