LAND USE

A regional planning council or equivalent body should be charged with coordinating a county-wide comprehensive land use plan composed of long-range goals, policies and guidelines. Individual citizens and representatives from local governmental bodies should participate jointly in the formulation of the countywide land use plan. All decisions made by city and county entities should be consistent with the plan. A central resources center containing all planning information should be maintained and available to the public. All City, County and special service planning bodies should be in regular communication with each other. (1974) The comprehensive plan should be regularly reviewed.
(1990)

We support conservation of non-renewable land resources, such as agricultural, forestry lands, wetlands and aggregate mining areas. The criteria to determine areas to be conserved should include social, environmental and economic factors with emphasis on retention of physical characteristics. We support a flexible combination of implementation techniques such as: creative zoning, performance standards, transferable development rights, purchase of development rights, fee simple purchase, agricultural and forestry or mineral aggregate districts, and tax policies to achieve conservation of non-renewable land resources, depending on local condition. Purchase of development rights would be most appropriate for lands in close proximity to urban areas. We support the concept that developers should be required to contribute to cost of public services which are a direct result of their development.
(Amended 1990)

HEARING PROCESS

The citizens’ right to know about hearings which might be of interest to them is of first concern. Hearings concerned with ordinances and basic planning should be held separately from hearings concerned with applications for zone changes and subdivisions. Hearings should be of reasonable length and be recessed and reconvened if necessary. We support Planning Commission and Hearings Examiner procedures that are fair to everyone concerned. Fairness should take precedence over procedure. Conflict of interest, whether personal or financial, must be avoided. A commission member so involved should leave the room. All basic criteria and preliminary work needed for a subdivision application should be done before the Planning Commission or Hearings Examiner hearing. Legal advisors must be available at all hearings.
(Amended 1990)