Commissioners hear calls for more public input on South Barrier Island area of critical state concern

Commissioners heard multiple public requests on April 22 to hold a workshop on the South Barrier Island area of critical state concern (ACSC) and related amendments. Residents, advocates and the Sierra Club asked the board to include stakeholder groups in a focused workshop to review draft language, raise concerns about tree protection and density, and to ensure the final package addresses environmental and evacuation vulnerabilities.

Robert Logston of the Barrier Island Protection and Preservation Association (BIPA) and other speakers said they want direct participation in drafting and urged commissioners to allow stakeholder input before final adoption. Mary Spar of the Sierra Club said the county has a rare opportunity to adopt strong protections and urged careful drafting; she noted the county has received a 60-day extension from the state and urged using the available time to get the draft right.

County planning staff and the county attorney cautioned that while minor clarifications and non-substantial edits are possible without jeopardizing state funding, substantial changes to the transmitted plan could expose the county to a finding of noncompliance by the state. Staff said ordinances to implement plan language (land-development regulations, tree-preservation rules) will follow the comprehensive-plan adoption and could be developed with full public input. Commissioners debated scheduling and agreed earlier review is useful but warned that major rewrites could imperil state approvals and funding.

Ending: Commissioners asked staff to proceed within the statutory process, noting the county has a 60-day extension and that ordinance-level details will be developed later; several commissioners encouraged additional stakeholder briefings although no formal workshop date was set at the meeting.