Camas’ Future, the Mill and the Society
As shown by the blue shaded portions of the mill in the photo to the right, operational areas of the Mill continue to contribute needed family-wage jobs. There are hundreds of acres of Mill property that are no longer operational and subject to the Washington Department of Ecology’s Agreed Order for cleanup. With this area larger than Camas’ existing historic downtown and the city’s waterfront, there are community concerns that the cleanup would be based on a heavy industrial use future. This would restrict the heart of Camas’ future as envisioned under the Growth Management Act by the State of Washington. Industrial use, instead of unrestricted use, would preempt either mixed use development or other scenarios where humans or other receptors have a higher risk of contact with past contamination. The Camas Earth Day Society (“the Society”) believes
that the cleanup and planning for the Mill’s future should accommodate future manufacturing activity on the cutting edge of clean and sustainable design. The size of the site can create a symbiosis with mixed uses consistent with the goals of Washington’s Growth Management Act. Specifically, the first five goals of the Act state: • Urban growth . Encourage development in urban areas • Reduce Sprawl . Reduce the inappropriate conversion of undeveloped land • Transportation . Encourage efficient multimodal transportation system
Courtesy of Downtown Camas Association https://downtowncamas.com/wp-content/uploads/
• Housing . Plan for and accommodate housing affordable to all economic segments • Economic development . Encourage economic development throughout the state
The Society believes this responsible future growth is in keeping with Earth Day principles versus the current continued expansions and sprawl into the forests and its accompanying adverse impacts. The Society’s future is consistent with the Washington Legislature’s path for growth.
Made with FlippingBook Annual report maker