Cows graze in a pasture in Woodland Bottoms that could be slated for development if Woodland city councilors decide to expand the city’s urban growth boundary. (Nathan Howard/The Columbian)
WOODLAND — After months of public comments, petitions and cheeky signs, Woodland Bottoms residents felt like they got a win Monday night.
At Woodland city council’s meeting Monday, the councilors directed staff to prepare an ordinance that would allow for various zoning changes but wouldn’t expand the urban growth boundary. It’s been a controversial issue in recent months in Woodland, as city councilors are looking ahead to expected growth and where to plan for it.
Residents in the Bottoms, which lies south of both the city limits and the urban growth boundary, have been vocal that they don’t want to see Woodland expand into their area. They presented a petition with more than 600 signatures opposing the expansion, and many have put up “Save Our Bottoms” signs on their property.
While Monday’s meeting ended with neighbors pumping fists and walking out declaring “We won!,” no official decision has been made.
“All I was looking for was some direction from council, which I got,” said Travis Goddard, community development director for the city. “They can still modify what they want.”
At the meeting, Councilor Benjamin Fredricks proposed an ordinance to allow 5.52 acres owned by the Woodland Commerce Center to change from commercial to residential zoning without a planned unit residential development agreement, 0.5 acre owned by Trevor Beatty to be rezoned from residential to industrial, and 6.37 acres owned by Bruce Young to change from commercial to residential. That motion passed unanimously.
What pleased Bottoms residents was the second part of his ordinance, which stated there would be no expansion of the urban growth boundary and no changes to the Franklin Loop property. The owners of that land had requested to change 16.22 acres from commercial to residential zoning and another 2.56 acres from industrial to residential.
“That’s a large sacrifice of commercial land to make,” Fredricks said.
There were requests to expand the urban growth boundary by hundreds of acres and zone it residential, which could have added a few hundred homes to a town of 8,000 people. According to the city’s most recent comprehensive plan, Woodland will need an additional 1,292 housing units by 2036.
“Woodland can’t ignore the need for additional housing,” tulip bulb farmer Benno Dobbe said during public comment Monday night. “A development on the west side of Interstate 5 will benefit the downtown area. It will attract more businesses on the northwest side of Woodland.”
All the council did Monday night was direct staff to write up an ordinance with those items. The council didn’t take any official action on the expansion yet, and even if they don’t in the immediate future, Fredricks told the audience the city will have to at some point.
“The ball is rolling and this is coming,” he said. “It will happen.”
One issue a few councilors spoke about was the need for the city to get a better handle on traffic. The city and Washington State Department of Transportation are conducting a joint study of Exit 21 on Interstate 5, which is a point of contention for many in the city, as the exit backs up with traffic.
“Traffic is the biggest challenge that faces the city,” Fredricks said.
Others just want to see rural Woodland remain rural, such as Bottoms resident Margaret Foss, who spoke about a few of the family farms that could have been included into urban growth boundary as residential land.
“If they can’t farm it anymore, they should sell it to someone who can,” she said. “If it’s turned into housing, it’ll never be farmland again.”
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