UPDATE on Individual Subdivision Appeals:
A piecemeal approach to addressing the elephant in the room!
Under exemptions allowed since the first version of the interim moratorium was adopted in late 2019, the County has given a green light for multiple land divisions to proceed.
In July, MVCC appealed the Okanogan County Planning Department’s preliminary approval of two proposed subdivisions between Twisp and Carlton, stating that they do not have a right to use water reserved for single residences, and that therefore, the resulting lots will not have a legal water source.
Last month we argued our case in front of Okanogan County Hearing Examiner, Dan Beardslee, who is one of the founders of Okanogan County Coalition for Property Rights and a board member of the building industry trade association Building North Central Washington. We were not surprised that Mr. Beardslee issued his ruling against MVCC’s appeal.
Despite ruling against us on process issues, Mr. Beardslee did not address the question at the center of the subdivision appeal: can property be subdivided using water reserved for “single domestic use”? This is the primary issue we have consistently raised in comment letters, testimony and legal appeals – an issue that continues to be dodged by the County.
The matter is far from settled, so stay tuned as MVCC pushes forward to seek clarity so that our community can meaningfully plan for our future securely and sustainably.
|