WASHOUGAL — Months after denying a proposal from a Ridgefield-based mining firm to designate a personal street in rural Washougal as a public thoroughfare, the Clark County Council gave the request a re-examination.
However after almost three hours of public testimony and dialogue Dec. 2, the council caught with its unique resolution.
In July, the county council unanimously voted towards the request from ZP#5 LLC, an organization managed by Judith Zimmerly. The council’s vote stored non-public Southeast 356th Avenue — which begins at Southeast Evergreen Freeway and runs north for about 2,220 ft earlier than ending on the floor mine sometimes called the Washougal Pit.
The paved, non-public street east of the Washougal metropolis limits supplies entry to the Washougal Pit, together with eight residential properties.
Council Chair Gary Medvigy had requested the council to revisit the street dedication request Oct. 30, after expressing misgivings about his unique vote.
On the finish of the Dec. 2 listening to, Councilor Sue Marshall really helpful letting the earlier resolution stand.
“I think there are a number of questions that just can’t be answered now because fundamentally, this is premature in coming to the council,” she mentioned.
“The repeated efforts to pawn this road off on Clark County like a bad penny are shocking but not surprising, given (the company’s) past track record of illegal mining, brazen land-use violations, and disregard for the community and the National Scenic Area,” mentioned legal professional Nathan Baker, who represents the advocacy group Pals of the Columbia Gorge. “The county engineer and the rest of the county staff have astutely recommended that the county should not consider making this a public road until after any mining and reclamation at the site are completed, and the county council unanimously adopted that position in July. That should remain the county’s position.”
Zimmerly filed a proposal with the county in 2021 to designate Southeast 356th Avenue a public mining-haul street in an effort to renew mining operations on the Washougal Pit, which was illegally mined by the Nutter Company from late summer season 2017 till the summer season of 2020.
The unique road-change proposal obtained greater than 80 public feedback from residents, who voiced sturdy considerations in regards to the influence of the redesignation.
“Acceptance of the dedication of this private road for establishment of a public road is premature,” Public Works Director Ken Lader informed the council throughout its July 16 assembly. “The appropriate time for this process is post-reclamation of the Washougal Pit. Conversion of the road will require a full land-use review, and due to current land ownership, successful establishment of the public road is unlikely without condemnation.”
The county didn’t embrace the street in its six-year Transportation Enchancment Program and has no plans to additional develop the street.
Baker mentioned he believes the proposal has quite a few points, together with the truth that ZLP#5 doesn’t personal your complete street.
Washougal resident Allan Johnston mentioned the county will not be going through a street difficulty, however quite an “are we going to open the mine again?” difficulty.
“The legal ramifications of that mine are horrendous,” Johnston mentioned. “The environmental ramifications are horrendous. The tourist impact is horrendous. You put another 100 trucks on that road with the new roundabouts, and you’ve got a mess.”