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Comment #013 <br /> MAPD <br /> 5. Public Land and Tax Title Properties <br /> The plan could also address the potential role of public land in supporting housing <br /> development.Washington law allows public agencies to transfer surplus land for affordable <br /> housing under RCW 39.33.015. Ellensburg has been using this to good effect over the last <br /> several years, providing a good example. However,on the County's hands,this is an even <br /> more powerful tool, as the County also controls parcels acquired through tax foreclosure, <br /> which represent another potential source of land that could support housing development. <br /> A policy direction encouraging evaluation of County-owned parcels,including tax-title land, <br /> for housing potential could provide a pathway for reducing land costs—one of the most <br /> significant barriers to housing development in smaller markets.Some jurisdictions have begun <br /> assembling these parcels into small land banks capable of supporting "scattered site" housing <br /> projects, which can improve development feasibility when individual parcels are too small to <br /> support standalone projects. <br /> 6. Development Agreements and Housing Outcomes <br /> Finally,the Comprehensive Plan could acknowledge the County's ability to negotiate housing <br /> outcomes through development agreements authorized under RCW 36.70B.170—.210. <br /> Development agreements may provide a mechanism for securing housing commitments <br /> when major subdivisions,rezonings,or infrastructure investments are proposed.Similarly,the <br /> County could explore incorporating housing commitments into optional development <br /> pathways such as cluster zoning or transfer of development rights proposals. Because these <br /> development options are voluntary alternatives to baseline zoning,they may provide a legally <br /> durable framework for achieving housing outcomes. <br /> That the recent negotiations around the extension of the Suncadia Development Agreement <br /> term have not included discussions of additional community benefits around affordable <br /> housing and the infrastructure to support it (at least in publicly available documents) seems to <br /> suggest that the county is not fully using this source of leverage. <br /> 7. Conclusion <br /> The draft Comprehensive Plan provides a strong framework for managing growth and <br /> protecting rural character. However,given current housing market conditions,the plan may <br /> benefit from more clearly identifying the policy tools the County may need to explore.These <br /> could include expanding local housing funding capacity, leveraging public land, supporting <br /> incremental housing forms such as ADUs and unit lot subdivisions,evaluating modest infill <br /> opportunities in LAMIRDs, pursuing infrastructure investments that support existing rural <br /> communities, and using development agreements strategically. <br /> Taken together,these approaches would better position the County to address housing <br /> affordability while remaining consistent with the broader goals of the Comprehensive Plan. <br /> 509-968-5201 www.mapd.co 421 N Pearl St,Ste 100,Ellensburg,WA 98926 4 <br />