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Home My WebLink AboutPC Mtg Minutes 02-05-14_FINAL JEFFERSON COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION 621 Sheridan Street, Port Townsend, WA 98368 (360) 379-4450 PlanComm@co.jefferson.wa.us www.co.jefferson.wa.us/commdevelopment/PlanningCommission Page 1 of 8 MEETING MINUTES MEETING DATE January 15, 2014 Jefferson County Courthouse, First Floor Conference Room, Port Townsend Time Topic Action Notes/Follow-up (if needed) A. Opening Business Staff & Chair should coordinate to start digital recorder before gavel. Call to Order Time: 1:35 Presiding: Chair: Kevin Coker Roll Call: Indicate P – Present; AU – Absent & Unexcused; or AE – Absent & Excused (as noted by Chair); Note any late arrivals; Quorum = 5 Quorum Present @ Roll Call Staff Present: C. Smith (Director) ; S. Hoskins (Planning Manager) ; K. Hathaway (Plan Clerk) Invited Guests: 2: Laura Lewis WSU and Al Latham # Public in Audience: 12 District 1 District 2 District 3 Coker Felder Miller Vacant Farmer Werch Brotherton Giske Hull P P P X P P AE P P Jefferson County Planning Commission Meeting Minutes Page 2 of 8 Time Topic Action Notes/Follow-up (if needed) Approval of Past Minutes: Miller moves to approve 1-15-14 minutes and Felder seconds. 7 for, 0 against, 0 abstained. If any revisions are needed, remind Chair to hand write them on the original document (unless extensive), and note them here/on the back of this page. If minutes not approved, make note of reasons why. Staff Updates: Use back side of page to continue if necessary Director Smith Department of Community Development (DCD) will present their annual report to the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) on February 18. There is a print copy of the presentation on the Jefferson county web page. As a part of the annual report the transition from Watershed Resource Center (WSRC) to SquareONE will be discussed. The motto for SquareONE is that “Better building starts here”, come to us before you start a project so that we can help you save time and money by following the proper steps. The SquareONE open house will be on Friday February 21, 2014 9 am-12. Ms. Hoskins Next planning commission (PC) meeting will be February 19, 2014. At this meeting we will continue to discuss the sign code, a representative from the Heritage Tree will be joining us and will present. Mr. Johnson will be there to discuss the Pleasant Harbor Master Program and the supplemental SEIS. In the packets there is an updated PC schedule with some of the meetings held with the City of Port Townsend due to the fact that our issues and updates are so closely related. These meetings will be held at the City of Port Townsend’s Commission Chambers because they are set up for recording. These meetings as of now are March 5th and 15th, April 16th, and May7th. Also the April 2nd meeting is cancelled due to DCD having a LEAN training. Jefferson County Planning Commission Meeting Minutes Page 3 of 8 DCD just received the hearing examiners report from 2012-2013 this will be posted online. DCD had 10 Public hearings in 2012 and 5 public hearings in 2013. DCD staff has done an excellent job. SMP We are still waiting on ecology to report their findings. Once the Ecology Director signs the report, it will be in effect two weeks thereafter. New PC members Kaycee has had a difficulty reaching a prospective applicant so PC is still looking for a member from District #2. Commissioner Giske (District #3) and Commissioner Werch (District #2) have terms that are going to expire soon. Community Planner DCD is thinking about having a planner designated for certain “zones or regions” in the county so that there will be a face for each area. This does not mean that each planner only takes permits for that area, but more that each planner will know what is going on in the area to help answer any general questions from customers. Some of the areas are: Kala Point, Port Ludlow, Gardner, Becket Point, Marrowstone, Quilcene/ Coyle, Brinnon, West End, Cape George, Port Hadlock/ Irondale, and Glencove. There may be a planner on more than one area and they will be assigned based on interest and/ or expertise. Reminder Please sign in on the PC sign in sheet. Committee Report Chairman Coker At Shelter to Housing a presenter talked about using containers as houses. Jefferson County Planning Commission Meeting Minutes Page 4 of 8 A. Agenda Item: UDC Amendment – Sign Code Removed from agenda. B. Agenda Item: Ms. Hoskins Comprehensive Plan Update- Agriculture in Critical Areas This is the largest issue in the update for the County. Today the county exempts existing and ongoing Ag in critical areas, but due to legal proceedings this is no longer an option. In this process we need to protect the critical areas and have scientific evidence to support our decisions. Almost all the county’s Ag lands are in critical areas. Our goal is to come up with a way to address impact so that critical areas are protected, and that is substantial enough to stand up in court, but also work for our farmers. Identifying existing exemptions and methods of protecting wetlands in Jefferson County: • Existing and ongoing Ag do not need to meet buffers o Cons- Scientific research proving it has an adverse effect on the wetland. • Prescriptive buffers o Pro- stay out of buffers o Con- if we stay out of wetlands it will mean that almost all of our farm land will be gone. • CASP (Critical area stewardship plan) o Con- only allowed in residential areas and then few other areas. o Con- This is a site specific plan and can get expensive • Code amendment o This may not meet all of our Ag needs. Jefferson County Planning Commission Meeting Minutes Page 5 of 8 Smith • Administrative Buffer o Pro- This can reduce buffer o Con- You still cannot farm in a critical area o Con- does not address needs as a county • Farmers o Are participating in the CREP (Conservation Restoration Enhancement Program) o Using BMP’s (Best management Practices) o This doesn’t address the community needs. • What Farmers are doing o CREP (Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program): Farmers follow best management practices (BMP’s) o Conservation easements Today the objective of the Planning Commission is to listen and gather information. In future meetings on agriculture there will be discussion. DCD staff wants the PC to find a way to make it so that landowners can use their land, but at the same time the CA buffers are protected. Jefferson County Planning Commission Meeting Minutes Page 6 of 8 Observer Comment: Al Latham Used to be the manager of Jefferson County Conservation District. Willing to help the PC in any way that he can, helped with the Critical Area update in 2003-2004. Skagit Valley is doing a lot at the moment with Critical Areas in agriculture so the county should look to them for help. Through CREP and other enhancement programs in the Chimacum valley farmers have been protecting buffers voluntarily. Chimacum Creek is a fish bearing stream, but in past years no fish have migrated up the stream due to poor water quality. Since farmers have been protecting buffers there is now Summer Chum Migrating up Chimacum Creek. Also, the water quality in Chimacum Creek has improved. If the County implements the 150ft buffer most of the farms in the County will be gone. When looking at methods for critical areas in farm land please look at what has already been done and look at what is possible for the farmers. Also, some of the methods that were advised are costly. Perhaps make a prescriptive method and then have an option to mitigate if the farmer can afford it. Soon there may be studies of the Chimacum Valley on its buffers and water quality. Jefferson County Planning Commission Meeting Minutes Page 7 of 8 Laura Lewis Manager of the Jefferson County WSU extension. • Goal: to have enough scientific research to back whatever method is chosen. • Putting together 3 workshops to bring together different agencies to get the research the county needs. • Actively looking for research areas to quantify water quality and buffers, there are a couple proposed sites: Quilcene and Chimacum. • In March there will be a water quality expert on staff at the WSU extension. Cynthia June Frank Hoffman Question about PC meeting schedule The PC and DCD should collaborate and make sure their goals match up with: Washington Environmental Council, Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, and gain direction from the BoCC and the State. Topic Summary of tonight’s meeting/ New Business: Action Notes/Follow-up (if needed) Time Date of next Meeting: 2 / 19 / 14 Month Day Year @BoCC Chambers Agenda Topics for next meeting: UDC Sign Code, Pleasant Harbor MPR, and Heritage Tree. Meeting Adjourned Time 4:05 PM by  Unanimous vote OR