Plan panel asked to weigh in on hearing examiner proposal

Whitman County’s planning commissioners have been asked to decide whether they want to weigh in on a proposal to have special hearing examiners decide on granting permits for industrial wind turbines or other large scale proposals.

Under the direction of county commissioners, Planner Alan Thomson wrote members of the planning commission last week to ask if they want to discuss the matter.

The proposal would substitute the county’s Board of Adjustment with an outside hearing examiner on large scale applications.

Such a change would require an amendment to county codes.

Public Works Director Mark Story pointed out members of the county’s Board of Adjustment are volunteers who meet on their own time. The Board of Adjustment considers applications for permits in zones which allow for conditional use installations.

A major project, such as a wind turbine installation, would require hours of consideration that could become a burden to a volunteer board member. The applications could also require knowledge of environmental law and practices, Storey said.

He noted counties and larger towns around the state, including Spokane and Spokane County, now use the hearing examiners.

The county’s new ordinance for industrial wind turbines requires all applicants to go through the conditional use process.

Thomson said in his letter the amendment would prevent the county’s board of adjustment from being overwhelmed by complex and time-consuming project applications. The practice would also ensure that “any single application will not clog the entire system, which would unduly delay both simple and complex applications,” Thomson wrote in his letter.

The planning commission was given a July 9 deadline to decide, after which time county commissioners will move forth their process to change the code.