URGENT: PUBLIC HEARING - SMITH ACCESS ROAD Clatsop County BofD Meeting July 27, 2022, 6PM
Smith LUBA Remand WITH EXHIBITS
PUBLIC HEARING - SMITH ACCESS ROAD
ANVIL ROCK OFF SHINGLE MILL IN ARCH CAPE
PLEASE SEND WRITTEN COMMENTS BY JULY 26 at 5 pm
BACKGROUND
The Smith Access Road Appeal filed by ORCA and the ACFCB Community Club resulted in LUBA sending the case back (remanding) to Clatsop County for additional findings on “suitability” in light of “natural and physical features of the site.” LUBA instructed the County to reopen the hearing and make additional findings based on the evidence in the record, relating to the impact of wetlands and seasonal flooding on the proposed road.
PROBLEM
The County wants to avoid doing a specific analysis of the site by adopting a new interpretation of “site suitability” which applies not just to this case but to all future development requiring conditional use permits.
If adopted, the County would no longer consider flooding in its analysis unless the site in question is in the flood hazard overlay (limited to stream floodplains) which this site is not and would not consider wetlands unless the wetlands are in the County’s Goal 5 Inventory (limited to Clatsop Plains and Columbia River Floodplain) which these are not. If this interpretation is adopted, the presence of wetlands and seasonal flooding would no longer be considered in road and other types of development decisions pertaining to Arch Cape.
ATTACHMENT
County’s Proposed Supplemental Findings and Exhibits (pages 7-12 most important); Meeting Agenda.
ACTION NEEDED
SEND IN WRITTEN COMMENTS ASAP.
ASK COMMISSIONERS TO REJECT THIS NEW INTERPRETATION WHICH WOULD TAKE AWAY PROTECTIONS FOR OUR SIGNIFICANT WETLANDS IN ARCH CAPE AND PUT EXISTING HOMES AT RISK FOR FLOODING.
URGE COMMISSIONERS TO INSTEAD CONDUCT A SITE-SPECIFIC ANALYSIS OF THE IMPACTS OF THE WETLANDS AND FLOODING ON THE PROPOSED ROAD AS LUBA AND THE CODE REQUIRE.
ATTEND THE HEARING IN PERSON OR BY ONLINE LINK.
REGISTER TO TESTIFY REGARDING THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ARCH CAPE WETLANDS TO OUR COMMUNITY (LIMITED TO 2 MINUTES).
DETAILS
See attached Smith LUBA Remand WITH EXHIBITS for complete info. See Meeting Agenda for where to send written comments, how to register to speak, and how to attend the public hearing via Zoom.