Despite possible legal questions, the Camas County Planning and Zoning Commission has scheduled a hearing on Monday, April 21, to discuss what it describes as a "new" zoning ordinance and "new" comprehensive plan. The attorney for a critic of the measures calls them "subterfuge."
Ketchum attorney Christopher Simms said he believes the "new" plans are merely recycled versions with minor changes of Camas County planning and zoning documents that 5th District Judge Robert Elgee has enjoined from being used until a May hearing.
Simms represents Camas County developer George Martin Jr., who successfully sought court action with allegations of conflicts of interest of P&Z members. Elgee cited "egregious" conduct of several of the panel's members.
However, P&Z administrator Dwight Butlin said the ordinance and comp plan to be discussed Monday are indeed new, though he conceded they contain material from the documents at issue in Elgee's court. How much is old and how much is new he would not say.
Martin believes Monday's P&Z hearing at the Senior Citizens Center in Fairfield and a public hearing on Tuesday, April 22, before the Camas County Commission could involve illegal actions that constitute violation of Elgee's order. Martin insists that Elgee did not overturn the Camas laws. Rather, he ordered them not to be used until the next hearing.
The result, Martin said Thursday, is that Camas County will have two sets of similar comp plans and zoning ordinances.
County Commission Chairman Ken Backstrom seemed to confirm in a letter to the editor in The Camas Courier newspaper that the county would proceed to hurriedly enact new zoning and comprehensive plan measures.
"So, at this point in time," Backstrom wrote, "rather than send more time and county money in court arguing about fundamental differences of belief concerning processes, the county has chosen to start the process of adopting a Comprehensive Plan and a zoning ordinance over, making every effort to comply with Judge Elgee's order."
More oblique confirmation of new laws' being rushed into print came in a letter to the Courier from P&Z Chairman Marshall Ralph, who wrote that "citizens of Camas County are owed a functioning zoning ordinance now, and ... the prudent thing for the county to do is to get it in place pronto, as soon as feasible." Ralph could not be reached for further comment.
One major change in the comp plan will be addition of an airport overlay. Some Camas business interests have been trying to promote a regional airport for the area, despite vocal opposition from residents.
