11/21/2007
Commissioners to consider growth planning agreement with Vancouver
Vancouver, WA – The Board of Clark County Commissioners will consider a formal agreement for working with the city of Vancouver on growth planning issues in the future during a regular board meeting at 10 a.m. November 27. The Vancouver City Council is expected to consider the agreement at a regular council meeting on December 3.
Leaders from both jurisdictions have provided input to county and city staff to establish a foundation to become more collaborative on issues such as annexation and the sizing of urban growth areas. The potential need for a more formal approach to planning in areas of mutual concern came to light during recent exchanges concerning the county’s Comprehensive Growth Management Plan.
“The planners, city attorney’s office, and I have taken everything we have heard from our policymakers and drafted a proposal aimed at settling immediate differences so that we can move forward together without the pall of potential litigation,” said Rich Lowry, the county’s lead land-use attorney.
Lowry said discussions leading to the proposal were guided by the goal of avoiding a long and costly dispute over plan changes that were adopted in September, including new urban growth boundaries and zoning scheduled to take effect in January. The city and other interested parties have until December 7 to appeal the changes to the Western Washington Growth Management Hearings Board.
The complete text of the proposal is available on the county Web site at www.clark.wa.gov/longrangeplan/review/index.html.
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