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Commissioners postpone Columbia Gorge Commission update after heavy public comment and debate over Scenic Area planning
Summary
Skamania County commissioners voted to postpone the scheduled Columbia Gorge Commission update amid a large volume of written public comments and heated public remarks about the commission and Friends of the Gorge. County planners defended staff work and warned against misinformation directed at county planning staff.
Skamania County commissioners on April 22 voted to postpone the Columbia Gorge Commission update that had been scheduled for the afternoon, citing a large volume of public comment and concerns that the board needed time to review and respond.
The public-comment period included online remarks from Mary Rapar of Stevenson, who urged the county to defend the Gorge Commission and the Friends of the Gorge. “The Gorge Commission and the Friends of the Gorge are the only 2 things keeping us from looking like…prices of our housing and land from soaring,” Mary Rapar Stevenson said during public comment, and she urged the board to invite the Gorge Commission’s attorney to brief the board on the bi-state compact.
Other public speakers called for scrutiny of the Gorge Commission’s funding and actions. Stacy Patton, a West End resident, questioned the commission’s role in local property rights and repeated criticisms seen in online campaigns.
Planning staff and commissioners reported receiving a flood of form and individualized written comments; the chair noted that some submissions appeared to be form letters from a third party and that county staff had routed many messages to a quarantine or junk folder. The board agreed to notify the Gorge Commission that the scheduled update would be postponed so that commissioners could thoroughly review comments and ensure fact-based discussion.
Planning Director David (name as in transcript) defended county planning staff’s record. He told commissioners that over the past three years Skamania County processed 136 Scenic Area permit applications — 55% of a multi-county sample — and that the department had no appeals in that period for cases processed by current staff. He said staff had engaged constructively with the Gorge Commission on training and legal issues and expressed concern that social-media messaging had mischaracterized the county’s work.
Ending: The board postponed the afternoon Gorge Commission update and directed the clerk to notify the commission and presenters; commissioners said they want to review submitted public comments and return to the topic with a focused, factual briefing.
