Ellensburg study session forwards broad LDC amendments; council flags private golf‑course restriction

Ellensburg planning staff presented a package of proposed amendments to the Land Development Code (LDC) at a City Council study session, describing changes to permit types and timelines, use‑table permissions, and several technical codification fixes. The draft ordinance would realign design‑review thresholds, tighten some downtown and residential use permissions, and add definitions and table notes intended to clarify administration and reduce confusion for applicants.

The amendments would formalize distinctions between Type 1 and Type 2 permit processes. Planning staff said Type 1 permits would remain shorter and entirely administrative (maximum 65 days, no public notice) for smaller projects, while Type 2 permits would continue as administrative reviews with limited public notice (maximum 100 days) for larger or more complex matters. "It's kind of a modified Type 2 process because it's already going before [a] hearing board," Planning staff said, explaining that the classification mainly affects notice and timelines rather than whether an appointed body hears an item.

A notable technical alignment would change the nonresidential design‑review threshold that the code currently sets at 15,000 square feet to match distinctions in the use table at about 20,000…