News Release.

["JS M" <jbiggs50@hotmail.com>]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Monday, January 24, 2000

Contact:	Whitman County Planning
Phone	:	(509) 397-6206

Subject:	Whitman County Planning Commission seeks public’s ideas to revise 
zoning for rural residences in the agricultural zone.

RURAL RESIDENCES AND AG  --  HOW CAN WHITMAN COUNTY RULES BE CHANGED TO 
ACCOMMODATE MORE RURAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY WHILE AT THE SAME TIME PROTECTING 
THE COUNTY’S IMPORTANT AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY?

Wednesday, Jan 19, 2000, the Whitman County Board of County Commissioners 
asked the Planning Commission to create alternatives to current rules 
restricting house construction on farmland.  In this workshop session, plans 
were made to reach out to “potentially affected interests” to gather 
information leading toward acceptable changes.

Of particular interest is the three-year wait required of agricultural land 
before it can be approved for a short plat and/or for house construction.  
Under current code, a land owner must remove a site from commercial 
agricultural production for three years before applying for zoning approval, 
a land division and then a building permit.  When the Planning Commission 
held 22 area meetings on the county land use plans and regulations in 1995 
and 1996, half of the participants expressed dissatisfaction with the 3-year 
requirement, and the other half thought the idling rule was a good way to 
protect agriculture.

At the workshop, the Board and Commission endorsed reaching out to community 
organizations to discuss issues relating to this challenge.  Recognizing 
that these changes to the zoning codes would be controversial, both the 
Board and Commission support wide public participation to help find 
acceptable revisions.

Planning staff and members of the Planning Commission will accept 
invitations to attend the meetings of farming, ranching and property owner 
associations, city councils, and community groups to solicit how the rules 
could be made better.

The goal of this process is to work towards informed consent.  After ideas 
have been gathered, a formal proposal for a plan and zoning amendment will 
be written and be presented back to the public for comment.

Organizations wishing to be involved in this agricultural – rural 
residential change to the zoning code are asked to call Whitman County 
Planning at (509) 397-6206 or 397-6212, or e-mail to johnm@co.whitman.wa.us 
or bruceh@co.whitman.wa.us or markb@co.whitman.wa.us

END

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