Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Business Regulation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Clearview business owner urges Snohomish County to grant temporary occupancy as code change proceeds
Summary
A Clearview business owner told the Snohomish County Council that county staff and the executive acknowledge needed code changes but that delays risk the business’s state license and local jobs; the owner asked the council to issue a temporary certificate of occupancy while the code update is finalized.
A Clearview business owner who identified themselves as the owner of Hangar 420 urged the Snohomish County Council on April 8 to issue a temporary certificate of occupancy while county staff complete code changes the owner said the county already supports.
"If this is not unresolved in time, I lose my license," the owner said, referring to an extension from the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board. They told council members the extension is not indefinite and said losing the license would mean "loss of local jobs, loss of ongoing tax revenue, and the collapse of a business that's already invested heavily into this community." The commenter asked the council for "a practical, immediate solution" while the county finalizes the formal code update.
The speaker also challenged the scale of public opposition described in county records, saying that of roughly 500 submitted emails opposing the project, more than 350 came from about a dozen individuals and that one person alone submitted over 100 emails. The speaker said they have "over 70 local Clearview businesses signed in support, over 1,000 Snohomish County residents supporting this," and asked the council to consider that when weighing next steps.
The owner said they had been told by Planning and Development Services (PDS) and the executive's office that an interim occupancy solution would be possible while code amendments proceed. The council did not take up or vote on a temporary occupancy request during the meeting; public comment concluded and the agenda moved on to a service award and a series of routine resolutions and motions.
The meeting record does not show a response from council members or staff addressing the specific request for a temporary certificate of occupancy, the factual basis for the speaker's counts of supportive signatures, or the county's timeline for completing the code amendment. The Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board was referenced by the speaker as the source of a temporary extension; the council did not provide further detail during the session.
The council recessed after routine business and scheduled a 10:30 a.m. public hearing later the same day.
