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necessary for the protection of the forestry resource or to protect the public during times of <br />forest operations. Many of these areas are integral to the recreation network of the Pass and <br />their long term availability, through use agreements, is encouraged. Residential/commercial <br />lodging uses are permitted, provided the development is compatible with the primary use of <br />long term timber production. <br />Open Space <br />Undisturbed areas and environmentally sensitive areas, such as large wetlands and floodplains, <br />are included in the open space designation. Much of the land in this category is Forest Service <br />Land. Designation as open space is not intended to preclude access, but to encourage <br />conservation while providing controlled or managed access for passive recreational activities <br />like hiking, camping, Nordic skiing and fishing, consistent with the SPAMA Plan. Open space <br />areas are critical to the natural beauty of the Pass area and provision of open space should be a <br />consideration on public and private land in all land use designations. <br />3.7.3 Subarea A Land Use Plan <br />A majority of Subarea A is designated as Open Space because of ownership and development <br />constraints. <br />The area at the base of the Alpental Ski Area is designated as Commercial Lodging. At the <br />present time, the base of the ski area contains two day lodges and other support facilities for <br />skiers. The plan envisions the development of overnight lodging facilities, recreation <br />condominiums, restaurants and retail shops, which could enhance the recreational asset <br />provided by the ski slopes. Due to limited land area available, development should be compactly <br />designed so as to provide integrated pedestrian access to all facilities. The Snoqualmie River <br />should be emphasized as an aesthetic asset in development planning. <br />The boundaries of the Residential area coincide with the King County Comprehensive Plan for <br />East King County. The undeveloped portions of the Residential designation are somewhat <br />constrained by topography and/or access. New residential development should be designed in a <br />manner that clusters buildings on suitable building sites and leaves the remainder of the land <br />area in open space. <br />A portion of the area designated as Open Space west of Alpental Road is privately owned. The <br />Open Space designation is due to extreme topographic conditions. However, small areas may be <br />available for carefully planned residential clusters. This area is designated as Forest Production <br />in the King County Comprehensive Plan. As such, permitted residential density is one unit per 80 <br />acres of land area. <br />Any construction west of Alpental Road and along the South Fork of the Snoqualmie River will <br />need to comply with applicable state and/or county set-back and vegetative buffer <br />requirements. <br />Kittitas County <br />Comprehensive Plan <br />December 2016