Three Clark County projects were among the 12 winners of the 2024 Governor’s Smart Communities Awards, which recognize local governments and partners for exceptional land-use planning and development.
“Each year, I get to elevate plans, projects or partnerships that change how we see our state,” Gov. Jay Inslee said in a statement from the Department of Commerce, which has presented the awards annually since 2006.
Clark County projects to increase affordable housing and prepare for an aging population won awards, along with an east Clark County solar project.
Housing Options Study and Action Plan
Clark County’s “willingness to do more than what is required” to implement its Housing Options Study and Action Plan earned a Smart Housing Strategies award. In 2022, the county adopted the plan to identify housing challenges and opportunities for development in response to a housing crunch.
“We need homes,” Clark County Council Chair Gary Medvigy said in April. “We need low-cost homes. We need small homes. We need midsize homes and thousands of units.”
The plan is part of the county’s push to provide more “middle housing,” including accessory dwelling units, duplexes, triplexes, quadplexes, town houses and cottage clusters (smaller homes clustered on a single plot of land).
In April, the county adopted rules that make it easier to build ADUs, expanded the maximum amount of land that can be covered by buildings on lots in some zones and eliminated maximum lot coverage standards for cottage housing developments.
Now, the county is working on the second phase of the plan, which will focus on multifamily housing and affordable housing for low-income residents.
Nearly 60 percent of Clark County households are comprised of one or two people, including empty-nesters, retirees, young couples, single-parent households, and single adults, according to County Manager Kathleen Otto.
“The awarded project aims to expand opportunities to create additional smaller homes that can meet the needs of these types of households and expand homeownership possibilities for many Clark County residents,” Otto said in a news release.
The Community Solar East Project
The Community Solar East project, a collaboration between the Port of Camas-Washougal and Clark Public Utilities to install $1.4 million in solar panels on five industrial sites on port land, won a Smart Climate Strategies award following its completion earlier this year.
The project, which launched in 2022, allows for utility customers to invest in the collection of solar panels in exchange for an annual credit toward their electric bill — a concept known as “virtual net metering.”
With varying subscription levels, the port’s residential offering sold out in less than three hours, according to the award description.
Community Solar East comprises solar energy systems distributed across five Port of Camas-Washougal buildings, enough to generate roughly 799 kilowatts of electricity. Of the kilowatts produced, 199 go directly to the utility’s Operation Warm Heart fund supporting customers on limited incomes.
The project is large enough that prices per watt are around $1.70, lower than the average residential rooftop system that costs $3.30 to $4.50 per watt, said Matt Babbitts, Clark Public Utilities’ energy resources program manager.
“This partnership exemplifies our commitment to a sustainable future, showing that by harnessing the power of the sun, we can make a lasting difference in both our community and the environment,” port CEO David Ripp said.
Clark County Aging Readiness Plan
A 10-year update of the Clark County Aging Readiness Plan won a Judges Merit Award for the “sheer scope of work, extensive outreach and long-term partnerships” to accommodate for an aging population, according to the award summary.
The county first developed the plan in 2012 to support the growing number of older residents.
In Clark County, 1 in 6 residents is age 60 or older. By 2025, that number is expected to increase to 1 in 4.
The plan’s list of partners is extensive, including all of the incorporated cities in the county. Its recommendations focus on addressing missing or lacking public infrastructure, support for social services, and zoning and planning standards that allow older adults to thrive.
In September, the county added an emergency preparedness chapter to the plan, which includes strategies to reduce the transmission of airborne diseases.
“The commission especially wants to express appreciation to all the residents who participated in the community workshops providing their input, and of course our appreciation to the Clark County Council for their support and funding to get the Plan updated,” Clark County Commission on Aging Chairman Franklin Johnson said in a news release. “The updating of the plan and the implementation of the strategies will help support an age-friendly community that Clark County older adults can thrive in.”
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect the correct measurement of electricity generated by the Community Solar East Project.
