For years, Methow Valley Citizens Council has been concerned about Okanogan County allowing growth beyond the capacity of the Methow Valley’s water sources to sustain a balance between many human uses (agriculture, recreation, commercial businesses, residences) and the healthy populations of fish and wildlife that we treasure. As the valley grows and experiences strong pressure from booming real estate trends, it is more important than ever that we have a plan to ensure that balance remains intact. At present, there is no such plan.
In response to MVCC’s repeated statements of concern and objections, the County in 2019 adopted a 6-month moratorium on using the reserved water for subdivisions. The moratorium was not complete, however; there was an exception allowing some landowners to subdivide an existing lot into two lots. MVCC told the county it did not believe that the provision for a two-lot subdivision was allowed under state regulations.This ordinance expired in June 2020 and was replaced by Ordinance 2020-4, a prohibition with the same exception – and new exceptions added. In early 2020, two different landowners each applied for a two-lot subdivision south of Twisp. When the county issued preliminary approvals for the two proposed subdivisions in June, MVCC was required to appeal them or lose our right to be heard.
On July 6, MVCC sent a Notice of Appeal to Okanogan County, contesting the Planning Department’s preliminary approval of two subdivisions proposed for the “Lower Reach” of the Methow watershed. MVCC also filed complaints with the Department of Ecology for these subdivision applications.
For a deeper dive into the legal background, please click here.
We are concerned about the rapid pace of growth in the valley under the county’s outdated and contested regulations, and the rate at which subdivisions may occur under the exception if nothing is done to address the underlying issues related to water.
While the county gathers more information about water availability and potential solutions, and presents them to the community for dialogue and problem-solving, we believe that a full moratorium on subdivisions and on building permits is the responsible and appropriate response. |