Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Policy 1.6.0.2 topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commission tightens conditional-use rules for commercial and industrial development affecting large wetlands
Summary
The commission approved stricter conditional-use criteria for commercial and industrial parcels that include portions of conservation land or wetlands five acres or larger, prioritizing ecological soundness, public need and mitigation to ensure no net loss of wetland function.
The commission spent substantial time rewriting conditional-use criteria for commercial and industrial parcels that include conservation land, especially wetlands greater than five acres. Mary explained the tightened language: "All conditional uses shall be ecologically sound or the least environmentally damaging alternative," and that any unavoidable damage "shall be mitigated to ensure no net loss of wetlands and no loss of functional value." Commissioners emphasized that a CUP (Conditional Use Permit) review at PNZ and council would be the vehicle to adjudicate reasonableness and that staff would present context; the decision of whether an applicant has no practical alternative is for the reviewing boards and agencies, not the commission.
Members voiced concerns about potential abuse of conditional uses and asked for clear criteria to avoid loopholes. The commission voted to approve policy 1.6.0.2 and included strategy language that focuses on ecological soundness, public need for water-dependent uses, and mitigation to preserve function. The policy also includes provisions to limit subdivision of commercial or industrial parcels in ways that would make upland areas insufficient for intended use, which staff said helps avoid piecemeal development that would compromise wetland integrity.
