Our Camas 2045

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Welcome to Community Summit #3!

This summit is designed as a series of focused conversations on each element (or chapter) of the draft comprehensive plan. Every two weeks we’ll highlight a new plan element on this page with background information and a short survey. This is your chance to review the draft plan, get more information, share feedback, and help shape the next draft of the Our Camas 2045 Comprehensive Plan.

Engagement Schedule

Everything you need to review the plan and provide input will be on this webpage, but if you would like to chat with a planner in person, you can find us at the following events.

Economic Development

Our next featured element is Economic Development! The purpose of the Economic Development element is to foster economic prosperity by supporting a strong and diverse local economy and to plan for employment needs for the next 20 years (2025 to 2045).

What is the Economic Development Element?

The Economic Development element of the comprehensive plan describes current economic conditions in the city and provides a policy framework to guide economic growth and meet future employment targets. The City’s past economic health was closely tied to the paper mill and in recent years the City has transitioned to a more diverse economy. Future economic development will be achieved through strategies that maintain a diverse economy and attract new businesses and industries. The purpose of this element is to address employment targets by identifying areas in the city suitable for economic growth. The element provides a factual basis for meeting employment needs. This includes an economic development analysis supported by Clark County’s Buildable Lands Report and informed by community input, state legislation, local priorities, and the City’s economic profile. The element will aim to meet these needs by recruiting and retaining local businesses, encouraging mixed-use development, and identifying funding strategies for infrastructure improvements.

The element includes a vision and four goals, as follows.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT VISION: Camas has cultivated a diverse and thriving economy with stable employment opportunities and living-wage jobs across various sectors, including technology, healthcare, manufacturing, retail, recreation, and professional services. Camas residents have access to a wide range of services and amenities in their community, while benefiting from excellent regional connectivity and the city's proximity to Portland International Airport. Camas is a gateway to nature and recreational opportunities, supporting regional tourism in the area. Camas is home to a thriving economy and diverse businesses, affording residents ample employment opportunities. Neighborhood commercial hubs connect residents to daily services and amenities through a network of sidewalks and bike lanes, improving access and connectivity. Professional office, medical, and industrial uses typify western Camas, with retail businesses supporting these firms and nearby residents. The North Shore area will fulfill the employment and retail needs of the growing population on the northeast side, and reduce trips outside the city. Downtown Camas anchors the community with a dynamic economic landscape and retains its historic atmosphere as a walkable, attractive place to shop, dine, and gather. Inclusive housing options within the city’s core contributes to a town center that supports local businesses.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GOALS:

  1. Citywide Economic Development. Maintain a diverse range of employment opportunities to support all residents, provide sufficient land supporting employment needs, and provide a setting and quality of life that attract and retain living-wage jobs* throughout the community.
  2. Local Business Development. Promote business creation, expansion, retention, and diversification throughout the community to create a consistent and reliable tax base and a healthy, diversified local economy.
  3. Mixed-Use and Commercial Areas. Encourage efficient and innovative development that thoughtfully mixes commercial and residential land uses that are pedestrian-friendly and consider the context of the surrounding area.
  4. Mixed Employment and Industrial Areas. Providing a mix of traditional industrial and non-industrial land uses to maximize opportunities and partnerships and facilitate employers to remain, expand, or locate in Camas.

*A living-wage job is one that pays an income sufficient to cover basic living expenses without financial hardship, allowing an individual or family to afford essential needs such as housing, food, healthcare, transportation, childcare, and other necessities without relying on public assistance. See the MIT living wage calculation for Clark County (2024).

After reviewing the draft Economic Development element, including the goals and policies, please take the survey below and provide your feedback on the actions the City can take to support local businesses and create living wage jobs .

Camas developed a preferred land use alternative map as part of the Our Camas 2045 Comprehensive Plan update process. This map will help the City achieve the new community vision and provide capacity for the next 20 years of anticipated growth.

Please visit our interactive online map to explore proposed changes at a parcel level, learn more about proposed land use types throughout Camas, and provide feedback.

The Our Camas 2045 Community Vision sets a roadmap for the community for the next 20 years. Over approximately seven months, from December 2023 through June 2024, community members were asked to share their thoughts on what makes Camas special today and what they would like to see in the future. The Our Camas 2045 visioning process reached over 1,000 community members through Community Conversations, Community Events, a Community Summit, an online survey, online mapping tools, and the Engage Camas project website. We heard a lot about maintaining Camas’ small-town feel and natural beauty and a desire for housing diversity and affordability, improvements to walkability and trail connectivity, and a need to celebrate Camas’ rich history and diversity. Take a look at the outreach summary under "Project Documents" to learn more! This process resulted in the Our Camas 2045 Vision Statement, which the City Council adopted in July 2024.

The comprehensive plan is the City's primary controlling document for land use and development. The comprehensive plan represents the community’s vision for the future of Camas.

The plan contains a comprehensive plan map that identifies land use designations, such as commercial, low-density residential, and high-density residential. The map depicts how and where the city will grow and change over the next 20 years to accommodate population and job growth while remaining consistent with the community’s vision. The current comprehensive plan map will be updated to reflect the community vision, ensure there is enough land to meet the city’s housing and employment allocations, and to address new state legislation that requires housing that is affordable at various income levels. For more information about the comprehensive plan update, see the “About the Comprehensive Plan Update” section below.

The City of Camas is undertaking a multi-year initiative to update the City’s comprehensive plan. The Our Camas 2045 Comprehensive Plan will establish a vision for our community and will articulate goals, objectives, policies, and actions to guide growth and development through 2045.

Why are we updating the plan? Washington’s Growth Management Act (GMA) requires every county and city in the state to conduct a periodic update of their comprehensive plan and development regulations. The purpose of an update is to reevaluate and update the goals, objectives, policies, and actions in response to public input, new state requirements, and changes in the existing conditions or anticipated future conditions.

A lot has changed since Camas’ comprehensive plan was last updated in 2016. We have seen our population grow quickly, as well as changes in our community’s demographics, businesses and industries. In addition, new state legislation on housing and climate change has been introduced requiring updates to the housing element and the addition of a climate element.

  • HB 1110: Known as the “middle housing” bill, HB 11101 aims to increase housing options by requiring cities to allow more types of residential structures, such as duplexes, triplexes, and townhouses, in single-family areas. This bill requires Camas to allow up to two residential units per lot in all areas where single-family housing is allowed or up to four units within a ¼ mile of a major transit stop or if two of the units are affordable.
  • HB 1220: This bill requires cities to “plan for and accommodate” housing affordable to all income levels, including moderate, low, very low, and extremely low income households and provide for moderate and high density housing to meet this need. The bill also requires the City to review programs, actions, policies and regulations that might be a barrier to new housing production and availability, including those that may have contributed to racial disparities.
  • HB 1337: This bill requires the City to allow up to two accessory dwelling units (ADUs) on residential properties. ADUs are smaller housing units on properties with an existing primary dwelling unit, and the City currently allows one ADU on residential properties.
  • HB 1181: This bill requires Camas to develop and adopt a new climate element (or chapter) in the comprehensive plan. The element must identify actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and identify strategies to improve the community’s resilience to hazards associated with climate change (e.g., wildfires, drought).

How do you know how much housing and employment to plan for over the next 20 years? The Washington Office of Financial Management provides population projections and the Washington Employment Security Department provides employment projections to counties throughout the state. The counties then allocate a share of those projections to each entity within its jurisdiction based on the land available within the city to support more housing and jobs. Based on Clark County’s allocations, Camas will need 4,226 new housing units and 11,615 new jobs over the next 20 years. The comprehensive plan update must plan for this growth and ensure available land and infrastructure is available to support the projected housing and jobs needs.

What goes in a comprehensive plan? Comprehensive plans are organized into planning elements, or chapters, that include a vision, overview, goals and policies specific to each element. Our Camas 2045 will develop the following elements:

  • Community Character (new) – will describe the desired character of the built and natural environments in the city based on the community vision.
  • Climate (new) – will address how the city is planning for the effects of climate change and identify actions for a more resilient community. See additional details below.
  • Land Use – will identify the location and type of different land uses throughout the city. This element includes the updated comprehensive plan map.
  • Housing – will address how the city will provide a diverse range of housing options to support community members at various income levels, as required by HB 1220.
  • Natural Environment – will address the city’s natural environment, including its tree canopy, and actions to support its preservation.
  • Transportation – will address the transportation system needed to support anticipated growth and development.
  • Public Facilities and Services – will address utility and public service needs to support anticipated growth and development.
  • Economic Development – will address the city’s goals for economic development and actions needed to support job growth.

What will go in the climate element? As noted above, HB 1181 requires the adoption of a climate change and resiliency element, which includes Greenhouse Gas (GHG) and Resiliency sub-elements.

The purpose of the GHG sub-element is to identify actions Camas will take to:

  • Reduce overall GHG emissions generated by transportation and land use;
  • Reduce per capita vehicle miles traveled; and
  • Prioritize reductions that benefit overburdened communities.

The purpose of the Resiliency sub-element is to identify actions Camas will take to:

  • Equitably enhance resiliency to, and avoid or substantially reduce the adverse impacts of, climate change in communities and ecological systems.
  • Prioritize actions that benefit overburdened communities that will be most impacted by natural hazards due to climate change.

Clark County recently completed an analysis of local and regional climate data, including GHG emissions and vehicle miles traveled, which provides a benchmark for Camas to reduce GHGs and vehicle miles traveled through our comprehensive plan. A variety of community events will provide opportunities for community members to contribute ideas on how we can reduce our emissions and improve Camas’ climate resiliency.

Our Camas 2045 is guided by three advisory committees – the Community Advisory Committee (CAC), Project Advisory Committee (PAC), and Climate Policy Advisory Team (CPAT). The committees review and comment on draft products, guide public outreach and engagement efforts, provide technical and professional direction, act as liaisons to specific interest groups, and act as champions of Our Camas 2045. Committee rosters and meeting summaries can be found under the Project Documents tab on the right side of this page.

Multiple outreach events have been, and will continue to be, held to provide community members with opportunities to engage in the planning process and share your ideas. Previous events included the Our Camas 2045 table at First Fridays, the Farmer's Market, and Camas Days, and two Community Summits. Fun and engaging future community events will provide additional activities for Camas community members to share their ideas. Bookmark this page to learn about future events or sign up to receive project updates. An overview of the project schedule is provided below.

In conjunction with Our Camas 2045, the City is has developed a draft subarea plan for Downtown Camas. Our Downtown Camas 2045 will set a more detailed vision for Downtown Camas.

Survey

Our survey on the draft Economic Development element is open through November 9! Please fill out the “Economic Development” survey below to share your thoughts.

Do you have a general comment on the draft Comprehensive Plan or questions for City staff? You can submit your comment/question using the "Draft Comprehensive Plan" survey form below.

Welcome to Community Summit #3!

This summit is designed as a series of focused conversations on each element (or chapter) of the draft comprehensive plan. Every two weeks we’ll highlight a new plan element on this page with background information and a short survey. This is your chance to review the draft plan, get more information, share feedback, and help shape the next draft of the Our Camas 2045 Comprehensive Plan.

Engagement Schedule

Everything you need to review the plan and provide input will be on this webpage, but if you would like to chat with a planner in person, you can find us at the following events.

Economic Development

Our next featured element is Economic Development! The purpose of the Economic Development element is to foster economic prosperity by supporting a strong and diverse local economy and to plan for employment needs for the next 20 years (2025 to 2045).

What is the Economic Development Element?

The Economic Development element of the comprehensive plan describes current economic conditions in the city and provides a policy framework to guide economic growth and meet future employment targets. The City’s past economic health was closely tied to the paper mill and in recent years the City has transitioned to a more diverse economy. Future economic development will be achieved through strategies that maintain a diverse economy and attract new businesses and industries. The purpose of this element is to address employment targets by identifying areas in the city suitable for economic growth. The element provides a factual basis for meeting employment needs. This includes an economic development analysis supported by Clark County’s Buildable Lands Report and informed by community input, state legislation, local priorities, and the City’s economic profile. The element will aim to meet these needs by recruiting and retaining local businesses, encouraging mixed-use development, and identifying funding strategies for infrastructure improvements.

The element includes a vision and four goals, as follows.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT VISION: Camas has cultivated a diverse and thriving economy with stable employment opportunities and living-wage jobs across various sectors, including technology, healthcare, manufacturing, retail, recreation, and professional services. Camas residents have access to a wide range of services and amenities in their community, while benefiting from excellent regional connectivity and the city's proximity to Portland International Airport. Camas is a gateway to nature and recreational opportunities, supporting regional tourism in the area. Camas is home to a thriving economy and diverse businesses, affording residents ample employment opportunities. Neighborhood commercial hubs connect residents to daily services and amenities through a network of sidewalks and bike lanes, improving access and connectivity. Professional office, medical, and industrial uses typify western Camas, with retail businesses supporting these firms and nearby residents. The North Shore area will fulfill the employment and retail needs of the growing population on the northeast side, and reduce trips outside the city. Downtown Camas anchors the community with a dynamic economic landscape and retains its historic atmosphere as a walkable, attractive place to shop, dine, and gather. Inclusive housing options within the city’s core contributes to a town center that supports local businesses.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GOALS:

  1. Citywide Economic Development. Maintain a diverse range of employment opportunities to support all residents, provide sufficient land supporting employment needs, and provide a setting and quality of life that attract and retain living-wage jobs* throughout the community.
  2. Local Business Development. Promote business creation, expansion, retention, and diversification throughout the community to create a consistent and reliable tax base and a healthy, diversified local economy.
  3. Mixed-Use and Commercial Areas. Encourage efficient and innovative development that thoughtfully mixes commercial and residential land uses that are pedestrian-friendly and consider the context of the surrounding area.
  4. Mixed Employment and Industrial Areas. Providing a mix of traditional industrial and non-industrial land uses to maximize opportunities and partnerships and facilitate employers to remain, expand, or locate in Camas.

*A living-wage job is one that pays an income sufficient to cover basic living expenses without financial hardship, allowing an individual or family to afford essential needs such as housing, food, healthcare, transportation, childcare, and other necessities without relying on public assistance. See the MIT living wage calculation for Clark County (2024).

After reviewing the draft Economic Development element, including the goals and policies, please take the survey below and provide your feedback on the actions the City can take to support local businesses and create living wage jobs .

Camas developed a preferred land use alternative map as part of the Our Camas 2045 Comprehensive Plan update process. This map will help the City achieve the new community vision and provide capacity for the next 20 years of anticipated growth.

Please visit our interactive online map to explore proposed changes at a parcel level, learn more about proposed land use types throughout Camas, and provide feedback.

The Our Camas 2045 Community Vision sets a roadmap for the community for the next 20 years. Over approximately seven months, from December 2023 through June 2024, community members were asked to share their thoughts on what makes Camas special today and what they would like to see in the future. The Our Camas 2045 visioning process reached over 1,000 community members through Community Conversations, Community Events, a Community Summit, an online survey, online mapping tools, and the Engage Camas project website. We heard a lot about maintaining Camas’ small-town feel and natural beauty and a desire for housing diversity and affordability, improvements to walkability and trail connectivity, and a need to celebrate Camas’ rich history and diversity. Take a look at the outreach summary under "Project Documents" to learn more! This process resulted in the Our Camas 2045 Vision Statement, which the City Council adopted in July 2024.

The comprehensive plan is the City's primary controlling document for land use and development. The comprehensive plan represents the community’s vision for the future of Camas.

The plan contains a comprehensive plan map that identifies land use designations, such as commercial, low-density residential, and high-density residential. The map depicts how and where the city will grow and change over the next 20 years to accommodate population and job growth while remaining consistent with the community’s vision. The current comprehensive plan map will be updated to reflect the community vision, ensure there is enough land to meet the city’s housing and employment allocations, and to address new state legislation that requires housing that is affordable at various income levels. For more information about the comprehensive plan update, see the “About the Comprehensive Plan Update” section below.

The City of Camas is undertaking a multi-year initiative to update the City’s comprehensive plan. The Our Camas 2045 Comprehensive Plan will establish a vision for our community and will articulate goals, objectives, policies, and actions to guide growth and development through 2045.

Why are we updating the plan? Washington’s Growth Management Act (GMA) requires every county and city in the state to conduct a periodic update of their comprehensive plan and development regulations. The purpose of an update is to reevaluate and update the goals, objectives, policies, and actions in response to public input, new state requirements, and changes in the existing conditions or anticipated future conditions.

A lot has changed since Camas’ comprehensive plan was last updated in 2016. We have seen our population grow quickly, as well as changes in our community’s demographics, businesses and industries. In addition, new state legislation on housing and climate change has been introduced requiring updates to the housing element and the addition of a climate element.

  • HB 1110: Known as the “middle housing” bill, HB 11101 aims to increase housing options by requiring cities to allow more types of residential structures, such as duplexes, triplexes, and townhouses, in single-family areas. This bill requires Camas to allow up to two residential units per lot in all areas where single-family housing is allowed or up to four units within a ¼ mile of a major transit stop or if two of the units are affordable.
  • HB 1220: This bill requires cities to “plan for and accommodate” housing affordable to all income levels, including moderate, low, very low, and extremely low income households and provide for moderate and high density housing to meet this need. The bill also requires the City to review programs, actions, policies and regulations that might be a barrier to new housing production and availability, including those that may have contributed to racial disparities.
  • HB 1337: This bill requires the City to allow up to two accessory dwelling units (ADUs) on residential properties. ADUs are smaller housing units on properties with an existing primary dwelling unit, and the City currently allows one ADU on residential properties.
  • HB 1181: This bill requires Camas to develop and adopt a new climate element (or chapter) in the comprehensive plan. The element must identify actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and identify strategies to improve the community’s resilience to hazards associated with climate change (e.g., wildfires, drought).

How do you know how much housing and employment to plan for over the next 20 years? The Washington Office of Financial Management provides population projections and the Washington Employment Security Department provides employment projections to counties throughout the state. The counties then allocate a share of those projections to each entity within its jurisdiction based on the land available within the city to support more housing and jobs. Based on Clark County’s allocations, Camas will need 4,226 new housing units and 11,615 new jobs over the next 20 years. The comprehensive plan update must plan for this growth and ensure available land and infrastructure is available to support the projected housing and jobs needs.

What goes in a comprehensive plan? Comprehensive plans are organized into planning elements, or chapters, that include a vision, overview, goals and policies specific to each element. Our Camas 2045 will develop the following elements:

  • Community Character (new) – will describe the desired character of the built and natural environments in the city based on the community vision.
  • Climate (new) – will address how the city is planning for the effects of climate change and identify actions for a more resilient community. See additional details below.
  • Land Use – will identify the location and type of different land uses throughout the city. This element includes the updated comprehensive plan map.
  • Housing – will address how the city will provide a diverse range of housing options to support community members at various income levels, as required by HB 1220.
  • Natural Environment – will address the city’s natural environment, including its tree canopy, and actions to support its preservation.
  • Transportation – will address the transportation system needed to support anticipated growth and development.
  • Public Facilities and Services – will address utility and public service needs to support anticipated growth and development.
  • Economic Development – will address the city’s goals for economic development and actions needed to support job growth.

What will go in the climate element? As noted above, HB 1181 requires the adoption of a climate change and resiliency element, which includes Greenhouse Gas (GHG) and Resiliency sub-elements.

The purpose of the GHG sub-element is to identify actions Camas will take to:

  • Reduce overall GHG emissions generated by transportation and land use;
  • Reduce per capita vehicle miles traveled; and
  • Prioritize reductions that benefit overburdened communities.

The purpose of the Resiliency sub-element is to identify actions Camas will take to:

  • Equitably enhance resiliency to, and avoid or substantially reduce the adverse impacts of, climate change in communities and ecological systems.
  • Prioritize actions that benefit overburdened communities that will be most impacted by natural hazards due to climate change.

Clark County recently completed an analysis of local and regional climate data, including GHG emissions and vehicle miles traveled, which provides a benchmark for Camas to reduce GHGs and vehicle miles traveled through our comprehensive plan. A variety of community events will provide opportunities for community members to contribute ideas on how we can reduce our emissions and improve Camas’ climate resiliency.

Our Camas 2045 is guided by three advisory committees – the Community Advisory Committee (CAC), Project Advisory Committee (PAC), and Climate Policy Advisory Team (CPAT). The committees review and comment on draft products, guide public outreach and engagement efforts, provide technical and professional direction, act as liaisons to specific interest groups, and act as champions of Our Camas 2045. Committee rosters and meeting summaries can be found under the Project Documents tab on the right side of this page.

Multiple outreach events have been, and will continue to be, held to provide community members with opportunities to engage in the planning process and share your ideas. Previous events included the Our Camas 2045 table at First Fridays, the Farmer's Market, and Camas Days, and two Community Summits. Fun and engaging future community events will provide additional activities for Camas community members to share their ideas. Bookmark this page to learn about future events or sign up to receive project updates. An overview of the project schedule is provided below.

In conjunction with Our Camas 2045, the City is has developed a draft subarea plan for Downtown Camas. Our Downtown Camas 2045 will set a more detailed vision for Downtown Camas.

Survey

Our survey on the draft Economic Development element is open through November 9! Please fill out the “Economic Development” survey below to share your thoughts.

Do you have a general comment on the draft Comprehensive Plan or questions for City staff? You can submit your comment/question using the "Draft Comprehensive Plan" survey form below.

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Page last updated: 27 Oct 2025, 10:50 AM