In attending last nights meeting with 80 other people stuffed in to the White Salmon Library, I am hard pressed to think there is public apathy around here. The meeting was to address the Klickitat County's proposal for the Husum-BZ Sub-Area Comprehensive Plan which will allow over time, the transition of some 18,000 acres of Resource Land into residential. With almost no public input. A presentation was organized by The Friends of the White Salmon, among others.
After the meeting, I went to a party and engaged in a conversation with a college professor who has spent 4-5 months of the year in the gorge recreating for the past 20 years. On the topic of citizen participation in the development process vs the developers' interests, he flatly intoned that the developers always win. When I pointed out the huge attendance at this meeting he shrugged, "Its always the landed interests of the developers and builders that get on the commissions and councils. It doesn't matter." In the meantime I'm thinking , well with that attitude, they will win. I don't belive that this public is apathetic, just uninformed. And according to the information given at the meeting last night, it isn't by accident.
My conversation with this fellow highlights of one of the problems. He lives here part of the year. If he lived here all of the year he might have more time and energy to get informed and involved. You might feel you have a bigger stake in your community.That is how your concerns get addressed.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Public Apathy, Developer Wins?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
6 comments:
Little Fish,
I think it would be helpful to post the section of that proposal that addresses the Comprehensive Plan, how the County will allow this transition and over what period of time these changes would take place. By the county I am assuming you are referring to the Comissioners? Also there must be individuals or corporations that have applied to develop in the Husum area. Exactly whom has applied, where do they want to develop in Husum and for how many homes? I couldn't attend the meeting and would appreciate the info?
Beatledawg
Good idea, Beatledawg! Until it's posted to the blog's home page, here's the link to the PDF file from the County's website: http://www.klickitatcounty.org/Planning/ContentROne.asp?fContentIdSelected=1175187975&fCategoryIdSelected=948111261
hello,
sorry we missed the meeting tonight.
wondering if minutes will be posted anywhere?
one question - do the proposed changes include any changes that would affect commercial development along the corridor?
and one thought... if there is rezoning and growth (and even if there isn't) we would love to see more public access to public lands. we have recently moved to bz and have noticed how much of this corridor is private land, and that it is tricky to access the public lands for walking, biking, enjoying the river, etc. increasing the shoulder &/or maintaining greater lengths of the dirt paths adjacent to the shoulders (such as the one that runs almost from bz to husum) would also be helpful for increased pedestrian/bike/equestrian use.
thanks,
krissy & todd biernacki
I heard that a good chunk of the land in question is owned by SDS lumber as well as Don Struck.
It wouldn't surprise me about SDS lumber. This of couse is an issue because we begin to realize the power of having a defacto 'SDS Oligarchy' controlling our region -- witness the Broughton Mill Mega-Resort Development as well as the Northwestern Lake/Condit Dam development issue.
But having so much land interest by a sitting county commissioner takes the cake.
It is my understanding that the property the Strucks and SDS own is zoned Resource Lands has been since 1986 and there is no proposed change in that area of the planning district. The golf course, which is owned by the Strucks, is proposed to go from 5,000 square ft minimum lot size to one-acre. Can't imagine they wouldn't make more money developing the golf course and selling residential lots rather than continuing to run it as a golf course - perhaps they do have an interest in the community.
Little Fish,
There is another point of view. Part-time residents pay taxes just like others, support local businesses when they're here and probably use fewer resources. They most likely don't require a job here, which leaves jobs for others. Doesn't this seem like a positive contribution to the community?
It's a free country. Part-timers are free to buy here and to be here and others are free to accept that or to leave if they don't like it.
A negative attitude is counter productive - part of the problem, not part of the solution.
Post a Comment