||| BY STEVE BERNHEIM, theORCASONIAN REPORTER |||

The lack of attention to climate change in San Juan County’s draft 20-year comprehensive “Land Use and Rural” plan erupted like a Pineapple Express in the middle of Friday morning’s Planning Commission meeting devoted to preserving community character against traditional and visible threats from air pollution, stormwater runoff, and nonresidential uses. (https://www.sanjuanco.com/DocumentCenter/View/21616/)

Three members of the public opened the remote-controlled meeting to point out that climate change wasn’t mentioned in the current draft “Land Use and Rural” section which is intended to direct the County’s development and land use laws and regulations for 20 years. “Please keep in mind the impact of climate change in land use planning,” modestly observed Kai Sanburn of Community Rights San Juans. Faith van de Putte quizzed whether there was a process to address climate change. Learner Limbach boldly suggested the Commission “work in some climate change language.”

The Commissioners’ clamor for climate action continued as planning staff started discussing protecting residential neighborhoods. New Commissioner Sheila Gaquin observed that most of the draft ideas “deal with the way things look, but climate change needs to be considered.” After that, more Commissioners weighed in continuously and supportively.

“I would like to see [climate change] treated in a comprehensive way,” said Commissioner Steve Smith, attending his first meeting. Commissioner Dave Kane suggested that the comprehensive plan have a separate section devoted entirely to the challenges we face from climate change.

Planning staff were receptive to the idea, but suggested that the County Council may have already instructed the staff not to have a stand-alone section devoted to climate change and rather to “sprinkle references to climate change” throughout the plan as appropriate. Kane supported a separate section rather than the sprinkles, especially since no mention yet was included in the “Land Use and Rural” draft, which has been worked over for years. “If we choose to ask for a climate change section then we can have a separate place to get climate change addressed effectively, and I’m concerned if we continue to give it the backseat, then the plan is going to be done and we’re gonna have missed an opportunity to be climate leaders.”

In the end, Chair Camille Uhlir asked Development Department staff, to “present at the February meeting, a discussion and comprehensive overlook of what are the climate changes in the comp plan and our intention is to elevate the importance of climate change in this document.” The meeting will be Friday, February 19 at 8:30 a.m. Find links to Commission schedules, agendas, and remote meeting connections HERE.

Other draft sections of the comprehensive plan include some climate change references.

  • The draft “Water Resources” section says it is “critical” to minimize the impacts of climate change to achieve water resiliency and manage storm water;
  • The draft “Housing” element suggests minimizing housing impacts and avoiding hazardous home sites as ways to promote climate resiliency;
  • The draft “Transportation” section supports establishing a planning process to evaluate climate problems;
  • The “Economic Development” section recognizes the problems but suggests no solutions;
  • The “Capital Facilities” section urges the county to operate zero emission vehicles and, possibly with reference to Crescent Beach Road, to “institute a policy of managed retreat” from public facilities going under water.
  • The “Utilities” draft discusses the challenges posed by climate change, but does not mention it in any goals or policies.

There is no mention of climate in the Land Use, Governance, or Historical Preservation sections, nor in the Shoreline Master Plan. Find all of the current drafts HERE.

In other action, the Commission agreed to an extra meeting Friday morning, January 29 at 8:30 a.m. to try to finalize drafts of the non-climate aspects of development goals and policies for resource lands and the “urban growth” areas of Eastsound and Lopez Village. Current drafts are HERE  and HERE respectively.

The Commissioners also discussed how to keep track of the hundreds of suggestions made in public comments already received. While topical comments themselves are readily available on the County website, the material is not organized.

San Juan County’s official June 2018 Vision is explicit when it comes to climate change:

  • Our community sets an example with its response to climate change.
  • We prepare to address the negative effects in advance before they become crises.
  • Our community encourages voluntary efforts and enacts incentives and regulations if
    necessary to reduce our carbon footprint.

Would you like to comment to the Planning Commission about climate change and the comprehensive plan ? email: compplancomments@sanjuanco.com. Learn more about the comprehensive plan process HERE.

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