Washougal plans to hire transportation consultant

The Washougal Planning Commission’s consideration of citywide rezone, comprehensive plan and miscellaneous code amendments will have to wait a while.

A public hearing has been postponed from Aug. 24 to a date not yet determined, in order to get some answers related to transportation questions.

The Port of Camas-Washougal has requested Parker’s Landing Park and Marina Park be rezoned from “highway commercial” to “institutional public.”

With the recent closure of the Hambleton Bros. Lumber Co., the city of Washougal is seeking a comprehensive plan designation change from industrial to commercial and a rezone of the impacted property from heavy industrial to highway commercial.

Port Director David Ripp has said he would eventually like some of the Hambleton land to include a waterfront trail system – linking Marina Park to Steamboat Landing and the levee.

Washougal Planning Manager Mitch Kneipp said a consultant will be hired to review the city’s 2005 transportation capital facilities plan. As part of that review, the consultant will also address transportation issues related to comprehensive plan amendments.

Those issues include comparing trip generation calculations under the current land use regulations to those under the proposed land use regulations; and an analysis of the study area intersections for conditions 20 years in the future.

Public Works Director Trevor Evers said the expected cost of a consultant, $50,000, is in this year’s budget.

“This project will carry over into 2011, and the scope of work may be enhanced once the consultant is selected,” he said.

The planning commission’s next work session will be held Tuesday, Sept. 14, at 5:30 p.m., in the council chambers at City Hall, 1701 “C” St. For more information, call 835-8501 or visit www.washougal.biz.