Business prefer current alignment
Business owners along SR-502 between Battle Ground and Duluth argue that their fortunes depend on highway traffic and that the widened state highway should remain on the same alignment.
Skip Ogden, owner of Dan’s Tractor near Dollars Corner, said moving the alignment would be disruptive to businesses in the area.
“All this property has been built up and made commercial,” said Ogden, “to increase density so that someday we could get water and sewer. If they move the highway, it will just undermine what they have done.”
Ogden said he would prefer that the widening of SR-502 occur on the current alignment and that land be taken from the south side of the road rather than from both sides or from the north side where he is located.
“Why take off both sides,” argued Ogden. “If they take only from the south side, only half the people would be affected.”
“If they move it (the alignment) north or south, I think I am screwed either way,” said Ogden.
Ogden also did not favor limited access, barriers or trees that would deter left-hand turns on or off the road.
Tavern owner has another view
Dean Yankee, who owned the Dollars Corner Tavern, also believes the widened SR-502 should remain on the current alignment, but he thinks it should be widened to both the north and south.
Moving the road away from the current alignment, said Yankee, would hurt existing businesses. He said visibility from the highway is “a big thing” to businesses in the area.
Yankee said the impacts of the widening work could be accommodated. While his tavern building would need to be torn down, along with the Wild Willy’s service station and mini-mart, O’Brady’s could remain with an altered parking facility, said Yankee.
Yankee said Dan’s Tractor has a large enough parking lot to allow for road widening.
“It should impact both sides,” said Yankee.
Yankee said construction should not include islands and barriers that would preclude left turns. Islands are expensive to maintain, argued Yankee.
Williams: new route could work
Steve Williams, owner of S&I Equipment rental business near Dollars Corner, said he has hired an attorney to express his opinions to officials of the state Department of Transportation.
Williams said that if SR-502 is widened along its current alignment, he wants full access, east and west, at his business. That access would either be a barricade-free roadway, or a signal at nearby 67th Ave.
But if officials decide to move the road to a new alignment, his business will likely survive. “Drive-bys are not the biggest part of our advertising,” said Williams. He said newspaper and other advertising would be used to inform customers of his location.
Williams expressed concern about property values in the area if SR-502 is re-aligned.
Williams said he plans to sell the rental business and property in the near future.
Neither Red Arthur, owner of Red’s equipment repair business, nor Garren Elmer, owner of Northfork Landscaping, was aware of the proposal to move SR-502 away from its current alignment.
Elmer opened his landscaping business earlier this year. “I never would have purchased this property if I knew the road would bypass Dollars Corner,” said Elmer. “It would complete destroy us. I would be totally opposed to that.”
Elmer said a main roadway is vital to a retail business. “It’s very important to our business,” he said. “Look what it did for Brush Prairie (when SR-503 was re-routed several years ago). “Cutting off Dollars Corner is not an option at all.”
BG mayor offers opinion
Battle Ground mayor John Idsinga said he supports a plan to move SR-502 some distance to the south, leaving the current road as a “frontage road.” He likened the situation to the Padden Parkway which is a limited access highway used by those who wish to bypass businesses on Fourth Plain and other east-west routes.
“My purpose is to get traffic to Battle Ground as easily and as quickly as possible,” said Idsinga. “Leaving it on the current alignment would wipe out businesses and make it inconvenient for a lot of businesses.”
“Most of those (existing) businesses would be destination businesses,” said Idsinga.
Idsinga said he preferred a southerly alignment for SR-502 rather than moving it to the north because he believes there are fewer wetlands to the south.
Idsinga said he expects that a new alignment of SR-502 would begin outside of Battle Ground city limit, perhaps at NE 92nd Ave.

Seniors to take commencement walk before
final exams
Brandy Slagle
Staff reporter
Graduation tassels might not be turned during commencement ceremonies at Battle Ground and Prairie high schools this year.
Battle Ground School District officials sent out a release to seniors and their parents informing them that graduation dates have not changed for the class of 2007. But, due to the number of weather related make-up days, dates for final examinations have been pushed back until a week after students march down the aisle to Pomp and Circumstance.
Battle Ground High School seniors will graduate Mon., June 11. Prairie High School seniors will graduate Tues., June 12. Finals will be conducted Thurs.-Fri., June 14-5. Seniors are required to attend classes through Mon., June 18.
Washington state law requires seniors to spend 175 days in school. All other students must attend school for 180 days. Due to the number of snow days, the legislature considered exempting school districts from that requirement this year. During spring break, Battle Ground School District staff got the final word from legislature that said the rule would only bend in areas that experienced weather-related disasters. Battle Ground School District did not qualify for this exemption.
Battle Ground Schools closed for six snow days this school year, with the final snow date occurring on March 1.
Kelly O’Brien, public information officer for the district, said this later snow day made it impossible for school staff to take days away from spring break.
O’Brien said there were several families that had traveling arrangements for spring break that could not be changed that close to the vacation.
A press release from the Battle Ground Schools administration office said reducing the number of attendance days for seniors would impact student learning. Not requiring those days to be made up could lead to a perception that there were “wasted” days in the academic calendar, it said, which could negatively impact the district’s “ongoing efforts to strengthen community support and maintain the integrity of our educational services.”
The Battle Ground School Board will build a more flexible school calendar next year, said O’Brien. Also, legislature will now allow school districts to close only the portion of schools affected by inclement weather while leaving other schools open.
Vicki Sparks is the mother of a Prairie High School graduate and is on the 2007 graduation party committee.
“We starting planning this party a year ago,” she said. “Last year I went to check out five different parties for this year’s site selection.”
Venues for graduation parties book up fast, she said, with most of them reserved several months in advance. Sparks said she wasn’t sure that the committee could have rescheduled the event this year.
Sparks said having students take finals after the graduation ceremony was less than ideal, but that she understood the district was following state law.
Tim Lexow, Battle Ground High School principal, said he felt this was the worst case scenario for scheduling finals and graduation. But, he said, he felt like his students understood the situation.
“Several years ago we noticed we had a long calendar and thought we should shorten it,” he said. “We noticed we never used those snow days. I’m glad to see those days will be built back into the calendar.”
Students receive a progress report every 12 weeks, he said. The next progress report will be handed out to students two weeks before graduation. The students should know by then if they will graduate, he said. Students with borderline grades will be in contact with teachers daily to see what they must do in order to graduate.
Jason Perrins, Prairie High School principal, said there were about 30-40 seniors who may or may not graduate this year.
“Who knows,” he said. “Maybe those kids will attend the ceremony and feel inspired to do better on their finals and pass them. Perhaps it will motivate them and make that difference.”
Summit View High School seniors graduate June 18. CAM High School seniors graduate June 19. Seniors at both schools will take finals before their graduation ceremony.

County sets hearing on ag plan
Alice Perry Linker
staff reporter
Landowners and farmers who may be affected by the Clark County habitat conservation ordinance will have an opportunity to express viewpoints and talk to county officials Mon., May 21.
An open house, set for 6-7 p.m., will precede the 7 p.m. hearing at the Battle Ground High School cafeteria, 300 W. Main St., Battle Ground.
The final public hearing will be July 10, and the ordinance is slated to become effective July 11.
The ordinance protects streams as well as riparian and other sensitive areas from pollution. Until now, agricultural practices were exempt from land use rules, but the state has said all uses must follow habitat conservation rules, said Joel Rupley of the county’s Endangered Species Act Program.
Landowners will have a choice of two stream protection plans being considered for the ordinance, Rupley said. Agricultural producers who have streams running through their property may either submit a habitat protection plan or use the default plan which sets riparian zones in which no agriculture may take place.
“There are two choices: Stay away from the stream (default) or write a plan,” Rupley said.
When the habitat conservation ordinance was written last summer, the county commissioners delayed implementation until after landowners and other interested parties were given information and an opportunity to discuss the ordinance.
“We’ve been meeting with interest groups–the horse council, farm bureau, environmental groups, neighborhood associations,” Rupley said. “This is for more than commercial farming.”
Small family vegetable gardens are “not an issue,” he said, but owners of small acreage who farm or raise animals must follow the plan if their land contains riparian areas or streams.
The draft habitat protection plan requires owners of rural or agricultural land to map their streams and riparian areas, identify the habitat functions within riparian areas, select best management practice to prevent degradation of habitat, and review and implement the plan.
A trained technician is to review and certify all plans.
The draft plan calls for detailed maps showing structures, roads, utilities, property lines, habitat areas, streams and agricultural uses. The landowner is responsible for preparing the map.
Roads, stream crossings, drain tiles, stormwater runoff, the presence of chemicals and other discharges into the stream must be identified, according to the draft plan.
Habitat for fish and wildlife must be identified under the protection plan, and the landowner is required to assess the stream quality and fish and wildlife habitat. The plan lists ways to protect fish and wildlife habitat, and preserve stream quality.
Landowners must show the type and amount of ground cover in a riparian area, estimate the length of the stream bank, and identify springs, wetlands and other streams that affect the riparian area.
Animal use areas that affect riparian lands must be identified and landowners must show how streams are protected from animal use and animal waste, according to the draft.
Landowners who decide to use the default option must determine the type of stream going through their property. The county defines three types of stream: type S, state water that produces more than 20 cubic feet per second annually; type F, smaller, year-around streams with fish; and type N, a stream with no fish habitat or a seasonal flow.
The riparian area that extends 100 feet from the high water mark must be protected for types S and F, and an area 75 feet from the high water mark for type N, according to the draft plan. Two zones, an inner and an outer, are identified, and activities, such as animal use, are more restricted within the inner zone.
Small properties, less than 10 acres, may be exempt from the default rule under individual circumstances, but each case will be decided individually.
“The ordinance recognizes that continuing what you’re already doing will probably be all right,” Rupley said.
The ordinance and the plan may be found on the county Web site: www.clark.wa.gov/esa.
Rupley may be reached at 397-2375, ext. 4287.

Building may begin soon
The developers of a 300-plus housing subdivision in Woodland will be scheduled to record the first 66 lots by summer, as construction on streets and other infrastructure is underway.
Phase one of Meriwether, to be built north of Lewis River Road and west of Insel Road, may see the first houses by summer’s end.
Work on the proposed subdivision has brought questions from residents along Blacktail and Whitetail roads that intersect at Gun Club Road but dead-end east of Insel Road. Since construction began, Blacktail has been connected by a gravel section to Insel Road.
Silbey expressed concerns to the city council May 7 that Whitetail would be permanently connected to Insel Road. Public Works Director Elaine Huber said the connection was temporary for now, but she indicated that at some time in the future, the roads would be connected.
“We’re excited about the recording of phase one,” said Matt Lewis of Pacific Lifestyle Homes, Meriwether developer.
The clubhouse and outdoor swimming pool for Meriwether residents will be built as part of the first phase, Lewis said.
“We hope that will begin by the end of summer,” he said.
Lewis has said that he believes the clubhouse and pool will be good selling points for families who want to live in Woodland.
Houses are expected to range in price from $290,000 to $400,000. Pacific Lifestyle Homes has built the 25-home Hillshire subdivision where houses are listed at $290,000.
The main entrance to Meriwether will be at the intersection of Insel Road and the new Willow Street. The developer will improve turn lanes to mediate traffic turning from Lewis River Road onto Insel Road.
Neighbors along Insel Road have opposed the development, saying it will increase traffic and other hazards to their neighborhood.
The plan to raise the ground level of the subdivision also brought concerns of flooding in the lower-lying neighborhoods, but the developer installed a 45-inch culvert to drain water into the Lewis River during storm runoff. The culvert is designed to prevent runoff from the higher ground where the new homes will be built to Insel Road and the homes located there.
The Meriwether subdivision lies along a hillside with the hilltop portion slated to be the final phase of development. The city has agreed to allow a 15 percent road grade through the subdivision to the hilltop portion, and the developer will provide snow removal equipment to be used to remove snow and ice from the roadway.
Although more than 300 homes are planned for the subdivision, Meriwether will be built in phases as market conditions allow, Lewis said.

Federal program makes apartments available mainly for farm workers
Alice Perry Linker
staff reporter
A Woodland apartment complex, primarily reserved for farm workers, keeps a waiting list for non-farm workers even when the building is not full.
The 51-unit Woodland Meadows for low and moderate-income families was built under a federal-state program that requires that 38 apartments, or 75 percent of the building, be occupied by farm workers if at all possible.
Woodland Meadows is one of two apartment buildings in Woodland reserved primarily for farm workers. La Casa de San Juan Diego, owned by the Catholic Archdiocese and Housing Authority and located at 125 S. Pekin Road, is completely reserved for farm workers, according to Steve Walker of the state Housing Finance Commission.
Woodland Meadows Manager Tammy Sibert said that when an apartment becomes vacant, she must advertise the apartment to farm workers for 30 days before releasing it to non-farm workers.
“What I usually do is to go down my waiting list before the 30 days are up and ask people if they are still interested. If they are, we can begin the paperwork,” she said.
Nine apartments are vacant now, Sibert said.
Applicants must earn no more than 60 percent of the median income of Cowlitz County. For a family of four, 60 percent is $33,000 annually. Rents are not government subsidized but are set by the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program. For the $33,000 income family, the rent for a two-bedroom apartment is $742 minus an allowance for utilities.
Rents vary from year to year as the county’s median income changes, Sibert said.
The three-building complex at 130 Hillshire Drive contains 20 one-bedroom apartments that may be occupied by up to three people. In addition the complex has 14 two-bedroom, nine three-bedroom, and eight four-bedroom apartments. The complex has a community room and a children’s play area.
“These look like market-rate apartments,” said Robert Tucker of Public Private Partnership Inc., an Oregon corporation that is part owner.
Each kitchen is complete with a stove, dishwasher and refrigerator as well as a clothes washing machine and dryer.
Walker said that under the tax credit program, housing may be set aside for certain groups of low and moderate-income people such as farm workers, victims of domestic violence, and people with developmental disabilities. The categories include people who have been under-served in the past, he said.
The program began in 1998, and the state has worked with 1,100 apartments on 35 properties statewide, Walker said. “It has a wonderful track record,” he said.
Because the program operates with a tax credit or exemption, one of the owners must be tax-paying. Often, the taxable entity shares ownership with a non-profit corporation, as is the case in La Casa de San Juan Diego.
“In about 90 percent of the programs, one of the partners is non-profit,” Walker said.
Public Private Partnership, however, is a real estate development company, Tucker said, and owns the building with Wachovia Bank. The bank purchased the tax credits, he said.
Tax exemptions cover a 10-year period, Walker said, but the project must stay in one ownership for 15 years and it must be rent-restricted for 40 years.
“We screen the tenants,” Tucker said. “We verify employment and income, and check their history.”
Tenants must sign a six-month lease. Sibert said that during the summer and early fall, the complex may fill up with farm workers. Some workers rent an apartment year-round even though they may travel elsewhere to work.
The housing finance commission ensures that the apartment owners comply with regulations and meet guidelines for maintenance, Walker said.

Chamber presses city to change parking rules
Alice Perry Linker
staff reporter
Members of the Woodland Chamber of Commerce are asking the city to remove a downtown parking requirement that they say limits the development of new businesses in the core area.
The city code requires each business that occupies more than 400 square feet to provide off-street parking, with the number of parking spaces dependent upon the business size. The Chamber has asked that the city code be changed to remove the parking restriction.
During the regular meeting May 7, the city council asked city attorney Paul Brachvogel to prepare an ordinance that would address chamber concerns. Mayor Doug Monge suggested that the proposed ordinance set a two-year limit on parking relief, with the city council to take another look at that time.
Council member Erica Rainford, a Realtor with Woodland Real Estate in downtown Woodland, asked the council not to set a time limit on the parking relief.
“Two years doesn’t allow somebody to improve their building,” Rainford said. “We need a longer window–say five years. I think in two years things will just be getting going.”
Council member Marilee McCall expressed another viewpoint, saying that some parking restrictions should be imposed.
Saying that she has researched other cities’ parking ordinances, McCall added, “Not one city has zero parking requirements. I do not believe we should release businesses from all parking requirements.”
McCall said that the proposed plan does not set aside parking for loading zones or employees.
“We have not had the planning commission look at this,” McCall said. “I believe we should have them work with these things.”
She asked that the city hold an open public hearing on the parking issue.
Council member Darwin Rounds partially agreed with McCall.
“I don’t see anything here indicating any requirements,” he said. “We need some parking requirements.”
A letter from the Chamber to the city council asked that parking requirements be lifted on Davidson Avenue between Goerig and Third streets and in the 500 block of Park Street.
“If downtown revitalization is ever going to proceed in a meaningful way, certain downtown core properties need relief from the requirement to provide off-street parking,” the letter states.
According to the letter, the Chamber “voted unanimously to have the parking issue addressed.”
The city council voted unanimously to consider a new parking ordinance.