GOLDENDALE — Much of the morning workshop at the July 21 Klickitat County Commissioners meeting focused on land use. One big item was the possibility of having to deal with an application for a data center. Planning Director Scott Edelman told commissioners that where developers planned to locate them makes a significant difference.
"There are two different processes for data center review,” he said. “If it's in an industrial park zone, it's considered an outright use. It still has a SEPA (State Environmental Protection Act) review, where there is an opportunity for public comment. After the SEPA review, it goes to the Planning Commission for site plan review.”
He noted that the planning commission action is a public meeting, rather than a public hearing, which means no public testimony would be taken. But any decision following the public meeting could ultimately be appealed to the Board of County Commissioners.
There are five industrial park zones in Klickitat County. The two largest are in Dallesport and the former Goldendale Aluminum site.
"If it's in any other zone," Edelman said, "it goes through a conditional use process.” That would be followed by a SEPA review and a public hearing by the Board of Adjustment. Any appeal from there would go to the state Superior Court.
So Commissioners would only be in the decision loop if the proposal was to be situated in an industrial park zone, and then only if there was an appeal.
Keaton Curtice of the Economic Development Department demonstrated a new software program that tracks housing in the county.
"We received access to Rentalscape, which is our short-term rental platform two weeks ago,” he said. "And it's been slowly been populating. So it's already identified 16 ADUs that are being used as short-term rentals, all in unincorporated county."
ADUs are not supposed to be used for short term rentals because that reduces the options for long term rental or purchase.
And there was an unanticipated announcement from Edelman, who said the Planning Commission would like to reduce the energy overlay zone for solar in the eastern part of the county.
“The rationale for reducing it in this part of the county has to do with soil types,” he said. “It has to do with productivity of the land as far as agricultural uses and has to do especially with density of population and the potential neighbors impacted. Because I think like the board of commissioners, the planning commission is concerned that those who financially benefit from solar should also bear the brunt of any negative impacts, not the neighbors.”
And he brought up another factor. “A key component of this proposal is trying to make our ordinance EFSEC [Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council] proof. We currently have a prohibition area, but a prohibition area that shows a yellow line going right through two thirds of it, which says we're promoting solar in this area. So there's a concern that EFSEC would walk right past our prohibition area and allow solar in this area. If we pull back where solar is allowed to the proposed boundary and keep it out of the prohibition area, that adds one more layer that an applicant would have to go through.”
Afternoon session
In the afternoon session, Treasurer Greg Gallagher delivered the second-quarter financial update, reporting that the county's finances were stable. Revenues from sources like sales tax were at 55% of the annual projection, and overall expenses were at approximately 50% for the general fund, which was in line with expectations.
And County Auditor Heather Jobe suggested that the county think a bit more about how to maximize income. “To be good stewards of the money, we also need to not just stockpile and we need to spend it when we get to a certain point and looking at those things like interest income or landfill revenue that comes in over budget and what do we do with those overages?"
Under the Consent Agenda, Commissioners approved:
• A public meeting on Rezone Zon2026-01 Adam Fahlenkam
• The appointment of Jeff King to County 911 Coordinator
• The reappointment of David McNeal to the Klickitat County Board of Eqalizatiion.
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