Focus areas for planning commission identified

WHITE SALMON — Continuing a discussion from the meeting prior, White Salmon’s City Council finalized a list of policy areas for the planning commission to tackle this year on Feb. 4.

Topping its workplan was exploring the possibility of shared utilities, which aren’t currently allowed under the city’s municipal code and can be a barrier to encouraging denser development. Planning Commission Chair Carl Trabant, who attended the meeting to answer questions from council, noted the topic became a sticking point when revising the city’s unit lot subdivision ordinance last year, but it could present operational and legal problems.

Next on the list, in no particular order, were revisiting restrictions on short-term rentals in commercial zones, potentially relaxing downtown parking requirements and making a more concerted effort to develop pre-approved building plans.

Sticking with their consensus from Jan. 21, council removed trash can nuisances, e-bike regulation and standards for mobile vendors from the commission’s original suite of suggestions. Council considered those items to be outside the commission’s purview and handed them off to the city operations or community development committees instead.

Councilor Doug Rainbolt also came with several additional proposals after requesting more time to refine his ideas in January. Two involved public participation, which his seatmates thought best to let the commission itself handle, but the other two were much more substantial.

First, Rainbolt wanted the commission to review four titles in the municipal code (land divisions, zoning, environment and administration of land development regulations), primarily to iron out common misunderstandings and provide more clarity. Trabant, however, worried that could overburden the commission. City Planner Rowan Fairfield agreed and also noted that revising one of the titles was on their own workplan for this year.

Rainbolt also suggested the commission update the city’s system development charges, or one-time fees designed to offset increased demand placed on public assets, like sewer infrastructure, that’s spurred by new development, to ensure proportionality.

Any fee changes, Public Works Director Chris True said, should be undertaken by an engineering firm, which poses unforeseen budget implications. Council decided the city operations committee should continue that discussion, and Rainbolt agreed to devise a more manageable approach for title revisions, given the feedback.

White Salmon’s City Council meets next on Feb. 18 at 6 p.m.