By Steve Stuart
I love living in Clark County, and so do about 385,000 other people. We are not going to stop people from moving here as they seek the quality of life we already enjoy, nor should we. We should be concerned about maintaining that quality of life, which is why I focus on how and where we grow, and who pays for it.
HOW?
- Smoothly blend new land uses with the ones already here, by creating transition zones so anyone looking out their front window will see a land use across the street similar to their own.
- Create clusters of development with a mix of jobs and housing, to give people a chance to work and play close to home, preserve open space outside the clusters, and set the stage for areas easier and cheaper to serve with good roads, sewer lines, public safety, schools and park.
WHERE?
- Preserve our rural way of life in Clark County - including small farm/forestry, horse ranching, fishing and swimming in healthy rivers and streams, and simple country living - by helping farmers and foresters make a living, and promoting healthy cities and suburbs. Why do cities and suburbs matter? Because if we have healthy cities and suburbs where people want to live, fewer people will crowd into the rural areas.
WHO PAYS FOR IT?
- Existing residents are paying taxes into the system for their existing needs, which should be our highest priority.
- Laying the foundation for good-paying jobs in Clark County should be the next priority for spending tax money - building roads, laying fiber optic cables, doing environmental work, and generally getting job-producing land ready for employers who will feed tax dollars and good jobs into Clark County. The time when Clark County was a bedroom community of Portland is over.
- New growth must pay its own way. The simple fact is that even with the significant contributions developers already make for new projects, there still isn't enough money to pay for services to all new growth areas. In areas the County hasn't prioritized for providing urban services, developers who still want to build there will need to pay higher fees and/or provide other offsite improvements (for roads, parks, and schools) to make sure necessary amenities are in place. To be fair and recognize that other new developments will benefit from that work and expense, we can write latecomer agreements so a developer can recoup their infrastructure investment from other projects as they come on line.
- Strengthen partnerships between developers and the County, parks and schools, and any other pairing that creates the best bang for taxpayers' bucks and makes sure we continue to be the best County possible.
Growth is my top priority as a County Commissioner. Our jobs, schools, public safety, roads, taxes, parks, traffic, and environment are all touched by and in some ways defined by growth. Understanding how those complex pieces fit together has been the focus of my work and education since growing up in Ridgefield. I will continue my work to make sure we're the best county possible, because I can, and because I love this place.
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