April 10 open house to reveal results of eight-week resident survey
VANCOUVER — Community members are encouraged to help Clark County shape the future of the 78th Street Heritage Farm in Hazel Dell.
An open house has been scheduled for 6-8 p.m. Wed., April 10, in the sixth-floor hearing room of the Public Service Center, 1300 Franklin St. County residents will have an opportunity to review and discuss draft recommendations for the Heritage Farm’s master plan update.
County residents shared their ideas for updating the master plan by taking an online survey. The survey was accessible to residents for eight weeks and was closed on March 15, 2019. A total of 795 completed surveys were recorded. The results will help gauge community priorities for the farm’s future use www.clark.wa.gov/public-works/heritage-farm-update.
Clark County’s Heritage Farm provides a substantial amenity for neighbors, students, gardeners, farmers, researchers and community organizations for learning about and practicing sustainable, historic agriculture.
The Heritage Farm’s history dates back to the 1870s, when Clark County started operating a poor farm along the south side of Northeast 78th Street. The site was later used as a research and experimental farm by Washington State University Extension before the county resumed managing the property in 2008.
Clark County adopted a master plan in 2010 that commits the county to preserving the site’s agricultural heritage and history as a poor farm and to encouraging use of its agricultural, historical and educational amenities.
This year’s plan update will incorporate changes to the property since 2010, potentially revise components of the master plan that have not been implemented, and review priorities for the farm’s future use without modifying the 2010 plan’s vision and guiding principles.
Information provided by Clark Co. WA Communications.
