Skamania commissioners approve contentious residential zoning in Underwood

STEVENSON — Skamania County commissioners unanimously voted last week to allow up to potentially 30 homes on 10-acre plots in one portion of what had been part of the last unzoned area in the county.

This follows the wishes of the largest current landowner, Broughton Lumber. But it has been a contentious issue at previous meetings of the county planning commission, which made the zoning recommendation. Skamania’s Board of County Commissioners has the final say, and at last Tuesday’s (Dec. 9) meeting, 15 people showed up during the general comment period to weigh in on the proposal. All of them opposed it.

Several encouraged specific alternatives, and many wanted commissioners to get more input, including by holding a formal public hearing on the issue.

Michael Reach, an Underwood resident, told commissioners he had a “whole host of reasons” that he would prefer the lands remain zoned as “commercial resource,” which allows forestry but not homes. He cited the increased risk of destructive fires on hard-to-access land, increased pressure on a local water system that he called “antiquated” and limited roads that could “create a traffic nightmare,” particularly during a potential evacuation.

Many others echoed his concerns. Several people cited a lack of notice about the pending decision, both for neighbors and at least one owner of the land under consideration for residential development.

Mary Repar, a Stevenson resident, said she emailed Washington’s Department of Natural Resources, which owns 40 acres of the land in question. She read out loud a response from Larry Leach, a DNR assistant manager for the southeast region, that said the state would prefer the parcel stay designated for commercial resource uses.

“If DNR didn’t get notified, how many other landowners and adjacent landowner owners did not get notified?” she asked. “I believe another public hearing or two might not hurt.”

Nathan Baker, senior staff attorney with Friends of the Gorge, suggested zoning the lands as “forest agriculture,” which can allow homes on 20 acre lots. And an Underwood resident who gave her name just as Kristy, said “nothing has changed” since the Board of Commissioners originally recommended the area for commercial timber use. She included a petition with over 125 signatures seeking to zone it for that.

But Commission Chair Asa Leckie said that “a lot has changed,” particularly regarding sources of revenue for the county. “The amount of production timber in that forest land is severely restricted now due to ecology setbacks and designations that are coming down from the state,” he said. He also expressed concern that the land could be bought by a conservation organization and donated to the state, adding more acreage to the vast amount of land Skamania County can’t collect property taxes from.

“If we don’t diversify, the community is going to continue on a glide path that is unsustainable,” Leckie said.

Commissioner Brian Nichols said he supported residential zoning, as he was “looking at solutions for supporting people and housing in our community going forward.” He was interrupted twice by a member of the public saying the housing that would be allowed would not be affordable.

Commissioner Robert Farris clarified, with input from county planning staff at the meeting, that commercial timber can continue on land even if it is zoned to allow 10-acre residential plots. Leckie noted that any development in the county has to demonstrate there is adequate water before building is allowed.

Leckie also asked planning staff whether commissioners might add a restriction on so-called “cluster development,” which would permit homes to be grouped close together but average, over the area, 10-acre average lot sizes. That would require an additional hearing.

After about 15 minutes of discussion, commissioners voted unanimously to accept the county planning commission’s recommendation, allowing homes on about 400 acres of previously unmapped lands, and leaving the other 1,650 acres as commercial resource lands.

•••

Emily Harris is a co-founder and Uplift Local’s Community Journalism Director, overseeing the local newsroom network and the Documenters program. Read full notes of related public meetings by Uplift Local’s Gorge Documenters at columbia-gorge.documenters.org:

• Skamania Board of County Commissioners Nov. 25 meeting, by Documenter Linda Zeigenfuss.

• Skamania County Planning Commission July 15 and Oct. 7 meetings, by Documenter Caroline Elliot.