A representative from Clark County Citizens United said Wednesday that a new alternative to the comprehensive growth management plan falls short of representing the needs and desires of rural landowners.
Carol Levanen, executive secretary of the organization, said Alternative Four of the plan, which was unveiled Wednesday, does not do enough to rezone parcels that she said were taken from rural landowners two decades ago. Those landowners lost property rights when thousands of acres in Clark County were designated as agriculture or forest lands, she said.
“What they proposed at this work session is not adequate to address the changes that need to happen in the growth management plan for 2016,” Levanen said.
Her group represents thousands of rural landowners in Clark County.
Alternative Four, if adopted, would redesignate 6,500 acres of land to reflect what currently exists in those parcels, said research assistant Peter Silliman, who was tasked last month with creating the alternative. The Clark County council directed Silliman to create the plan after rural landowners voiced concerns that currently planned updates to the comprehensive growth plan do not adequately represent their interests.
Many of those parcels are being used as rural homes on parcels 9.5 acres or smaller, according to a presentation Silliman gave Wednesday. Alternative Four will bring those parcels into compliance with little environmental impact, he said.
The plan Silliman pitched, however, still leaves thousands of acres of rural lands out of compliance with zoning rules, Levanen said.
“We are not accepting what they’re proposing at that point,” Levanen said. “There still needs to be a lot of work on Alternative Four.”
Jim Malinowski, who spoke at the workshop representing rural landowners, agreed that he’d like to see more done to recognize existing parcels.
“We should do as much as we can to correct what was done,” Malinowski said.
Time is ticking on the proposal, however, Community Planning Director Oliver Orjiako stressed to the council and staff. He said that deadlines are approaching for Clark County to submit to the state an updated comprehensive growth management plan, which acts as a guideline for land use with projected job and population growth in mind.
Cities must submit requests for additional land to be incorporated into their urban growth boundaries by March 3. The county will then hold another workshop on March 11, followed by an open house and hearings on the alternatives. Analysis still needs to be completed on the plan and a draft supplemental environmental impact statement written and published for public comment.
The final comprehensive growth management plan must be submitted to the state by June 30, 2016, or else the county could leave itself at risk of legal repercussions.
