Camas hearings examiner to review 13th Street gas station appeals

Opponents of a proposed gas station, car wash and convenience store complex near the intersection of Northeast 13th Street and Northwest Friberg-Strunk Street in northeast Camas will have another chance to voice their concerns this month, during a Dec. 12 appeal hearing before Camas Hearings Examiner Joe Turner.

Turner continued the appeal hearing from Nov. 14 to Dec. 12 to give more time for the applicant and the project’s opponents to consider new information from the Washington Department of Health (DOH), which brought up possible issues involving aquifer recharge areas.

According to a DOH email, “a considerable portion” of the city of Camas is within the Troutdale Aquifer System Source Area designated by the federal Environmental Protection Agency. Combined with the City’s wellhead protection areas, DOH staff stated in their email to Turner, would appear to place “the majority of the city” into a critical aquifer recharge area, which could interfere with the applicant’s desire to build a gas station at 20101 N.E. 13th St., about one-half mile from Union High School.

“The Department of Health submitted an email noting that there is confusion about which map applies under the City’s code,” Turner told a crowd who had shown up to the Nov. 14 appeal hearing. “They submitted (the email) maybe two hours before the hearing. They said there are a number of maps that show critical recharge aquifer areas and other groundwater resource areas that may be within the scope of the City’s ordinance for critical recharge areas. Depending on how the (critical recharge aquifer areas) are defined, it could preclude the use of a gas station on this site.”

The email prompted the project applicant to request a continuance, which Turner granted, setting the new appeal hearing date for 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 12, inside Council Chambers at Camas City Hall, 616 N.E. Fourth Ave., and online via Zoom.

At issue is a proposal to build a 4,100-square-foot convenience store with eight gas pumps, a car wash and 20 parking spaces on a 0.97-acre site off Northeast 13th Street that is located adjacent to Camas Meadows Golf Club and less than a mile from Union High School and the Harmony Sports Complex.

According to documents filed with the city of Camas in early 2024, the new development is expected to employ two people and generate 2,281 new vehicle trips per day, including 60 new trips during the morning rush hours of 7 to 9 a.m. and 81 new trips during the evening commute between 4 and 6 p.m.

Opponents of the proposed gas station began to voice their concerns at Camas City Council meetings in February, and said they were concerned the project would have negative health and environmental impacts. An index of exhibits turned in before the original Nov. 14 appeal hearing listed more than 20 public comments – the majority of which were in opposition to the project.

“I have serious concerns about this proposal due to the potential of fuel tank leaks, fuel spills and toxic runoff from the carwash leaving the site and harming the sensitive and rare wetland and oak forest downslope,” stated Carlo Abbruzzese, the manager of the Lacamas Prairie Natural Area located about one-half mile from the proposed project site, who added that they did not believe the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) document the City approved earlier this year “adequately considers the risk this development poses to the preserve,” which includes “rare habitats and species (that are) irreplaceable resources.”

Other neighbors had concerns about the project’s traffic and noise impacts.

“We have concerns about the traffic and noise that this development will cause,” Mark and Gail Scott, who live about 0.2 miles from the project, stated in a letter to the City. “From the corner of where this proposed development is going there are no continuous sidewalks going west on (Northeast 13th Street) to (Northeast 192nd Avenue). I’ve twice reached out to the city of Camas and Clark (County) voicing my concern about the increased traffic and the many large trucks, and the problems they pose to people (and) students walking or riding a bike on (Northeast 13th Street). There is now a very large warehouse being built on the east side of the proposed intersection that is going to only draw more traffic and large trucks. Looking at the traffic study done for the proposed development it does not seem to take into account any increase in traffic due the already under construction new commercial warehouse and the two new commercial buildings on (Northwest Friberg-Strunk Street). … Twice a day, nine months of the year, there are hundreds of students driving to and from Union High School (with) many using that intersection and heading west on (Northeast 13th Street).”

Other opponents pointed out that Northeast 13th Street has several water wells located close to the proposed gas station.

“If an accidental spill or leakage occurs, causing contamination, could the city of Camas and the person or persons approving the station be liable in a lawsuit? Since 80 percent of the gas station area is hard surface, where is the assurance that our water and the wetlands down the hill will not be contaminated?” Ruth Small, of Camas, asked in their letter to the City opposing the 13th Street gas station proposal.

“The corner of 13th Street and 202nd (Friberg-Strunk) is not the place for a gas station,” Small stated, adding that there is a gas station located “right around the corner” at a nearby Costco, and that both Northeast 13th Street and Northwest Friberg-Strunk Street are both two-lane road and that 13th is “very narrow.”

Joan and Richard Rickard, who have lived about 200 feet from the proposed project since 1990, stated in their letter opposing the project that they “strongly disagree” with the City’s SEPA finding that the project would not have an adverse environmental impact on the area.

“If this proposed project goes forward the air quality will be affected by the gas vapors escaping from the underground storage tanks when they are being filled and vapor leaks from the underground storage tanks venting systems, and gas vapor leaks from the pumps when customers fill their car’s gas tank. These vapor compounds which include benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene, and xylene are a serious health risk and can travel more than 500 (feet) in all directions. Benzene is one of the more hazardous vapor compounds. Adverse health effects of benzene include nausea, cancer, anemia, increased susceptibility to infections, and low birth weight. According to the World Health Organization Guidelines for Indoor Air Quality, there is no safe level for benzene. The California Air Resource Board recommends that schools, daycares, and other sensitive land uses should not be within 300 (feet) of gasoline storage tanks. Also, affecting the air quality will be the exhaust fumes from the increase in traffic and the cars and trucks waiting, idling at the gas station,” the Rickards stated, adding they were also concerned about the project’s adverse impacts on nearby water wells, noise and light pollution and traffic safety.

“In summary, we think this project is incompatible with our neighborhood community. The proposed gas station does not consider that it is surrounded by quiet residences and would project its collective problems onto the neighborhood. Due to the environmental concerns and the traffic issues this is not the best location for a gas station, car wash and convenience store. A gas station is not needed at this location. Within (three) miles there are at least (six) gas stations, convenience stores and car washes (and) most are open 24 hours. Gas consumption is declining. The high school students are within easy walking distance to a convenience store near their school,” the Rickards stated in their appeal to Camas officials. “We ask you to carefully consider the environmental, traffic safety, and quality of life issues for the neighborhood and not approve this project.”

A few opponents not only questioned the need for a gas station in that particular location, but also the need for more gas stations in general.

Clark County environmental activist and former Camas High School physics teacher Don Steinke attended the continued hearing on Nov. 14, and said he lives near Green Mountain in the Camas School District.

“I speak in opposition to the gas station for two reasons I don’t think anybody’s considering,” Steinke told Turner on Nov. 14. “Ffirst of all, gas stations are likely to be stranded assets and bankrupt by 2040 because Washington state law requires a gradual phase out on the sale of new gasoline powered cars by 2035. In addition to that, the state has set the aspirational goal of ending the sale of conventional cars by 2030. We are likely to be stuck cleaning up underground storage tanks when they declare bankruptcy and walk away.

“Secondly, last year our Legislature amended the Growth Management Act to require all cities in Clark County to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to reduce vehicle miles traveled in single-occupancy vehicles,” Steinke said. “Before proceeding with this project, I think you need to do a study to determine if this project will increase emissions or not. And, if so, by how much? … Another state law says the state shall reduce emissions by 45 percent by 2030. If you do not reduce emissions, Camas would be in violation of the law, and then Camas would lose funding from Olympia.”

Another opponent, Michael Orchard, of Camas, brought up similar concerns in a Nov. 24 email to the City’s Community Development Department.

“Who will … be held responsible for the costs of decommissioning that gas station when it is found to be unsafe, in violation of pollution control standards, or not fiscally capable due to the structure of an LLC, which is only necessary (to) insulate owners from such problems and their costs,” Orchard stated. “When such costs arise, who will bear them other than Camas, Clark County and the state of Washington? This will be one more example of (a) business being capitalistic when making a profit and socialistic when unexpected costs of clean up arise.”

To learn more about the proposed gas station project, visit camaspostrecord.com/news/2024/feb/29/proposed-gas-station-in-camas-draws-opposition/ or camaspostrecord.com/news/2024/aug/22/camas-deems-gas-station-risks-non-significant/

To learn more about the Dec. 12 hearing or to find Zoom information to participate in the meeting remotely, visit cityofcamas.us/meetings ane click on the agenda for the Dec. 12 meeting.