By Marcy Stamper
People have an extra month to comment on proposed changes about how large building projects have to be before they automatically get reviewed for potential environmental impacts.
The county has proposed significantly raising the minimum threshold, meaning that some larger residential and commercial projects in the Methow Valley could be approved without an environmental analysis.
The Okanogan County planning commission has been evaluating the proposed changes, which are part of the State Environmental Policy Act.
The planning commission will next take up the proposed changes at its meeting on Oct. 28. The September meeting was canceled for lack of a quorum.
Commissioners are accepting written comments until the October meeting. Details of the proposal are available from Senior Planner Ben Rough at (509) 422-7160 or brough@co.okanogan.wa.us.
