County planning not giving proper to peoples interest
The Chronicle, 7/28/98
To the editor:
I read the article "Industry sites get attention" in The Chronicle July 22 (page A1) with great interest, but no surprise
Once again our county planning is taking place in a vacuum as far as consideration of the interests of the people of Lewis County are concerned. The county planning consultant proposes that Lewis County adopt a "boilerplate" binding site plan ordinance that had been previously prepared for the city of Westport
Just change "a few terms and definitions" and one-size-fits-all planning comes to Lewis County! Never mind that local citizens win have no active part in its construction and that our specific interests and concerns will not be given consideration
The adoption of this ordinance would, according to the consultant, greatly speed development permitting, streamlining repetitive environmental reviews and bureaucratic red tape
Whoa! Read that again. Slowly. This is the part where we are supposed to have a chance to have a say in how development proceeds in our county. The permitting and environmental review process is meant to be a public process
Supposedly, this is the where "John Q." is to be provided with information what is going to happen or down the road and is given a chance to ask questions, receive answers and make comment before the dredging and filling begin
Will that happen under this proposal? Take a good look at the composition of the site plan review committee: Just one planning commission member will represent the public. He or she may not own property anywhere near the proposed project, may not have any personal knowledge of the area and its problems, but, in the interest of "speed" and "streamlining" will represent all of us who just might have a vested or serious environmental interest in what happens there
When a question was raised about the rush to adopt the "Westport ordinance," the answer was that it "could be put in place now. It would be helpful and useful to the port now." Note it's not helpful and useful to the environment and the people of the county, but to the port." I believe that we can all join county planning commissioner Diana Leber-Levine in feeling "footprints" on our faces
What can you do about it? You can begin by attending the Aug. 4 meeting of the planning commission and remind them of your rights to a full public disclosure and environmental review process for all development in our county
MERRILY KNUTSEN, Onalaska