The Klickitat County Hearings Examiner has released its findings of fact, conclusions of law, and decision on the Under Canvas SEPA appeal. Further, it has released its conditions of approval for the Under Canvas project. Neither decision was favorable to the oppositional stance of Friends of the White Salmon River!
Come have your voice be heard!!! The hearing on the Conditional Use Permit for Under Canvas is scheduled for July 30. The public notice and details of how to participate in the Zoom hearing can be found here https://www.klickitatcounty.org/DocumentCenter/View/10641/UC-Notice-of-Continued-Public-Hearing
Comments are important. Comments are limited to three minutes, and you must register with the Klickitat County Planning Department before July 28. planning@klickitatcounty.org
We continue to oppose this project. It is not compatible with the proposed location and zoning, and it will impose hardships on the local community, including increased fire danger. Furthermore, a Conditional Use Permit would impose conditions of operations, but Klickitat County is a “complaint driven” county which only enforces regulations when there is a complaint. So the conditions and mitigations in the Conditional Use Permit are meaningless.
Read the FWSR letter submitted to the Klickitat Planning Commission.
If you want to delve into the application and the history of it so far, you can do that here https://www.klickitatcounty.org/1261/Under-Canvas
Note that the appeal of the SEPA (environmental determination) is being held on July 29. You can zoom in and listen, but no public comments will be taken. If you have time, this should be a most interesting hearing. The Zoom link is in the public notice here https://www.klickitatcounty.org/DocumentCenter/View/10641/UC-Notice-of-Continued-Public-Hearing
Under Canvas update. It is my understanding that on Friday two appeals of the SEPA determination were filed. FWSR filed comments, which we will post on the website, but it takes lawyers to file SEPA appeals, and it’s great news that Under Canvas opponents could get that done. The response from Under Canvas and the County will probably be a while. They could withdraw this SEPA and try again, or call for a full environmental assessment, or they could decide to litigate the appeal. Stay tuned.
On December 25, 2020, Klickitat County issued a revised Mitigated Determination of Non-Significance for the Under Canvas Project. You can read the MDNS on our website here Mitigated Determination of Non-Significance. If you want more information, including all comments submitted on the original MDNS last fall, you can read them on the County website here. https://www.klickitatcounty.org/1261/Under-Canvas You will find all documents, including the CUP application and the Recreation Park Application there as well. Settle down for a long winter’s night of reading.
Under Canvas, withdrew its application to develop a 95-tent luxury “glamping” site in October to address comments and issues. It has now resubmitted revised/updated applications, SEPA checklist and special reports to the Klickitat County Planning Department. On December 15, 2020, the Planning Department determined that the revised Environmental Checklist was substantially complete, and SEP2020-21 has been re-issued as a Mitigated Determination of Non-Significance.
Written comments must be submitted to the Klickitat County Planning Department by 5:00 p.m., January 22, 2021, via email at planning@klickitatplanning.org, or by mail sent to 228 W Main Street, Goldendale, WA 98620.
On October 20, 2020, Klickitat County Planning Department forwarded a Notice of Withdrawal of the Preliminary Mitigated Determination of Non-Significance in regard to the 118-acre proposed Under Canvas luxury camping site in Husum. “A new SEPA threshold determination will be issued after review of the pertinent information.”
