The City of Leavenworth is looking to appeal Chelan County’s decision to deny their zoning amendments.

On April 6, the city filed an appeal to the Growth Management Hearings Board for the Eastern Washington Region, after county commissioners rejected the city’s proposed zoning amendments. 

On February 28, commissioners decided not to accept the city’s plan to rezone their zoning district within their urban growth area (UGA).

The city asked the county to accept their plan to increase housing density and decrease lot sizes in their RL 10 and RL 12 zoning districts. Lot sizes would go down from a minimum of 10,000-12,000 sq. ft. to 8,000 sq. ft. 

According to the appeal, the city claims the county violated public participation requirements and  "abruptly announced at the continued hearing that no public testimony would be accepted," and that their decision goes against the Growth Management Act (GMA).

They ask the board to remand this decision back to the county and comply with the GMA.

The prehearing conference will be held in a Zoom conference on April 14 at 10 a.m.

The Growth Management Hearings Board (GMHB) was created in 1990 to decide on appeals involving city, county, or state agency decisions on land use.

An Urban Growth Area is an area that is designated for controlled population growth within a city.

More From Washington State News