From the Ground Up
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Clark County’s 20-Year Plan Update, Part 1: Where Growth Goes
This is the first article in a three-part series on Clark County’s 2025 comprehensive plan update. Part 1 covers urban growth area expansions and agricultural land; Part 2 covers rezoning, overlays, and code changes; and Part 3 covers impact fees, ne...
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2025 Washington Growth Management Act and Housing Laws - At a Glance
2025 saw a number of Growth Management Act (GMA) and housing related bills in Washington, which are particularly relevant as planning counties and cities are in the middle of preparing their comprehensive plan updates and as certain counties and citi...
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Wetlands Definition Watered Down: EPA Responds to U.S. Supreme Court Ruling
For decades, developers and environmental groups have disagreed about the scope of the Clean Water Act. The definition under scrutiny—the “Waters of the United States,” also known as WOTUS—establishes the geographic scope of federal jurisdiction unde...
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Opportunity to Advocate for Land Use Changes in Clark County Begins Now
Comprehensive Plans must be compelling, realistic, and specific. They should embody discipline and imagination. Importantly, they must resolve the tension between property owners seeking a permit and property owners wanting to have a say in what happ...
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Oregon County Adopts Historic Goal Exception Allowing Beachfront Protective Structures
At the core of Oregon’s coordinated land-use-planning law are 19 “statewide planning goals.” These goals set forth policy and directives that local governments must follow in crafting their planning ordinances and zoning code. To deviate from these m...
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Bend Continues to Plan for Affordable Housing through a Unique Urban Growth Boundary Amendment
On September 1, 2021, the Bend City Council adopted a resolution that will help move forward an innovative affordable housing pilot program. A lack of affordable housing has been a problem in many Oregon communities for years, and numerous state and...
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