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Residents raise concerns over housing density, tax breaks, parking and bridge costs during public comment
Summary
Multiple residents spoke during public comment at the Feb. 18 council meeting, urging caution on residential tax abatements and higher-density development, raising downtown parking worries, and criticizing a proposed regional bridge and transit elements.
Several Camas-area residents used the city’s public comment period on Feb. 18, 2025, to raise a range of concerns including tax abatements for residential development, downtown parking, emergency services consolidation, and the proposed new Columbia River bridge.
Gary Gaskill raised concern about the long-term fiscal effect of adding higher-density housing that receives tax reductions, saying the city could see a shrinking taxable base: "some people call it a time bomb," he said. He also worried that new higher-density buildings near downtown may not provide enough parking and that residents may still drive as much as current residents do.
Mike Hamilton of Bramble Acres urged the city not to subsidize housing: "I do not think the city should be paying for people's housing at all," he said. Hamilton also expressed opposition to aspects of the proposed new Columbia River bridge and questioned the fiscal trade-offs of multimodal design, using per-crossing toll math to argue the project’s cost burden.
Darcy Smith recounted concerns about the 2011 fire department consolidation and said she did not want local taxpayers to shoulder costs from other jurisdictions: "I don't wanna pay for other people's bills," she told the council. Paul Smith questioned residential tax breaks and urged the city to ensure detailed fiscal analyses are completed before authorizing abatements.
Randall Freeman supported the council’s mill cleanup resolution and urged city planning that includes the mill property. "It's time to create the Camas Mill District," Freeman said, adding that such a strategy could expand the tax base and relieve pressure on historic downtown.
Carmen De Leon, visiting from Vancouver, criticized recent demolition of historic properties in Vancouver and expressed concern about public-safety staffing levels there, saying Vancouver "is pretty much out of control" and urging more police resources.
Speakers followed public-comment rules and addressed the council as a whole. Council members did not take action on the issues during the comment period but recorded the remarks for consideration in future discussions and planning work.
