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Staff warns commission state wildfire map could make insurance unaffordable; code renumbering requires ordinance updates
Summary
Planning staff told the commission that a new state wildland-urban-interface map could make insurance unavailable or 6–10 times more expensive for properties unless the county adopts the map, and that legislative renumbering of land-use code sections will require substantial ordinance revisions. Commissioners were encouraged to attend upcoming trainings.
Planning staff warned commissioners that the state’s updated wildland-urban-interface map could lead to dramatic changes in homeowners’ insurance availability and cost across unincorporated areas.
"If the county didn't adopt this new map, then they said, well, it's guaranteed that no one will be insured," the staff member said, describing a scenario in which insurers would withdraw coverage without county adoption. Staff said adopting the map preserves the ability for some properties to remain insured, but that the county could also pursue a locally justified mapping effort to limit designations—an effort that would shift risk to the county and would require substantial technical justification.
Staff also described legislative renumbering that affects the county land-use ordinance (examples given in discussion: older references like "17-27a" and the new form "17-80a"), saying the commission will need to update references across subchapters and, in practice, rework parts of the zoning code. The commission was told about training opportunities tied to these changes and about an April conference and a training day (April 7) to help commissioners prepare.
Commissioners asked about the potential impacts on agricultural parcels and non-forested properties; staff said the statewide map may be blunt and that county-level adjustments could be possible but require justification.
