The Columbia River Economic Development Council (CREDC) has released a position paper calling for “a new look at Washington’s business climate.”
Approved by the CREDC Board of Directors last month and released to the public Tuesday morning, the paper focuses on the state’s regulatory environment, detailing how it places Southwest Washington at a disadvantage compared with other states.
“Since I came on board with the CREDC last October, there has rarely been a day that I haven’t heard major concerns about our lack of developable land and our unpredictable and inefficient state level permitting systems,” said CREDC president Lisa Nisenfeld in a press release. “It’s time to stand up and say that we can’t afford this. Our unemployment rate remains more than 40 percent higher than the state of Washington as well as 40 percent higher than the rest of the Portland metropolitan area. Our region needs to grow jobs while also being responsible stewards of the earth.”
The CREDC also calls on legislators to streamline permitting and appeals processes, and to re-evaluate the state’s role in the enforcement of the Growth Management Act.
“The intention of the Growth Management Act was to have local communities drive development decisions within some broad parameters,” explained Jordan-Ramis attorney Jamie Howsley. “Over time, state agencies have inserted themselves into that process, overriding local decisions time and again.”
Finally, the organization asks the governor to commission an objective study to gauge the impact and interplay of its land use and regulatory systems on Washington’s communities.
“It’s time to find out how well we are achieving our vision,” said Howsley.
