Title
Approval of Ordinance Adding Shoreline Master Program to Development Code and Comprehensive Plan
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
Not referred to a committee.
City Manager Recommendation:
Move to approve on second reading an ordinance inserting new shoreline development regulations into Title 18 of Municipal Code and new shoreline goals and policies into Natural Environment Chapter of Comprehensive Plan.
Report
Issue:
On September 24, 2015, the Director of the Washington Department of Ecology approved a new Shoreline Master Program (SMP) for the City of Olympia. This new program, which went into effect on October 8, 2015, includes new shoreline policies and development regulations. To provide ready-access by the public, staff, and others, the proposed ordinance would direct that appropriate portions of the Program as approved by Ecology be incorporated directly into the City’s Comprehensive Plan and Development Code, respectively. Since October 8, 2015 staff has been administering the SMP as a standalone document.
Staff Contact:
Leonard Bauer, Deputy Director, Community Planning and Development Department, 360.753.8206
Presenter:
None; consent agenda item
Background and Analysis:
Background and analysis has not changed from first to second reading.
On September 24, 2015, an eight-year effort to comprehensively update Olympia’s Shoreline Master Program (SMP) concluded with approval of the City’s proposal by the Washington Department of Ecology. The new Program, substantially as proposed by the City Council in October 1, 2013, went into effect fourteen days later on October 8, 2015.
Washington’s Growth Management Act provides that the Ecology-approved ‘goals and policies’ of local shoreline master programs are automatically an element of the local comprehensive plan and other portions are considered a part of the local development regulations. During public review of the proposed update, included in notes embedded in drafts of the Program, the City indicated that following approval by the Department of Ecology, the City would provide easy access to these aspects of the Program by appropriately inserting them into these City documents.
The proposed ordinance would affect this step by directing respective amendments of the Comprehensive Plan and Development Code. In particular these amendments would result in the shoreline goals and policies of the Olympia Shoreline Master Program being inserted into the Natural Environment Chapter of the Comprehensive Plan and available on the internet as part of that document. At the moment, the Plan includes a ‘shoreline goals and policies to be inserted here’ placeholder in this Chapter. Note, the Growth Management Act provides that such an amendment is an exception to the ‘once per year’ limit of amending the Plan.
The shoreline development regulations would become a new chapter of Title 18 of the Olympia Municipal Code, also known as the Development Code. This new chapter would replace chapter 14.08 which references the former Olympia Shoreline Master Program. Unlike chapter 14.08, the new chapter 18.20 would be integrated with Olympia’s other development regulations in Municipal Code Title 18, otherwise known as the Unified Development Code or UDC. (Note, some drafts of the SMP indicated the new chapter would be numbered 18.34. The UDC structure provides that 18.20 is the appropriate numbering. Ecology staff have indicated that this clerical correction is acceptable.)
Both the Development Code and Comprehensive Plan are accessible on the internet at www.codepublishing.com/WA/Olympia/. In addition to incorporating portions of the Shoreline Master Program into these documents, the City will also make the entire Program, including appendices such as the Restoration Plan, available as a separate document on the City’s website, on electronic discs, and on paper.
Neighborhood/Community Interests (if known):
Olympia’s Shoreline Master Program update was the subject of intense and prolonged public interest. Ready-access to the resulting Program is an expectation of the public.
Options:
1. Approve first reading of the attached ordinance as proposed, incorporating new shoreline goals and policies into the City’s Comprehensive Plan and new regulations into Title 18 of the Olympia Municipal Code.
2. Approve a modified version of the proposed ordinance.
3. Decline to approve the proposed ordinance and provide guidance to staff on next steps.
Financial Impact:
Code Publishing’ is under contract to provide internet-based access to these City documents; no substantial additional costs are anticipated.
Attachments:
Ordinance