Public comment leads to extended exchange on Chelan zoning proposal

CHELAN — Public comment at the February 24 Chelan City Council meeting opened with a warning and ended with a two-hour conversation.

Thomas Clark, who identified himself as a public advocate, cited a 1927 deed guaranteeing “access to the waters of Lake Chelan,” and outlined the ways he felt residents were being prevented from that access. He demanded a response from the city within 48 hours before he sent a letter to the federal government asking them to “investigate” the matter, and left shortly after his remarks.

Later in the meeting, when the council took up proposed zoning amendments, Jerrid Higgins and Jeremiah and Evelynne Paulston stepped to the microphone to address the item directly. They remained in the council chamber for the full discussion that followed — the Paulstons’ four young sons beside them — returning to the microphone as questions arose and drawing repeated acknowledgment from council members for their sustained participation.

Community Development Director John Ajax introduced the proposal from his seat, outlining the purpose of the amendments and how existing uses would be treated under the code.

Higgins framed his concerns in terms of small-scale agriculture and private land use. “This place has been pushing small agriculture out for a long time,” he said. “It’s through government overreach.”

Evelynne Paulston, telling the council she was not accustomed to speaking in public, placed those concerns in a longer local context, saying her family’s roots in Chelan shaped how she viewed the proposal and its potential impact.

Jeremiah Paulston followed by tying the proposal to his own property. “I concur with Jared,” he said, describing the family’s four acres near the cemetery and their efforts to make it productive. He said he was concerned about how the changes could affect what property owners are allowed to do with their land.

Those questions about existing uses, private property and how the code would be applied remained in the room as Ajax continued his staff report.

Ajax said the amendments are intended to align the development code with the comprehensive plan and to make the regulations clearer for both applicants and staff. He described the proposal as an update to language and process rather than the creation of new restrictions, explaining how existing uses are treated under the code and how future applications would be reviewed.

Mayor Erin McCardle reinforced that point during the discussion. “This is code that has existed for a long time,” she said. “This is not Director Ajax’s code.”

Ajax continued by outlining where standards are being clarified and how feedback received during the process had already shaped revisions.

Higgins and Jeremiah Paulston later returned to the microphone, this time referencing specific points Ajax had just made and asking how those explanations would apply in practice. Their questions shifted from broad concerns about government reach to the details of implementation: how existing uses are recognized, how determinations are made and how property owners can seek clarity before moving forward with a project.

Ajax responded from his microphone across the room, walking through those steps and explaining how the code is administered. The exchange unfolded in a steady rhythm, with a question, explanation, and follow-up, with the residents waiting to hear each answer before speaking again.

Council members joined in with clarifying questions of their own, focusing on consistency, notice and what additional opportunities for public input would be available before any final action. Ajax said the proposal would return for further review.

At the end of the meeting, council members addressed the residents directly, thanking them for staying through the full discussion. Several remarked on the length of the evening and the level of engagement. Councilmember Tim Hollingsworth said the city might not be able to resolve every concern raised but called the sustained participation an example of how the process is supposed to work.

No final action was taken on the zoning amendments.

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media