Local farm, water and land-use advocates will hold a forum Monday to discuss the potential environmental impacts of Clark County’s Comprehensive Growth Management Plan update.
The forum, hosted by the Clark County Food System Council, will address food safety, water resources, jobs and potential litigation the county may face after passing the land-use plan. Starting at 6 p.m. at the Vancouver Community Library at 901 C St., four local and state officials will speak and answer questions from the audience. At 7:15 p.m., there will be an open house where attendees can visit several booths on the topic.
There will also be a reception at nearby Niche Wine & Art at 7:30 p.m. Food featuring local ingredients will be served.
Garrett Hoyt, chair of the Food System Council and local farmer, said the forum is designed to appeal to all Clark County residents, not just those whose property will be affected by one of the four alternatives.
“We’re trying to target the population at large,” Hoyt said. “It’s an issue for more than just the landowners, as we are directing what we want our county to look like later.”
Local land-use advocacy groups and politicians have scrutinized this year’s comprehensive plan update and its four alternatives, particularly Councilor David Madore’s proposed Alternative 4. The Republican county councilor unveiled the alternative earlier this year.
If approved, the alternative will lead to sweeping changes among Clark County’s rural, agriculture and forest lands, allowing property owners to subdivide their property into smaller lots further than allowed under current law. According to the environmental report, Alternative 4 could create 12,401 new lots. Current zoning allows for the creation of 7,073 lots.
According to the environmental report prepared by Seattle-based consultant Environmental Science Associates, Alternative 4 could create the most significant environmental impacts of any of the four alternatives. The alternative could put pressure on prime soil and forest areas, and additional development in rural areas could lead to additional pollutants entering surface and groundwater over time.
To read the full environmental statement and submit comments, visit clark.wa.gov/planning. Comments can also be emailed to comp.plan@clark.wa.gov or mailed to Clark County Community Planning, Attn: 2016 Comp Plan Record, P.O. Box 9810, Vancouver, WA 98666-9810.
Comments must be submitted by 4 p.m. Sept. 17. The Clark County Planning Commission will recommend a preferred alternative at its 6:30 p.m. meeting on Sept. 17.
The county council will likely approve a preferred alternative at 10 a.m. Oct. 20.
