Vancouver, WA – County officials will be considering two ways to allow more homes on properties currently zoned for forestry or agriculture when public hearings begin next week on proposed changes to the local growth management plan.

The proposed plan update would reduce minimum lot sizes from 20 to 10 acres on land zoned for agriculture and from 40 to 20 acres where forest land is zoned FR-40.

At the request of the Board of County Councilors, county planners have drafted two options for how homesites could be created on those lands.

Option #1 would allow farmland to change from a parcel 20 acres or larger into two homesites and one “remainder” lot. Likewise, it would allow certain forest land to change from a parcel 40 acres or larger into two homesites and one “remainder” lot. This option would require homesites to be clustered along property lines and adjacent to existing roads to minimize new roads or driveways.

In a somewhat different approach, Option #2 would allow farmland to change from a parcel 20 acres or larger into two separate lots 10 acres or larger. Likewise, it would allow certain forest land to change from a parcel 40 acres or larger into two separate lots 20 acres or larger. Homesites would be allowed only within building envelopes approved by the county under Option #2.

Both options would limit each homesite to roughly one acre, depending on how much land is needed to meet septic requirements. Homesites and non-residential “remainder” lots could be owned separately.

Planning Director Oliver Orjiako said those development patterns should help meet state requirements for preserving land for commercial agriculture and forestry.

Hearings will be at the Public Service Center, Sixth Floor, 1300 Franklin St.:

• May 19, 6:30 p.m.: Joint public hearing on entire plan update, including environmental impact statement
• May 24, 6:30 p.m.: Joint public hearing on entire plan update, including environmental impact statement
• June 2, 6:30 p.m.: Planning Commission deliberations
• June 21, 10 a.m.: Board of County Councilors deliberations

Related materials are at www.clark.wa.gov/community-planning/title-40-development-code-revisions .  

CONTACT
Oliver Orjiako
Director
Community Planning
(360) 397-2280 ext. 4112
oliver.orjiako@clark.wa.gov