Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Nsa Ludo Amendments topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Wasco County adopts National Scenic Area LUDO amendments to speed post-disaster rebuilding
Summary
The Wasco County Board unanimously approved Ordinance 26-002 to adopt Columbia River Gorge Commission and U.S. Forest Service post-disaster National Scenic Area amendments, adding a 10-year rebuild window, limited in-kind replacement allowances, and temporary RV/storage rules to expedite recovery after wildfires.
Wasco County commissioners voted unanimously July 1 to adopt Ordinance 26-002, updating the county’s National Scenic Area Land Use and Development Ordinance (LUDO) to implement post-disaster amendments approved earlier this year by the Columbia River Gorge Commission and concurred by the U.S. Forest Service.
Planning Director Daniel Dougherty told the board that the revised text clarifies replacement-structure standards after disasters, distinguishing event-driven replacement rules from ordinary repairs. Major features include: a clarified ‘‘same-location’’ standard (replacement footprints centered on the original with up to a 10% expansion and a 10-degree orientation allowance), a graduated square-foot allowance for modest size increases (with caps tied to existing compatibility standards), a 10-year period to commence rebuilding after a structure is destroyed by disaster, and explicit authority for temporary on-site uses such as placement of one recreational vehicle for housing and one temporary storage structure (capped at 320 square feet) while rebuilding proceeds.
Dougherty said the changes respond to gaps identified during post-fire recovery in 2025 and subsequent Gorge Commission and tribal consultations. The county’s Planning Commission recommended the amendments after public review; Gorge Commission staff and the U.S. Forest Service had already approved management-plan changes in January and February, respectively, and the ordinance brings local code into alignment. The board advanced and approved the ordinance on the record, and the chair closed the hearing.
