HomeMy WebLinkAboutPC Mtg Minutes 2015-04-01Jefferson County Planning Commission
MEETING MINUTES
621 Sheridan St. Tri -Area Community Center P:360 -379-4450F: 360-379-4451
Port Townsend WA 98368 April 1, 2015 plancomm@co.jefferson.wa.us
Call to Order at 6:31 pm
ROLL CALL
District 1 District 2 District 3 Staff Present
Coker: E -Absence Smith: Present Brotherton: Present Carl Smith, DCD Director
Felder: Present Farmer: Present Giske: Present Colleen Zmolek, DCD Associate Planner
Koan: Present Sircely: Present Hull: Present
Public in Attendance: 7
Approval of Agenda: Agenda: Richard Hull approved the agenda.
Approval of Minutes: Richard Hull moved to approve the 03/04/2015 meeting minutes.
Carl spoke of correction to the meeting minutes in relation to a motion.
7 approved. 0 opposed. 1 abstained.
STAFF UPDATES
Open Volunteer Positions
Carl Smith, DCD director: Announced the two open positions on the Planning Commission for District 1 and 2.
Also one open position for Joint Growth Management Steering Committee for the UGA area.
COMMISSIONER ANNOUNCEMENTS
None
DISCUSSION
Proposed Agricultural/Recreational
Marijuana Regulations
Carl Smith, DCD director:
Commissioner Sullivan spoke at the March 4th PC meeting on the scale/intensity for all
agriculture. The BOCC wants PC recommendations prior to the June 11th moratorium
expiration.
Colleen Zmolek, planner:
Discussed the meeting materials and proposals.
Richard Hull:
How are bagging and packing different?
Colleen Zmolek, planner:
Perhaps simply placing the marijuana in a bag versus packing it for sale?
Gary Felder:
I think the WSLCB has already covered these issues.
Carl Smith, DCD director:
Producing includes drying, trimming, and bagging and is not considered a processing.
Matt Sircely:
To WA Health Dept., an open bag of produce makes the difference between growing
produce and being able to sell it. A closed paper bag requires a license to sell the
produce to the public. A lot of people cannot sell what they grow at a farmers market.
Richard Hull:
Processing seems to be an accessory use to crop growing. Activities that are "linked" to
your farm may also be considered an accessory use.
Colleen Zmolek, planner:
That only pertains to agricultural zones. Cottage Industries are for residentially -zoned
parcels.
Lorna Smith:
Does there need to be a residence on the parcel?
Colleen Zmolek, planner:
Yes, there must be a residence. There must be someone living on the property.
Richard Hull:
At the last meeting, the public mentioned the different WSLCB Tiers and the size limits
on each.
Colleen Zmolek, planner:
The size limits that were mentioned were for plant canopies. We don't have a limit on
canopies.
Tom Brotherton:
The operation I visited in Sequim had the plants stacked, so the canopy size did not
change.
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Jefferson County Planning Commission
MEETING MINUTES
P:360-379-4450
621 Sheridan St.
Tri -Area CommunityCenter F: 360-379-4451
Port Townsend WA 98368 April 1, 2015 plancomm@co.jefferson.wa.us
---------------- —------------------------------------------------------------ --- —-------------------------------------------------------------------------
OBSERVER COMMENT
Jean Ball:
What is proposed for some of the sizes are half of what the WSLCB allows.
Kyle Craig:
Temporary structures are vital. I question the enforceability of this. When you buy them
from the company, the companies mention that they are exempt from permits because
they're considered temporary structures.
Carl Smith, DCD director:
The purpose of residential zones is to maintain residential atmosphere.
Tim Wilkins:
I don't see any proposed size restrictions for RR1:5 with an acreage over 5.
Carl Smith, DCD director:
Anything over 4 acres would adhere to the maximum proposed building size for RR1:5.
Jean Ball:
My existing vegetable greenhouse is larger than 3,000 square feet. I cannot operate my
proposed operation with what is proposed.
Roger Short:
Is this proposed for all agriculture? We need to allow every citizen to grow food. Having
to purchase a larger lot to have a bigger garden is against what the Growth Management
Plan was meant to do.
Nicholas Johnson, reporter:
Can you explain the industrial more clearly?
Colleen Zmolek, planner:
There are no proposed changes for industrially -zoned parcels.
Jean Ball:
What's the difference between Commercial and Industrial zoned lands?
Colleen Zmolek, planner:
Glen Cove is considered Industrial. Downtown PT is considered Commercial.
Kyle Craig:
I attempted to locate land that was more in line with the direction the PC and BOCC
were headed. I leased from Roger Short, a lot which is outside of Rural Residential,
neighbors did not complain, and there was adequate water. It was difficult to find all
three. The PC is moving towards encouraging outdoor grow. WSLCB does not consider
outdoor versus indoor grows. The proposed changes are not consistent with the
Climate Action Plan. People concerned with warehouses in their residential
communities can rely on the market to reduce this risk.
Gary Johnson:
Producing and processing are artificial terms.
Tom Brotherton, PC member:Does
the WSLCB permit greenhouses for growing marijuana?
Gary Johnson:
Soft -sided requires the fence by WSLCB. Hard -sided does not.
Cynthia Koan, PC member:
Does this mean that soft -sided structure is considered the same as an outdoor grow?
Carl Smith, DCD director:
Not in our code, which defines a temporary structure as including polyurethane or
similar material.
Colleen Zmolek, planner:
But it would still require land use review.
Cynthia Koan, PC member:
It's important to grow food on your land.
Lorna Smith PC member:
I agree.
Jean Ball:
I do not understand how the County can restrict the food I produce on my land.
Kyle Craig:
I am not in favor of limiting individuals like this in regards to temporary structures.
DISCUSSION
Matt Sircely: The members of the public with concerns are not present here tonight.
Cynthia Koan: The main concerns were being near lights, cameras, traffic, and also concerns for
children.
Matt Sircely: How is restricting agriculture as a whole in general going to fix that?
Carl Smith, DCD director: I want to remind commissioners that the initial application that triggered the
moratorium and potential regulations was a RR1:10 parcel in Discovery Bay that
proposed a total 40,000 square feet in structures, 35 parking spaces, and a septic for 50
people. Does this sound like an operation you would want to live next door to?
Matt Sircely: But temporary structures get destroyed over time. No one would propose such a large
operation with temporary structures.
Jefferson County Planning Commission
MEETING MINUTES
bzt Sheridan St.
Tri -Area Community Center P: 360-379-4450
�' F: 360-379-4451
Port Townsend WA 98368
April 1, 2015 plancomm@co.jefferson.wa.us
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Richard Hull:
Many people moved here for retirement, in order to enjoy peace and quiet and having
trees next door, not commercial activity.
Matt Sircely:
To define rural character means different things to different people. I understand it as
"to exist from the land". The weather is unpredictable. In the nearby future, more of our
crops may come from greenhouse production.
Lorna Smith:
If the proposal doesn't need a building permit, and they do need a land use approval, do
they come in each year for land use review or each time they change?
Colleen Zmolek, planner:
DCD would not conduct another review if the footprint did not change.
Lorna Smith:
That sounds cumbersome.
Patricia Farmer:
What's the current limit on a soft -sided greenhouse?
Carl Smith, DCD director:
There are none.
Colleen Zmolek:
Unless located in critical areas, there are no county regulations.
Cynthia Koan:
In the spring, I enjoy seeing plants grow. However, pole buildings are quite different
from temporary grow structures.
Lorna Smith:
The issue is marijuana. We're spreading the net too wide on existing uses that we
concluded are not an issue.
Matt Sircely:
I would prefer not to limit temporary structures. Temporary structures move and
change constantly. Sometimes when freezing happens, it is an immediate action to erect
a greenhouse to protect the plants.
Tom Giske:
Why would we be more concerned with commercial than residential structures? Maybe
if we can decide that a temporary structure of a certain size becomes a permanent
structure. I am not willing to consider a generic answer to a specific concern. It's not
about agriculture, it's about structures.
Tom Brotherton:
Growing is quiet, processing is quiet. The regulations proposed for processing is good,
but the proposal for growing is not. A combination of restricting size and setbacks may
be something to consider.
Gary Felder:
The NIMBY effect has faded. We're trying to make regulations for something that even
the WSLCB hasn't figured out yet. There won't be anyone left except the rich to invest
in it and in may come the large corporations.
Matt Sircely:
Perhaps by focusing our proposed regulations on permanent structures may alleviate
many fears.
Richard Hull:
Unsightly hoop structures are of the same concern as permanent structures.
Lorna Smith:
Under cottage industry, perhaps we could remove the exemption of plant growing.
Cynthia Koan:
I feel like food is an essential and do not feel comfortable lumping them all together.
Matt Sircely:
As sustainable agriculture advances, we may be growing a lot of our own food.
Tom Giske:
We should express to the BOCC that we are uncomfortable with their direction to create
regulations for all agriculture.
Cynthia Koan:
I agree with Tom (Giske). We would not be having this discussion if it were not for
marijuana. And so that proves that it is in fact different.
Carl Smith, DCD director.
Let's consider the options that PC members mentioned today: adding setbacks or
removing limits to temporary structures.
(General consensus to re -incorporate recreational marijuana producing, processing, and retail as separate line items in
the 18.15 use table for review at Apri115 special meeting)
Adjourned at 8:40 pm
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These meeting minutes were approved this % d f 2015
Kevin Coker, Chair
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