What’s on our Radar – Week of May 12th, 2025
- Last week:
- If you missed last week’s Radar, you can get caught up here:
https://friendsofclarkcounty.org/whats-on-our-radar-week-of-may-5th-2025/
- If you missed last week’s Radar, you can get caught up here:
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- Clark County Comp Plan Update Agricultural Lands Study/Non- Compliance Saga:🌻THANK YOU to those of you who showed up in defense of our collective future at the Clark County Council meeting last Wednesday! If you’ve been out of the loop, here’s some background for you: https://friendsofclarkcounty.org/%f0%9f%9a%a8-call-to-action-to-save-hundred-of-acres-of-agricultural-land-in-the-clark-county-comprehensive-plan-update-may-7th-at-1pm/Unfortunately, the majority of the council chose to continue siding with a handful of landowners, the building industry, real estate, and their allies—at the expense of everyone else and at great financial risk to the county—regarding the inclusion of a hasty (and legally indefensible, according to county staff) agricultural lands study in order to keep the door open to reward Ridgefield and La Center for past inefficient and exclusionary land use decisions with the de-designation of 519 acres of precious agricultural land for housing and commercial development.
SO many people turned out to speak, but let’s first acknowledge the community-based organizations representing underserved communities that the WA Department of Commerce designated to meaningfully participate in the comprehensive planning process and whose needs were not valued by this council:
Vancouver LULAC Metro (represented by Hector Hinojosa)
SW WA LULAC (represented by Steve Perkel)
Odyssey World International Education Services (represented by Abby Hollopeter)
Alliance for Community Engagement (represented by Heidi Cody)THANK YOU to Chair Marshall and Councilor Fuentes for remaining on the side of the people and the environment!
While we didn’t win this one, the fight continues, and the turnout generated at 1pm on a weekday (with many waiting to speak over multiple hours) by regular folks demonstrates there is a growing consensus that the public interest has been sidelined for far too long in Clark County. More to come!
- Clark County Comp Plan Update Agricultural Lands Study/Non- Compliance Saga:🌻THANK YOU to those of you who showed up in defense of our collective future at the Clark County Council meeting last Wednesday! If you’ve been out of the loop, here’s some background for you: https://friendsofclarkcounty.org/%f0%9f%9a%a8-call-to-action-to-save-hundred-of-acres-of-agricultural-land-in-the-clark-county-comprehensive-plan-update-may-7th-at-1pm/Unfortunately, the majority of the council chose to continue siding with a handful of landowners, the building industry, real estate, and their allies—at the expense of everyone else and at great financial risk to the county—regarding the inclusion of a hasty (and legally indefensible, according to county staff) agricultural lands study in order to keep the door open to reward Ridgefield and La Center for past inefficient and exclusionary land use decisions with the de-designation of 519 acres of precious agricultural land for housing and commercial development.
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- At the Tuesday meeting, there were two public hearings, one on the Consolidated Housing Community Development Plan and another on load limits for county bridges. You can view the meeting notes from the League of Women Voters’ Observer Corps here: https://lwvclarkcounty.org/content.aspx?page_id=2507&club_id=160612&item_id=5126&pst=28100
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- On Wednesday, there were two Clark County Council work sessions, one on fireworks and the other an annual report from the Commission on Aging. Council Time included public comment and discussion on the county’s irresponsible direction on the Comp Plan Update (noted above). Here are notes from the League of Women Voters’ Observer Corps: https://lwvclarkcounty.org/content.aspx?page_id=2507&club_id=160612&item_id=5126&pst=28129
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- There was a SWWA Regional Transportation Council meeting. League of Women Voters’ Observer Corps notes here: https://lwvclarkcounty.org/content.aspx?page_id=2507&club_id=160612&item_id=5126&pst=28130
- This week:
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- This Tuesday, May 13th at 1pm is the Chelatchie Bluff Surface Mining Overlay (SMO) hearing: The Clark County Council recently gave unanimous direction to move forward with repealing the Chelatchie Bluff surface mining overlay (SMO) over environmentally sensitive forest land in response to FOCC’s win at the Washington Court of Appeals, which would bring the county back into compliance with state law (temporarily, given their recent decision to intentionally go into noncompliance with the Comp Plan Update). At this Tuesday hearing, they will officially vote for or against repealing the ordinance. More information here:
https://friendsofclarkcounty.org/victory-in-sight-on-the-chelatchie-bluff-surface-mining-overlay-smo/
https://clark.wa.gov/sites/default/files/media/document/2025-04/051325-ord-2022-07-01-amendment_chelatchie-bluff.pdf - Wednesday, May 14th at 9am is a work session from Community Planning regarding commute trip reductions for local government employees.
- Wednesday, May 14th at 1pm is Council Time, which includes the 2025 First Quarter Financial Review and the 2026 Annual Budget Process. It should be noted that there will be an opportunity to comment on the council’s irresponsible Comp Plan update trajectory by commenting on the meeting minutes from May 7th (noted above).
- This Tuesday, May 13th at 1pm is the Chelatchie Bluff Surface Mining Overlay (SMO) hearing: The Clark County Council recently gave unanimous direction to move forward with repealing the Chelatchie Bluff surface mining overlay (SMO) over environmentally sensitive forest land in response to FOCC’s win at the Washington Court of Appeals, which would bring the county back into compliance with state law (temporarily, given their recent decision to intentionally go into noncompliance with the Comp Plan Update). At this Tuesday hearing, they will officially vote for or against repealing the ordinance. More information here:
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- Deep dive into the week’s meeting agenda, including how to participate, here: https://clark.wa.gov/councilors/clark-county-council-meetings
- Heads up on other advisory board and commission meetings:
- Tuesday, May 13th from 4pm to 6pm will be a Parks Advisory Board meeting. More information here: https://clark.wa.gov/public-works/parks-advisory-board
- Thursday, May 15th at 6:30pm will be a Planning Commission hearing regarding Biannual Code Amendments. More information here: https://clark.wa.gov/community-planning/planning-commission-hearings-and-meeting-notes
- Monday (today), May 12th at 4pm will be a Railroad Advisory Board meeting. More information here: https://clark.wa.gov/public-works/railroad-advisory-board-39
- Tuesday, May 13th at 9:30am will be an Ending Community Homeless Organization (ECHO) meeting. More information here: https://clark.wa.gov/councilors/ending-community-homelessness-organization
- Other happenings:
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- SAVE THE DATE for FOCC’s forum, Planning for our Collective Future: the Final Stretch of the Comprehensive Plan Update, which will take place on Wednesday, June 18th from 5 – 6:30 pm Pacific Time, Remote via Zoom. Panelists will include Clark County Councilmember Wil Fuentes, Jenna Kay, Senior Land Use Planner for Clark County, and a representative of the City of Vancouver! We’ll send out an event RSVP soon, but for now, save the date!
- SAVE THE DATE for FOCC’s forum, Planning for our Collective Future: the Final Stretch of the Comprehensive Plan Update, which will take place on Wednesday, June 18th from 5 – 6:30 pm Pacific Time, Remote via Zoom. Panelists will include Clark County Councilmember Wil Fuentes, Jenna Kay, Senior Land Use Planner for Clark County, and a representative of the City of Vancouver! We’ll send out an event RSVP soon, but for now, save the date!
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- Public resource: Reminder about a great public resource! FOCC’s own Jackie Lane tracks Clark County’s land use activities in a publicly available document here, so be sure to bookmark it. We’ve recently added many important Comp Plan target dates leading up all the way to the end of the year: https://docs.google.com/document/d/10cpQ2gWr86wLyIlRvhgI9eRF8aesDYIZ/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=108071388396855006181&rtpof=true&sd=true
See you next week!
Karissa
FOCC Community Outreach