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Home My WebLink About2025-12-09 6:00 PM - Planning Commission - Minutes KITTITAS COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES Courthouse RM 201 , ELLENSBURG Public Meeting TUESDAY 6 : 00 PM December 9, 2025 Board members present: Bruce Coe, Joseph Pearson, Judith Jackson, Scott Carlson, Warren Taylor, Bill Hinkle, and Pat Deneen. Absent: None Others : Jamey Ayling, Jeremy Johnston, Jessica Miller, Clerk and two (2) 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 . COMMISSIONER HINKLE stated that he did not reapply for his term of Planning Commissioner that is ending December 31, 2025 . APPROVAL OF MINUTES COMMISSIONER HINKLE moved to approve the minutes from the November 12, 2025 and the November 18, 2025 meeting as presented. COMMISSIONER JACKSON seconded. Discussion - none . Motion passed. NEW BUSINESS SECOND REVIEW OF PROPOSED USE ALLOWANCE REVISIONS IN THE RURAL- NON-LAMIRD DESIGNATION (NO ACTION REQUESTED) LONG RANGE PLANNER JEREMY JOHNSTON presented a brief overview of the changes and revision that were made since the October meeting that went over the land use table . The finished product will be brought before the Planning Commissioners early next spring. Staff will also be bringing other land use tables before the Planning Commissioner for review in the near future . A summary sheet of the changes has been provided at the meeting. 1) Agricultural expanded seasonal harvest festivities - Planning Commissioners proposed adding PA use instead of CUP use in the Ag-20 zone . Staff is recommending to keep a CUP in this zone as the nature of the expansion is undefined and a CUP approach 2025-12-9 MINUTES 1 allows a mechanism for addressing externalities that can be created from all the ways the "seasonal harvest festivities" use can be expanded. The CUP process allows for public comment . The consensus of the Planning Commissioners is that they are against a CUP in this zone for this use . CHAIR COE presented the suggestion of having statutory regulations and using trigger points to implement land use review. LONG RANGE PLANNER JOHNSTON stated that the agricultural definitions are confusing for staff and the public . He stated in his opinion the definitions should be completely revamped and simplified and he would be willing to do this with a recommendation from the Planning Commissioners . COMMISSINER HINKLE stated that under religious institutions that the table has not been updated. LONG RANGE PLANNER JOHNSTON stated that this is one of the few that staff needs to establish the criteria in order to update it to Permitted Use . COMMISSIONER HINKLE noted that on restaurants it lists CUP in multiple zones and asked why. LONG RANGE PLANNER JOHNSTON stated the proposed changes on this was remove it from the PUD zone as a CUP and add Permitted Use . LONG RANGE PLANNER JOHNSTON stated he will look into reestablishing or come up with a plan to replace the agricultural uses associated with the table . 2) Animal Boarding - Per recommendation of the Planning Commission, staff added this as a permitted use in the PUD designation. 3) Nurseries - Per recommendation of the Planning Commission, staff added this as a permitted use in the Forest & Range zone . It will have the same footnote (61) as required in some other zones . The footnote excludes nurseries that sell bulk landscape materials . COMMISSIONER DENEEN stated he thinks bulk landscape materials should be allowed in nurseries in the Forest & Range zone . 4) Small-Scale Event Facility - Per recommendation of the Planning Commission, staff added this in the General Commercial zone with the same permissions as all the other zones . 5) U-Cut/U-Pick Operations - This item requires a CUP in the Rural-5 zone but is a Permitted or Administrative Conditional Use (AC) in Ag-5, Ag-20, and Forest & Range with the AC subject to footnote 51 . Per the recommendation of the Planning 2025-12-9 MINUTES 2 Commission, staff added the use to Rural-5 with the same permissions . 6) Commercial Activities Associated with Agriculture - Per recommendation of the Planning Commission, staff added this as a Permitted Use to the General Commercial zone . 7) Clubhouses, Fraternities and Lodges - Per recommendation of the Planning Commission, staff added this item to PUD through an Administrative Conditional Use Permit (ACUP) . 8) Libraries, Museums and Galleries - Planning Commission recommended considering these as permitted uses in the General Commercial zone instead of a CUP. Staff recommends using an Administrative Conditional Use (AC) as a compromise as this will create an easier permitting path while still allowing for community input and mitigation of impacts . 9) Interpretive Centers - Per recommendation of the Planning Commission, staff added this as an allowed use in the General Commercial zone with an Administrative Conditional Use (AC) , as is the requirement in a variety of other zones . 10) Bed and Breakfast - Planning Commission recommended adding this as a permitted use in the General Commercial zone . Staff recommends not adding this change, as the bed and breakfast definition specifically assigns the use to Single Family Residence (SFR) . SFR' s are not permitted in General Commercial zone unless as an accessory to a commercial use . 11) Daycare Facilities - Per the recommendation of the Planning Commission, staff added this as Permitted use in all zones . 12) Hospital, Animal or Veterinary - Per the recommendation of the Planning Commission, staff added this as a permitted use in Ag-20 zones . 13) Restaurant and Retail Sales General - Per the recommendation of the Planning Commission, staff added this item as permitted use in the PUD designation. 14) Shooting Range - Per the recommendation of the Planning Commission, staff added this item as a permitted use in PUD and Master Planned Resort (MPR) with the same footnote (#31) as the other permitted zones . 2025-12-9 MINUTES 3 15) Forest Product Processing-Portable - Per the recommendation of the Planning Commission, staff added this item as permitted use in Ag-20 and Forest & Range zones . 16) Warehousing and Distribution - Per the recommendation of the Planning Commission, staff added this item as permitted use in the General Commercial zones . 17) Campground - Per the recommendation of the Planning Commission, staff added this item as permitted use in the PUD zones . Staff does not agree with adding the change to the General Commercial zones as it is inconsistent with the purpose of the General Commercial zone . 18) Golf Course - Per the recommendation of the Planning Commission, staff added this item as permitted use in the Master Planned Resort and PUD zones . 19) Guest Ranch - Per the recommendation of the Planning Commission, staff added this item as permitted use in the Master Planned Resort and PUD zones . Staff will be working on a new definition for this item. 20) Recreational Indoor - Planning Commission recommended changing this item to permitted use in both Ag zones, Rural-5 and Forest & Range . Staff did not include change as the use has the potential to conflict with the purpose statement of each zone . 21) Outdoor Recreation - Planning Commission recommended changing this item to permitted in all zones . Staff did not include the change until/if we have an opportunity to research administrative standards that can counteract the impacts . Staff is also concerned with the purpose statements of the Ag, Rural- 5, and Forest & Range zones . 22) Recreation Vehicle Park - Per the recommendation of the Planning Commission, staff added this item as permitted use in the PUD zone . 23) Recreational Vehicle Equipment, Service and Repair - Per the recommendation of the Planning Commission, staff added this item as permitted use to the General Commercial zone . LONG RANGE PLANNER JOHNSTON stated he will be bringing the other three land use table to the Planning Commission in the same format to review. The final product for the four use tables will 2025-12-9 MINUTES 4 be brought forward all at once . COMMISSIONER PEARSON asked about the annual docket process . LONG RANGE PLANNER JOHNSTON stated that process has been suspended for this year and next year. OLD BUSINESS There was no old business . OTHER BUSINESS - No Action to be taken CHAIR COE concluded the Kittitas County Planning Commission public meeting. Meeting ended at 7 :22 pm. 2025-12-9 MINUTES 5