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Critical Areas Ordinance Update December 7, 2021
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<br />WHEREAS; County staff, the County’s environmental consulting firms, Environmental Science
<br />Associates, SCJ Alliance, and The Watershed Company, and the Planning Commission included the Best
<br />Available Science in drafting the updates to the CAO; and
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<br />WHEREAS, Kittitas County developed a public participation program for this update to inform, involve
<br />and encourage participation of interested persons and private entities, tribes, and applicable agencies having
<br />interests and responsibilities relating to critical areas; and
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<br />WHEREAS, Kittitas County has followed its public participation program, including providing interested
<br />parties with timely information, an understanding of the process, and multiple opportunities to review and
<br />comment on the proposed amendments to the SMP. Kittitas County encouraged interested parties to review
<br />and comment on proposed changes with four (4) public comment periods. Kittitas County provided
<br />information on the proposed amendments with a CAO website, and advertised all comment periods with
<br />the newspaper of record; and
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<br />WHEREAS, the Planning Commission conducted three (3) study sessions on the proposed amendments to
<br />the CAO on July 13, 2021, August 10, 2021, and September 14, 2021; and
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<br />WHEREAS, Kittitas County published a legal notice in the Northern Kittitas County Tribune on September
<br />23, 2021 and September 30, 2021, and in the Daily Record on September 28, 2021 and October 5, 2021,
<br />for a Planning Commission virtual public hearing,
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<br />WHEREAS, Kittitas County prepared an environmental checklist required by the State Environmental
<br />Policy Act (SEPA) on August 21, 2021, and issued a Determination of Non-Significance on September 23,
<br />2021 on the environmental impact from the adoption of the proposed CAO; and
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<br />WHEREAS, Kittitas County provided Notice of Intent to Adopt to the Washington State Department of
<br />Commerce in accordance with WAC 173-26-100(5); and
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<br />WHEREAS, Kittitas County Planning Commission held a virtual public hearing October 12, 2021 to
<br />receive testimony on topics the public believed should be addressed during the periodic review; and
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<br />WHEREAS, on October 12, 2021, the Planning Commission, by motion and vote, unanimously
<br />recommended that the Board adopt the proposed updates to the CAO, with consideration to the Planning
<br />Commissions proposed amendments and findings; and
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<br />WHEREAS, staff provided the Board with a staff report, that included the Planning Commissions proposed
<br />amendments, Findings, and Recommendations to the Board (Exhibit B); and
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<br />WHEREAS, a Public Hearing Notice was posted in the Northern Kittitas County Tribune on October 21,
<br />2021 and October 28, 2021, and in the Daily Record on October 21, 2021 and October 28, 2021, and said
<br />notice was mailed to stakeholders, agencies, and interested parties; and
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<br />WHEREAS, the Kittitas County Board of County Commissioners held a virtual public hearing on
<br />November 3, 2021 to consider amendments to the Critical Areas Ordinance; and
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<br />WHEREAS, the Kittitas County Board of County Commissioners after considering all public comments
<br />and evidence, and after deliberation and considering the hearing record, approved the proposed amendments
<br />at the November 3, 2021 hearing; and
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