Story by Rodger Nichols for Gorge Country Media
Much of yesterday’s Klickitat County Commissioners meeting focused on land use. One big item was the possibility of having to deal with an application for a data center. Planning Director Scott Edelman told commissioners that where developers planned to locate them makes a significant difference.
“There are two different processes for data center review. If it’s in an industrial park zone, it’s considered an outright use. Still has the SEPA review, the State Environmental Protection Act. After the SEPA review, it goes to the Planning Commission. That is a public meeting; it is not a public hearing. That could ultimately be appealed to the Board of County Commissioners.”
And the other process?
“If it’s in any other zone,” Edelman said, “it goes through a conditional use process. If it’s in an industrial park zone, the Commissioners are involved only if it’s appealed.”
And Keaton Curtice [this is correct spelling] of the Economic Development Department, demonstrated a new software program that tracks housing in the county.
“We received access to Rentalscape, which is our short term rental platform two weeks ago, and it’s been slowly been populating. A big one was ADUs, right? So it’s already identified 16 ADUs that are being used as short term rentals, all in unincorporated county.”
ADUs are not supposed to be used for short term rentals because that reuces the options for long term rental or purchase.
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