Clatsop planners recommend LNG permit approval

October 4 , 2007

The Clatsop County Planning Commission voted 4-3 on September 28 to adopt findings of fact approving all land-use permits needed for Bradwood Landing LLC to develop a liquefied natural gas facility on the Columbia River at Bradwood east of Astoria.

Conditions of approval were attached to nearly all of the applications.

The planning commission’s decision serves as a recommendation to the Clatsop County Board of Commissioners. The county commissioners will hold their first public hearing on the application on October 22 starting at 10 a.m. in the Liberty Theatre, 1203 Commercial St., Astoria.

Before adopting the findings of fact, the planning commission made two changes--updating the date to September 28 to reflect the date of its meeting and deleting condition #28 on Page 6 of the findings.

The planning commission recommended authorizing dredging in the AC-2 zone as a conditional use; rezoning approximately 5.35 acres from Aquatic Natural to Marine Industrial; approving an exception to Statewide Planning Goal 16 (estuary resources) to permit the rezone allowing dredging in the estuary, and finding the proposed facility is a small to moderate scale industrial facility.

Voting for approval were commissioners Christen Bridgens, Cary Johnson, Brian Pogue and Michael Autio. Opposing adopting of the findings were Chairman Bruce Francis and commissioners Bill Harris and Kirk Rohne. Harris submitted a dissenting opinion for the record that was supported by Rohne and Francis.

In his dissent, Harris said he feels there were issues that weren't given sufficient time and study to make an informed opinion. Some information, such as plans of the US Coast Guard, wasn't provided to the planning commission. There wasn't consideration or discussion of the impact of other proposed LNG terminals, and Harris was concerned about dredging in an Aquatic Natural Zone. He added that he found it hard to consider the proposed terminal a small to medium size project.