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Cowlitz County holds Critical Areas Ordinance update open until Aug. 11 to allow Planning Commission wrap-up
Summary
Planning manager Adam Trimble asked the board to keep the public hearing for the Critical Areas Ordinance update open until Aug. 11 so the Planning Commission can finish deliberations and deliver a recommendation; commissioners voted to hold the hearing to Aug. 11 at 09:30.
Adam Trimble, planning manager for building and planning, presented the county's proposed update to the Critical Areas Ordinance and recommended the Board of Commissioners hold the hearing open until Aug. 11 so the Planning Commission can complete deliberations and provide its recommendation. "This update process has been about 6, 7 months long, and we are very close to the point where the planning commission can have a final final draft," Trimble said. He described the update as adding or enhancing nine measures and including a "reasonable use" administrative mechanism to address cases where property owners otherwise cannot feasibly develop their property.
Trimble and commissioners discussed whether provisions are ever removed in later updates; Trimble said code tends to add flexibility but does not often become more lenient and cited court guidance in some instances. The board moved to hold the hearing open to Aug. 11 at 09:30 and approved the continuance by voice vote. Staff said they will prepare the planning commission packet and a final draft in advance of the Aug. 11 BOCC hearing.
