Commission to dump ‘soup-to-nuts’ approach to urban holding
In revising Clark County’s growth management plan, the Board of Commissioners will likely be changing its approach to urban holding.
Instead of throwing large swaths of land into urban holding and requiring it all to have every facility – sewer, water, libraries, schools, street sweepers, law enforcement and so on – as the former commission did in 2004, the zoning tool will likely be used more sparingly and for specific facilities, said Community Planning Director Marty Snell.
Urban holding was first applied in Clark County in 1994, when the county adopted its first growth management plan. Then, the Board of Commissioners used it in targeted areas for specific reasons.
For instance, a very limited northeastern portion of Vancouver’s urban growth area was placed in holding because there were no sewer services available, then lifted once sewer was established.
In 2004, all of the land brought into urban growth areas countywide was placed in urban holding to stave off development until adequate facilities, such as water, sewer, libraries and roads are in place.
Several of the smaller cities, such as Camas, have annexed the areas that were in holding, but land on Vancouver and parts of Battle Ground remain locked tight.
It is likely this Board of Commissioners will move away from that "soup-to-nuts approach" and go back to the method used in 1994 – limited areas for limited purposes, Snell said.
Rather than relying on urban holding, he said, the commission is toying with the idea of phasing development.
When setting up a 20-year growth plan, there is an understanding that no county has enough money for development of new land within urban growth boundaries for 20 years worth of development, he said.
Instead, the county will look at designating areas to concentrate on development before others, likely those close-in to already developed land.
The commissioners are currently looking at how to phase development over the first six to 10 years, and will have conversations with the Planning Commission about why and where to phase development.
