(1) Retaining Rural Character in Rural Areas over the Long Term. Problems of rural sprawl commonly associated with portions of eastern Clallam County and other localities in the State are only now becoming evident in certain locations in the eastern end of the Straits Region and are not commonplace in the western portion of the Straits Region. The absence of sprawl is not attributed to different policies or regulatory controls designed to protect “rural character,” but rather to: (a) remoteness of the area; (b) development of rural lands closer to employment centers in eastern Clallam County; and (c) the presence of large timberland acreages being owned and managed by the government and large private timber companies.

The western portion of the Straits Region has small, mostly isolated areas of designated rural lands which are interspersed with large acreages in commercial forestry use. These circumstances allow retention of rural character even with conventional development scenarios of 2.4- and five-acre lots.

(2) Urban Residential Density Development in Rural Areas. Areas designated under the current Comprehensive Plan as Quillayute residential and mixed use allow urban sized residential lots where soils are well drained. The mixed use zones also allow urban uses such as commercial and industrial. The Quillayute residential areas are located west of Clallam Bay, along Highway 112, between Shipwreck Point and the mouth of the Sekiu River and in the vicinity of Bullman Creek. The mixed use areas are located along the Hoko-Ozette Road.

Many types of commercial land uses, industrial land uses and urban density residential lots are identified in the Clallam County County-wide Policies as urban in nature. These types of intensive use are better suited for development in the designated urban growth area of Clallam Bay/Sekiu. Residential uses in the Quillayute residential areas are fairly well established, immediately adjacent to the coast. Most of the bluffs behind the housing in these areas currently designated Quillayute residential are classified as landslide hazard areas and are owned by large private timber companies. Landslide hazard areas are not appropriate for urban type development. The mixed use area contains some residential development but is generally undeveloped and still in large lot sizes.

The Growth Management Act does provide for two types of urban density growth outside urban growth areas. These include new fully contained communities and master planned resorts. New fully contained communities are large-scale developments (640 acres) including a mix of residential, commercial and industrial land uses. Their establishment would require the formation of a new urban growth area and a corresponding decrease in established urban growth areas. Master planned resorts (240 acres) are self contained and fully integrated planned unit developments, in a setting of significant natural amenities, with a primary focus on destination resort facilities with developed on-site indoor and outdoor recreation facilities. The County can develop policies to guide the development of these type of facilities.

(3) Rural Commercial Activities. Tourist and neighborhood commercial development areas such as those at Cain’s Marine south of Clallam Bay, at Chito Beach and at Bullman Beaches are not currently designated or zoned for commercial land use. This plan designates these areas for commercial development but recognizes that development standards are needed for new commercial development in order to preserve rural character. While this type of development provides needed services to tourists and rural residents alike, it should be maintained within a set size limit or length along the highway and should occur only at existing locations to promote compact rural service centers. The visual impact of highway related tourist commercial land uses in rural areas should be reduced through the use of high quality landscaping and building design guidelines. Likewise resort facilities at Silver King Resort and at Snow Creek should be designated for tourist commercial land use. Commercial uses allowed in rural residential zones should be limited by size and type in order to encourage commercial growth in urban growth areas and in appropriately designated tourist commercial areas.

(4) Retaining Scenic Corridors along State Highways. State Highway 112 is the major travel route in the Straits Region. Retention of the scenic values and rural feeling of this travel corridor is important to both residents and tourists alike as they travel to communities for goods and services and to popular recreation destinations.