Public testimony stretched late into the evening during the Clark County Planning Commission and Clark County Council’s second joint hearing Thursday, Jan. 15, as residents weighed in on the county’s long-delayed comprehensive plan and proposed urban growth area (UGA) changes.
The comprehensive plan is a long-range policy document required under the state’s Growth Management Act that guides how Clark County and its cities plan for population growth, employment, housing and land use through 2045. Cities and counties each adopt their own plans, but city plans must align with the county’s decisions on urban growth areas, which set where future development can occur.
Clark County projects a population of 718,154 residents and about 269,000 jobs by 2045. The comprehensive plan update has been delayed several months past the state’s Dec. 31, 2025, deadline after the County Council approved a $155,003 contract for a countywide agricultural land study in July. City leaders from Ridgefield and La Center had argued for the study, saying requests to reclassify nearby agricultural lands could not be fulfilled without an updated countywide analysis. The study found that currently designated agricultural lands continue to meet the criteria for protection based on factors such as soil quality, tax status, and parcel size. However, city representatives have argued that the long-term viability of those lands for accommodating jobs or population growth should also be considered.
During the meeting, County Attorney Christine Cook noted that an appeal had been filed on Wednesday, Jan. 14, regarding Clark County’s noncompliance with the comprehensive plan’s deadline. This puts the county at risk for grants and short-term loans at the state level.
Public split on city’s UGA proposals
The hearing began at 6:30 p.m. and ended at 10:02 p.m., with speakers split largely between those urging the county to stick with “Alternative 1,” which would leave all urban growth areas unchanged, and those supporting the dedesignation of some agricultural lands to allow for housing and economic growth. “Alternative 2” includes a series of case-by-case adjustments to specific city UGAs based on capacity analysis, agricultural land designations, and the pending agricultural land study.
During the first public hearing, representatives from smaller Clark County cities, including Battle Ground, Ridgefield and La Center brought each of their own proposals. Clark County staff supported Battle Ground's proposal, which involves expanding its UGA into Dollars Corner to increase employment capacity and removing the Meadows' Glade area near Southwest Battle Ground. La Center and Ridgefield’s proposed UGA expansions, which would require the de-designation of some protected agricultural lands, did not receive staff recommendations.
Several speakers last week argued that expanding urban growth areas would permanently damage prime agricultural land and natural resources, while others said limiting land supply would worsen housing affordability and constrain future generations.
Teresa Hardy of the Loo Wit chapter of the Sierra Club spoke against Battle Ground’s proposed westward expansion into Dollars Corner, which county staff has recommended approving.
“Posing as a trade swap for Meadow Glade, it is no trade at all. Meadow Glade is mostly residential and churches and schools … The vast majority of (Dollars Corner) is untouched land. We need to protect our air and our clean water, especially in that area. And once our natural resources are gone, they are lost for good,” she said.
Hardy also questioned county spending priorities, pointing to recent approvals of economic development contracts and a new sales tax intended to support affordable housing.
“Let’s use that money and be creative on what we’re doing about housing before we expand out more. We haven’t even really looked at using this allotted money that was approved of what we really can do with what we have,” she said.
Ann Foster, President of Friends of Clark County, said the organization continues to support Alternative 1, arguing that existing urban growth areas can accommodate projected growth without converting agricultural land.
“Our agricultural lands are precious. And no lands currently designated as (AG) should be converted to another use, thereby losing their agricultural use. Tonight, we are simply asking for the planning commission to follow the law,” Foster said.
Others emphasized the ongoing economic value of agriculture. Joe Zimmerman, finance and marketing director for Bi-Zi Farms, pushed back on claims that farming is no longer viable in Clark County.
“I’m gonna tell you that that’s a bunch of BS, OK. It is the year of our Lord 2026. You’re gonna have to change or roll with the tide, and if you do, you can be extremely profitable … I employed over 126 people this year … We returned over a million dollars in payroll back into the community. That’s one farm. And we’re only farming 105 acres,” he said.
Civil rights and equity concerns were also raised. Reverend Michael Jones, first vice president of the Vancouver chapter of the NAACP, framed the debate as broader than land use.
“This is simply not a land use conversation. This is a civil rights issue. This is a food security issue. This is a climate justice issue. Once these lands are converted, they are gone forever. Protecting agricultural land is not anti-growth, it is pro-people, pro-future, and pro-justice,” Jones said.
Not all testimony opposed expansion, as several locals supported proposals from local cities and the dedesignation of protected AG land. Dennis Zimmerly, who identified himself as a fourth-generation Ridgefield resident, urged the county to take a closer look at the lands proposed under Alternative 2.
“The proposed properties have carried an urban reserve overlay since 1994, are not suitable for productive farming, and are surrounded by city limits and urbanization on three sides. In some cases, expansion will be the logical response to projected urban growth,” he said.
Some residents also spoke about housing affordability and long-term opportunity. Ian Harkins said the limited land supply has made homeownership increasingly out of reach.
“We all deserve a chance at achieving the American dream of homeownership. I want nothing more than to have an equal chance of owning a home and raising a family in the same place that I grew up, but that I can only have it if there’s land available,” Harkins said.
The Planning Commission will continue the public hearing on Thursday, Jan. 29, at 6:30 p.m. Prior to the hearing, commissioners approved a motion to hold a workshop on Transferable Development Rights (TDR) at 5:30 p.m., after several speakers expressed interest in the tool as a countywide approach to balancing growth and farmland preservation. County Attorney Christine Cook told commissioners that TDRs are not included in any of the current comprehensive plan alternatives. County staff added that introducing TDRs as a new alternative would require additional public testimony, further extending an already overdue plan update.
Following all public hearings, the planning commission will submit a proposal to the Clark County Council, which will make the final determination on city UGA proposals and the potential dedesignation of protected AG lands.
