Clark County Planning Commission Workshop - August 6, 2026
Submitted by Observer Janet Hedgepath
Agenda: https://clark.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2026-08/pc-work-session-agenda-08-06-2026-final.pdf
Presentation: https://clark.wa.gov/sites/default/files/media/document/2026-08/2026-0806-pc-ws-presentation-comp-plan-overview.pdf
Members Present: Mark Bergthold, Bryan Halbert, Ron Barca, Alicia LeDuc Montgomery, Karl Johnson, Jack Harroun
Absent: Kyle Fadness
Comprehensive Plan Overview - Oliver Orijiako reviewed the process. County is now in the 4th stage - adoption. After the Planning Commission has a hearing they will deliberate and make a recommendation to Council. Commissioners have reviewed all of the materials that they will receive before the hearing. C. LeDuc Montgomery wanted clarification regarding the Council’s position on the expansion and designation of agricultural land. Mr Orijiako confirmed that the Planning Commission had recommended the expansion and designation only if a Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) plan was in place. The Council chose to accept the designation without a TDR. The staff is proposing a countywide TDR program with both cities and counties included.
Traffic Impact Fees (TIF) - There are four TIF sections - 3 that encompass the Urban Growth Area (UGA) of Vancouver and 1 rural. Proposed new rates are as follows:
Section | Current | Proposed | Inflation adjusted
Hazel Dell | $551 | $1004 | $609
Mt Vista | $1053 | $1559 | $1163
Orchards | $477 | $1247 | $526
Rural | $398 | $1340 | $440
179th St | $605 + $350 surcharge - locked in
C. Harroun wanted to know why the proposed rates were so much higher than the inflation adjusted rates. The cause was construction inflation - mainly concrete and labor. C. Barca noted all of the failing corridors (those that exceed the number of trips they were designed for) and asked if they get priority for limited funds before new growth. They do not as mitigation happens when developments go in. (This answer seemed rather vague and was not explained further)
Next Steps -
Aug 20 - Hearing
Sept 3 - scheduled if needed to continue Aug 20 hearing
C. Johnson asked staff if they could convey to the cities that they needed to be more succinct. He recalled that the cities went first with their testimonies and took up a lot of time stretching the meeting and making other people “unhappy”. He asked that they stick to their 3 minutes and not go over information the Commission had already heard. A discussion followed about the ability of the Commission to make a recommendation that didn’t follow the Council’s decision. Staff said the Council had made a decision about the preferred alternative and the Commissioners could indeed make other recommendations. Most of the energy centered around the designation of ag lands and TDRs.