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August 2019 CPO News

There will be no CPO 1 meeting in August. Our September 10 meeting will include a presentation on disaster preparedness, information about Ride Connection, and a presentation on Washington County’s woodstove replacement program. We already have great programs lined up for October and November too, so be sure to plan to attend on the second Tuesday from 7-9 pm.

Ordinance 852 provides developer contact information
by Virginia Bruce

In late 2015, a development was beginning uphill from my house. During the grading and excavation process, a water line that served my home was disturbed, and air and gunk got into my pipes. It took quite a while to figure out who to contact, even with my knowledge of the development situation.

Example of the signs that will be required if the Ordinance is adopted.

I realized that many neighbors are affected by active projects near their homes, and that we deserved to know who to call in case of a problem. The other members of the Code and Ordinance subcommittee of the CPO leadership group Committee for Community Involvement, agreed, and we requested that signage be required. Eventually it was added to the Work Plan for this year’s Ordinance Season, and it will be heard and hopefully passed by the Washington County Board of Commissioners at their August 6 meeting.

This is the language that will be added to the section of code regarding grading permits:

2. Project Site Posting. At least 24 hours before site disturbance, the site shall be posted with a freestanding sign that is a minimum of 2’ x 3’ with minimum 2” lettering, see Figure 15. The sign shall be weatherproof, marked with permanent ink, securely fastened to two sturdy posts, and placed in a position that is legible from the street right-of-way, not more than 15’ off the right-of-way. If a parcel does not have frontage on a public or County road, the property shall be posted in a conspicuous place at the point such property obtains access to a County or public road. The sign shall state the project scope and the name and telephone number of the responsible project contact person. The project sign shall be maintained in good condition at all times and shall remain posted until the completion of the project (at final grading approval or final building approval, whichever occurs later). The Department of Land Use & Transportation is not responsible for posting the site. If the site is not properly posted at all times, enforcement action may be initiated; see Section 14.12.240 Grading violations.

The Code Group works to shape and influence County code by studying issues, gathering input from the community, and requesting action. The group is open to anyone who wants to help. We generally meet one afternoon each month over Happy Hour at Rock Creek Corner. Contact Virginia Bruce at vrb@teamweb.com if you’re interested in joining our effort!

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