County committee approves amendment to comprehensive plan and clears four shoreland lots pending county board adoption

The Washington County Land Use and Planning Committee on July 17 recommended approval of Amendment 25‑2 to the Washington County 2050 multi‑jurisdictional comprehensive plan and moved to approve two certified survey maps recorded as CSM 7398 and CSM 7399, subject to conditions and final county board action.

The committee heard from county land‑use staff that the amendment changes the future land‑use designation for a parcel in the Town of Trenton from medium‑density residential to suburban‑density residential so that two CSMs can be consistent with the comprehensive plan. The planner said four lots on the northern side of the parcel intersect the Shoreland District and therefore require county approval and additional permits before any sale or development proceeds. The staff presentation said those four lots average about 1.5 to 2 acres and had passing on‑site sanitary (septic) soil tests; stormwater management permits or waivers remain to be finalized.

The committee was told the amendment was circulated to required entities and that no public comments or external objections were received during the notice period. The staff explained the sequence required by county rules: first the resolution to amend the comprehensive plan must be adopted, then an ordinance change, and finally action on the land division itself. County staff also said the Town of Trenton had already updated its town plan and that the county amendment is being made to conform.

Committee members repeatedly emphasized that parts of these CSMs were recorded “after the fact.” Staff said the developer recorded the CSMs with the register of deeds after town and city approvals without completing the county review step; the developer paused sales and marketing at the county’s request while the county attorney and staff worked with the developer to resolve the matter. The committee discussion noted that if the committee or county board had not approved the maps later, the county attorney could seek to revert the parcels to their prior tax parcel configuration.

Conditions set by staff for approving the lots that lie in the Shoreland District include: (1) obtaining required shoreland permits before building on those lots; (2) obtaining a stormwater management permit or an approved waiver; and (3) formal adoption of the comprehensive‑plan amendment by the Washington County Board of Supervisors. Staff said the county board review was scheduled for mid‑August and that the county would not clear sales until the county process was complete.

Votes at the meeting: the committee approved the plan amendment recommendation and then approved the related resolution, the ordinance amendment, and final action on the two certified survey maps. The committee recorded the approvals by voice vote; the meeting record indicates the motions passed by unanimous voice vote but does not give an exact numerical tally.

The committee also discussed the procedural sequence and asked staff and the county attorney to ensure the county’s shoreland and land‑division authorities are applied consistently going forward. Staff repeated that the county’s land‑division jurisdiction applies only to the lots that intersect the county’s Shoreland District; lots outside that zone are outside county review for this matter.

The committee’s action was a recommendation to the full county board for the comprehensive‑plan amendment (resolution and ordinance route) and a direct approval on the certified survey maps conditional on the three items listed above. If the county board approves the plan amendment at its August meeting, staff said the county will file required affidavits and update records so the CSMs may be finalized in the register of deeds.