RITZVILLE — Adams County Building and Planning Director Andie Lorenz updated the Adams County Commissioners on Wednesday on the Planning Commission’s operations, including looking at zoning to help the Port of Othello grow and potentially switching to a hearing examiner system for the county’s Board of Adjustment. 

“The planning commission continues to work on zoning. We're currently working around the Bruce area and Othello airport,” Lorenz said. “They were meeting with the folks with the Othello Port to talk about the zoning actually around the port and how we can potentially help that port grow with zoning changes.”

Lorenz discussed linking the Othello Airport to other airports in the county. 

“We're looking at actually creating a port district which will cover all the airports in the county as far as allowing for airport uses and those kinds of things, those kinds of activities within the actual port district, but then we're also looking at some additional zoning around the port, like some light industrial zoning to allow some future growth around the port.”

The Port of Othello’s Executive Director Chris Faix also gave input to the commission, according to Lorenz. 

“(We are) just kind of looking at where their thoughts are as far as growth. I've talked with Chris Faix with the Port of Othello and he likes what we're talking about, or at least where our thought processes are,” Lorenz said. “As far as around Bruce, we're looking at expanding the heavy industrial and the light industrial down towards Highway 26, as we're looking through this, to give a greater opportunity for the industries that don’t have that connection to 26 or that railway that comes down through that corridor.”

Lorenz elaborated on the planning process moving forward. 

“I know they have … some irrigation around that area. What we'll end up having to do is kind of the same thing that we're doing with the town, which is invite them to our meeting to discuss with us what we’re thinking and make sure it's in line with what they perceive as future growth for them, so that's kind of where we're at with that part,” he said.

Lorenz also discussed drafting an ordinance changing the county’s board of adjustments to a hearing examiner system. 

“Now there's one (hearing examiner) that I did get a proposal for. That one actually covers most of the counties in Eastern Washington,” Lorenz said. “But I haven't been able to get additional proposals, so I want to put it out just as a (Request for Information).”

According to the Municipal Research and Services Center of Washington website, a hearings examiner is a contractor who conducts quasi-judicial hearings, usually in place of local bodies such as the planning commission, the board of adjustment, the board of county commissioners or the city council. 

In this case, the county’s Board of Adjustment – which deals with code and zoning-related variances, appeals, certain permits and more – doesn’t need the level of membership it currently has. 

“The only reason we're looking at going to the hearings examiner is because we don't have enough activity as far as conditional use permit applications and those things at this time to keep the board active … The RCW doesn't allow the Planning Commission to act as the Board of Adjustment.”

Lorenz elaborated on the benefit of a hearing examiner over a board. 

“So the (problem) that I see with a board of adjustment, especially with us because of the lack of activity, is that whenever we do have a meeting, we have to bring (the board) up to speed on any changes within the code prior to the meeting so they can understand – because they don't work with the code – to make sure that they're fresh,” Lorenz said. “Whereas your hearing examiner is … a land use planner … so they're at least fresh with the state law as far as land use. It just benefits the citizens and the department and the county.”

Gabriel Davis may be reached at gdavis@columbiabasinherald.com. Download the Columbia Basin Herald app on iOS and Android.

    Adams County Building and Planning Director Andie Lorenz spoke about helping zone the Port of Othello’s Bruce Industrial Park, pictured, and the Othello Municipal Airport during Wednesday’s regular Adams County Commissioners meeting.
  

    The tarmac at the Othello Municipal Airport, which was discussed during the regular Adams County Commissioners meeting in Ritzville.