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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-09-09 6:00 PM - Planning Commission - Minutes KITTITAS COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES Courthouse RM 201 , ELLENSBURG Public Hearing TUESDAY 6 : 00 PM September 9, 2025 Board members present: Bruce Coe, Joseph Pearson, Judith Jackson, Warren Taylor, Scott Carlson, Bill Hinkle and Pat Deneen by Webex. Others : Chad Bala, Jeremy Johnston, Bradley Gasawski, Clay White, Erin O' Kelley, Sheridan Payne, Jessica Miller and no (0) members of the public. The meeting was called to order at 6 : 00 P.M. CALL TO ORDER - Roll Call CITIZEN COMMENTS (1 min. time limit) There were no citizen comments . APPROVAL OF MINUTES COMMISSIONER HINKLE moved to approve the minutes from the August 12, 2025 meeting as presented. COMMISSIONER JACKSON seconded. Discussion - none . Motion passed 4-0 . NEW BUSINESS KIMLEY-HORN COMPREHENSIVE PLAN PRESENTATION CDS DIRECTOR CHAD BALA shared that this presentation is meant to drive a discussion, CDS staff is looking for input from the Planning Commissioners on our goals, policies and proposed changes . He stated that today' s items are going out for a 30-day comment period. The 2026 Periodic Comprehensive Plan Update has been broken up into three sections and will be presented over the next three months . CDS staff plans on updating the Board of County Commissioners at the same pace as the Planning Commissioners . The plan is to then come together with a joint meeting between the Board of County Commissioners and the Planning Commissioners . CLAY WHITE, from Kimley-Horn, presented the PowerPoint presentation. He shared that this is an opportunity for us to provide an overview of what we are doing. There will be meetings and hearings when we release a draft comprehensive plan. The plan is to do additional engagement with the community to get their input and questions . 2025-9-9 MINUTES 1 The goals of this meeting are to review: the GMA overview, the project schedule, timeline and engagement, the approach to policy development, a brief overview of Initial Draft Policies, the key questions and any feedback and the next steps . Discussion occurred regarding the Growth Management Act . There are 15 planning goals to be balanced. The GMA requires the development of a comprehensive plan and implementing regulations . It is updated every 10 years and looks out 20 years ahead. The update deadline is June 30, 2026 . CDS will be working on updating policies and regulations so that they are consistent with any state law changes since the last update . Staff also has to make sure that if there are any case law updates, that they are consistent with best available science . Another high-level project objective is to plan for housing, population, and employment out to 2046 for Kittitas County. Clay White presented the phases of the project . There will be meetings, hearings, and workshops and community engagement throughout the entire process . At this meeting we are reviewing land use, rural, resource and housing. In November, we will review transportation, capital facilities, and utilities . At the December meeting we will review environment, parks and open space, climate and resilience, and economic development . Each month' s topics will have a 30-day public comment period associated with it . Commissioner Deneen stated that we need to address recreation in the Upper County as part of the Comprehensive Plan. Discussion occurred regarding land use county goals to focus on. One goal discussed was the concern about affordable housing and higher paying jobs to support the industry. Through a land capacity analysis, you would be able to determine how much capacity we currently have to accommodate people . Then if there is a gap between how much capacity and how much is needed, we would potentially make zoning changes, increase density and take other actions to increase that capacity. The presentation included a rural and resource element overview. For Counties, a rural element is required under the GMA and it establishes rural densities and uses . The rural element establishes the future vision for rural residents, LAMIRDs, master plan resorts, rural working lands, rural recreation, the Liberty historic district and resource lands like agricultural, 2025-9-9 MINUTES 2 mineral and forest . Clay White shared an overview of the initial policy changes for rural areas, LAMIRDs, improving community resilience in rural areas for wildfire, flooding and drought, coordinating with resorts and recreation groups to expand outdoor recreation access and explore future outdoor recreation improvements by seeking grants and other funding sources . Next month the Planning Commissioners will receive a packet with the next items to review. The next step for staff is to release the initial Land Use, Rural and Resource, and Housing policies for a 30-day comment period. Also, to summarize the community and Planning Commission feedback for use within the Draft Comprehensive Plan. OLD BUSINESS There was no old business . OTHER BUSINESS - No Action to be taken CDS Director Bala stated that CDS staff will be looking at the land use tables this year and with the current schedule for the Comprehensive Update, it is requested that the Planning Commissioners have two meetings a month beginning in October in order to meet the deadline . Staff is hoping to have a revised draft table in front of the Planning Commissioners by the first quarter of 2026 . CDS Director Bala stated that the November meeting falls on a holiday and he would like to move it to Wednesday, November 12th. The Planning Commissioners agreed to this . CHAIR COE concluded the Kittitas County Planning Commission public hearing. Meeting ended at 7 : 57 pm. 2025-9-9 MINUTES 3