Clallam mulls appeal of land-use rulings

PORT ANGELES — Clallam County commissioners may appeal a state ruling that invalidates some of the county’s pockets of business in rural areas.

Or commissioners might not.

What the three commissioners actually decided after two hours of closed deliberations Thursday was not to ask the Western Washington Growth Management Hearings Board to reconsider its decision of April 23.

Their remaining choices are to appeal all or part of the board’s decision to Superior Court within 30 days, or comply with the rulings within 180 days.

At issue are:

  • 20 Limited Areas of More Intensive Rural Development — or LAMRIDS — that are islands of business among farms or forests.

    Many LAMIRDs are the remnants of old ports or timber towns, although many were made larger than their historic size to accommodate possible commercial expansion.

    The state says they must conform to their size as of 1990, leaving some landowners in the lurch.

  • The Carlsborg Urban Growth Area.

    It is noncompliant with the state Growth Management Act because the county does not plan police protection or furnish sewer service similar to a city’s.

    Clallam County and the Public Utility District, however, are cooperating to build a sewer system for the UGA.

  • Dwelling densities around Sequim and in rural areas.

    The R2, RW2, R1 and RW1 rural zones permit urban densities outside UGAs, and the URH, URL and Sequim Urban Residential zones also are out of compliance.

  • Blyn. Currently designated a Rural Center, it should be designated a LAMIRD or a UGA, the hearings board said.
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