RZ-07-00008 Dunford FDP Ordinance 2010-013

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Furthermore, this proposal substantially creates merit and value for Kittitas County by designating 40% or 138.27 acres of property into open space for perpetuity. It is clear that by providing an increased tax base, privately funded roads, privately funded recreation facilities, privately funded utilities that provide for fire protection, environmental enhanced sewage treatment, limiting rural sprawl, and creating/preserving open space, this proposal provides merit & value to Kittitas County. 33.4 The proposed amendment is appropriate because of changed circumstances or because of a need for additional property in the proposed zone or because the proposed zone is appropriate for reasonable development of the subject property. The applicant states: Though a proposal need only meet one of the criteria above; this proposal meets all three criteria contained in the above statement as demonstrated by the following: First, there has been a substantial change in circumstances: For over 100 years this property has been used as part of a working farm, cattle and horse ranch. Over the past 10 years the ranch land surrounding the property has been converted to other uses mostly being residential and recreational. A portion of the ranch was taken by the State of Washington for the development of Highway 97. The ranch is divided by State Hwy 97, which has become increasingly more traveled causing logistical problems with the day-to-day operation of the cattle ranch. It has become quite dangerous to drive cattle on the hoof to the various remaining pastures and in fact at most times in the past few years the cattle have had to be placed in a cattle trailer to be moved between pastures. This action caused increased costs, which the working cattle ranch has to absorb. Much of the land around the existing ranch is being developed for residential and recreational uses, which are also causing impacts to the ranch operation. A further negative impact to the ranching and cattle operation is the sale of much of the adjacent properties. Directly to the east of the property lies 3,000 acres of land that was owned by the Boise Cascade Corporation. The land was used for many years as additional grazing land to supplement the grazing on the ranch. Further, the majority of the property that has been part of this farming and Z-07-08 and LL -08-02 Dunford PUD Rezone and Preliminary Large Lot Subdivision Page 12 of 28