Things took a strange turn at the Klickitat County Commission meeting yesterday. One of the items on the agenda attracted a lot of attention. That was commissioner approval of the binding site plan for Under Canvas. The company proposes to build and operate a seasonal outdoor luxury camping facility between Husum and BZ Corner, a plan that is strongly opposed by many local residents.
The item was first on the afternoon agenda, but when the afternoon session opened, Commissioner Jake Anderson was not present, and Chair Lori Zoller said he had stepped out, leaving a bare two-person quorum. Planning Director Scott Eldelman said he wanted to make one thing clear:
09 25 24 Scott:20 “This is not approving or denying the Under Canvas project. Through the hearings examiner and the courts, the project has already been approve. This is you being the doublecheck of staff’s work to make sure we’ve reviewed the binding site plan, so it meets the approved conditional use permit, and meets the conditions that were included in that.”
At that point, Chair Zoller asked for a motion to approve the site plan. Commissioner Dan Christopher said he would not make the motion. So Chair Zoller stepped down and made the motion, only to find Commissioner Christopher declining to offer a second.
Unable to move forward, Zoller sent for Commissioner Anderson. On his return, he revealed that he left in order to recuse himself. He noted he was a the former chair of the Husum-BZ and that he has a personal friendship with a representative of Under Canvas.
With no way for a vote to move forward, Planner Rebecca Hail said the county was invoking the doctrine of necessity, and quoted the state law:
09 25 24 Hail:22 “In the event of a challenge to a member or members of a decision-making body, which would cause a lack of a quorum or result in a failure to obtain a majority vote, as required by law. Any such challenged member shall be permitted to fully participate in the proceedings, and vote as of the challenge had not occurred. if the member or members publicly disclose the basis for the disqualification prior to rendering this decision.”
Anderson then gave his second to the motion, and it passed 2 to 1, with Christopher the only dissenter.
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