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Clark County • Washington
Get Informed! Get Involved! Get Results!Clark County Comprehensive Growth Management Plan FinalizedThe Clark County Board of Commissioners signed off on the County’s Comprehensive Growth Management Plan (CGMP) on September 25, 2007. This means the area with PHNA east of NE 50th Avenue and primarily south of NE 139th Street will be rezoned and brought into the Urban Growth Boundary (UGB). Although PHNA’s UGB Committee was unable to get all the zoning we recommended for the area, we’ve done very well overall and our efforts have paid off to guide growth in and near our neighborhood in a more appropriate direction. Several months ago, the latest proposal for the Philbrook Farms and the area east of 50th Avenue and south of 139th Street over to 72nd Avenue would have zoned a huge part of that area Commercial and Mixed Use, including an area of higher density residential. Per recommendations submitted by PHNA (Pleasant Highlands Neighborhood Association within whose boundaries we all reside) to the County through public testimony, the Higher Density housing was moved east to 72nd Avenue where it is more appropriate, and the Commercial area was reduced to 5 acres at the southeast corner of 50th Avenue and 139th Street with the rest and vast majority of the area being low density residential starting at 50th Avenue and progressing to the higher densities near 72nd Avenue. We were unable to get the last 5 acres of Neighborhood Commercial at 50th Avenue and 139th Street changed to low density residential. The 5 acres of Commercial at 50th Avenue and 139th Street will be zoned Neighborhood Commercial, which does put extensive limits on the type of business that can be developed there compared to Community Commercial zoning. The County Commissioners have envisioned this as an area for a neighborhood grocery store or similar business. Because this property it is so small, and as long as the road improvements are minimal, it is unlikely any business will develop there for many years. Certainly, as long as the Philbrooks’ are still on their property, nothing will be going in there. No doubt John Philbrook has no desire for a view of the backside of a commercial building from that lovely new home he’s building near 50th Avenue. Although many neighbors would have liked to see those properties remain unchanged, the PHNA Board realized from the beginning that it was unrealistic. PHNA has always worked toward having properties east of 50th brought in, particularly as we felt we could help guide the type of zoning it would be assigned to keep it as compatible with our neighborhoods as possible. Fortunately, we currently have County staff and Commissioners that are very open to suggestions from and working with the public, so we’ve been able to get most of what we wanted to see accomplished for that area. Getting it set now while we have staff and officials at the County we can work with was critical. In the future, we may not have Commissioners and County staff who are as open to working with the public as are our current ones. During the final round of public testimony, it became evident that there was some misinformation received by residents living within the PHNA area east of 50th Avenue regarding what PHNA (on behalf of the neighborhood as a whole) was requesting for the area east of 50th Avenue. We&rsquou;d like to clarify that PHNA has championed bringing that area into the Urban Growth Boundary, and subsequently rezoned, from the beginning of this process a few years ago and has never wavered from that position. The counsel made to the Board of Commissioners several months earlier which recommended that the area east of 50th Avenue not be brought in came from the Planning Commission, not from PHNA. As comes up every few years, some County employees suggested that 50th Avenue should be widened to a full 5-lane road (2 lanes in each direction with a center turn lane and sidewalks with bike lanes on both sides of the road). Our County Commissioners are beginning to embrace the idea of minimal road improvements where appropriate, rather than the County’s usual process of improving by a full 3 or 5 lane widening project as has been done over the past several years. This is not necessarily appropriate for all areas, including this part of 50th Avenue, which will be nearly all residential by the time development is completed over the next decade or so. The County Commissioners recognize that this part of 50th Avenue is a logical place for minimal expansion, i.e., safety improvements only with a sidewalk and bike lane on one side of the road, so that is what we are likely to see for this stretch of NE 50th Avenue. No time table has been set for road improvements and will likely depend on how rapidly the properties east of 50th Avenue develop. The expanded urban growth boundary and zoning changes will take effect January 1, 2008. The map below shows the area being brought into the urban growth boundary and the new zoning as assigned. 
If you would like to see the maps (we’re in the Vancouver map), go to:
http://www.clark.wa.gov/longrangeplan/review/maps.html.
For the finalized CGM Plan, go to:
http://www.clark.wa.gov/longrangeplan/review/proposed.html Habitat Enhancement Project at Pleasant Valley Park
A habitat enhancement project for the streamside area of Pleasant Valley Park is under way. Washington State University Extension Watershed Stewards are enhancing approximately 3 acres of the 29-acre park owned by Vancouver/Clark Parks and Recreation. Residents from within The Pleasant Highlands Neighborhood are encouraged to volunteer for the project. (more) See what's new at Hot Off the Press.
Association Boundaries
North: Salmon Creek Ave., Salmon Creek St., Salmon Creek to 72nd Ave.
Pleasant Highlands Neighborhood Association |
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