Pasco planning commissioners review regional climate element draft, voice concerns about cost and local fit

The Pasco Planning Commission on Sept. 22 heard a presentation from Cascadia Consulting Group on the draft Tri‑Cities Regional Climate Element — a regional package of goals and policies intended to help participating cities meet new state requirements — and several commissioners said the draft contains too many prescriptive policies for Pasco and lacks clear funding for implementation.

The draft, prepared for the five participating jurisdictions in the Tri‑Cities region, responds to changes in state law requiring climate resilience and greenhouse‑gas reduction measures in comprehensive plans. Gretchen Mueller, director and project manager at Cascadia Consulting Group, told commissioners the draft includes two subelements — resilience and greenhouse‑gas emissions reduction — and is designed to help cities meet the Growth Management Act requirements as amended by House Bill 1181. "The climate element and the two subelements were informed by data, community engagement and integrated with other plans and comp plan elements," Mueller said.

Commissioners focused their comments on local impacts and implementation. Several commissioners said many policies in the 14‑page regional draft duplicate existing local policies and could increase costs for developers and homebuyers if adopted in full. Commissioner Jerry…