Recreation Permit Process and Event Licenses
The Douglas County Board of Commissioners have initiated a code amendment to clarify that applications for recreation activities outside of urban growth areas are to be processed through quasi-judicial procedures and do not require action by the Board. Quasi-judicial matters are assigned to the Douglas County Hearing Examiner.
Draft amendments have been prepared that would accomplish the following objectives:
- Applications for recreational activities will be processed as conditional use permits where allowed.
- Existing recreational overlays will not become nonconforming uses.
- Recreational activities found by the courts to be incompatible with long term commercial significant resource lands have been identified and would not be allowed in those areas.
Additionally, there has been confusion by some persons and agencies regarding the effect of zoning on utility transmission lines, streets, highways, pedestrian and bicycle ways, bus stops and shelters. A new section of the zoning code has been drafted to address these and other infrastructure components critical to supporting community development.
The Board of Commissioners will also be addressing the licensing of larger, temporary events, such as concerts, where more than 1000 persons are expected to attend.
The Board of Commissioners will be conducting public meetings to consider the recommendation of the Planning Commission on the proposal for amendments to the recreational permit process, and a public hearing on the event license code on Tuesday, April 8, 2008 in the Commissioners Chambers at the Courthouse, 203 South Rainier, Waterville. The meeting on recreation permits starts at 10:15 AM and the hearing on event licenses is scheduled for 10:45 AM.
Written comments should be addressed to:
Douglas County Board of Commissioners
P.O. Box 747
Waterville, WA 98857-0747