Title
Consider the Department of Ecology’s Required and Recommended Changes to the City’s Shoreline Master Program
Recommended Action
City Manager Recommendation:
Consider required and recommended changes from the Department of Ecology pertaining to the City’s proposed Shoreline Master Program (SMP), and move to direct staff to notify the Department of Ecology (Ecology) that the City accepts these changes.
Report
Issue:
The Ecology has completed its review of the City’s proposed SMP and has prepared a list of required changes and recommended changes. The required changes are changes that must be made to the SMP in order to be in compliance with the Shoreline Management Act and the Washington Administrative Code guidance and for the City’s SMP to be approved by the Department of Ecology. Adoption of the recommended changes is discretionary, however, generally they help to provide clarity to the document and staff supports their adoption.
Staff Contact:
Keith Stahley, Director Community Planning and Development Department 360.753.8227
Presenter(s):
Keith Stahley, Director Community Planning and Development Department
Todd Stamm, Principal Planner
Background and Analysis:
The Land Use and Environment Committee considered the Department of Ecology’s required and recommended changes at its June 18, 2015 meeting. They unanimously recommend that City Council notify Ecology that the City accepts the required and recommended changes to the SMP and that staff and the Ecology continue to work to finalize language and technical information in the recommended changes.
Staff has prepared a table that helps to clarify the impact of the recommended changes on Olympia’s SMP. The last column contains specific comments and recommendations on suggested responses to Ecology’s recommended changes. It is included as Attachment 1. Staff is continuing to work with Ecology to refine two recommendations related to mapping the shoreline environmental designation transition points and to clarify language related to the nonconforming section. Staff believes that these are non-substantive changes and should not affect City Council’s direction.
The City of Olympia has been engaged in the update of its Shoreline Master Program since 2007 when it received a grant from the Department of Ecology to begin the process in collaboration with the Cities of Lacey and Tumwater. Both Lacey and Tumwater have already received Ecology’s comments and adopted their SMPs.
The City approved it’s draft SMP in October of 2013 and formally submitted the draft to the Department of Ecology in January of 2014. Over the past 18 months the Department of Ecology has reviewed the City’s draft SMP in detail and developed the attached list of required changes and recommended changes. (See Attachment 2 hyperlink: Attachment B and Attachment C) These changes are generally technical in nature and have limited substantive impact on the City’s proposed SMP. All documents related to the Department of Ecology’s review can be found at this link.
In its transmittal letter the Department of Ecology notes the extensive public process that the City under took (See Attachment 2 hyperlink: Director of Ecology’s Conditional Approval Letter). Ecology’s response also makes clear that with respect to the key issues the City’s chosen approach is in compliance with the Shoreline Management Act and the Washington State Administrative Code. (See Attachment 2 hyperlink: Attachment D the Responsiveness Summary: City of Olympia Locally Adopted Shoreline Master Program (SMP) for further information).
A complete draft of the SMP is included as Attachment 3 and includes all of the Department of Ecology’s required and recommended changes in legislative format.
Neighborhood/Community Interests:
The Shoreline Master Program is a document that has widespread impacts and had significant community involvement and interest during the Planning Commission’s and City Council’s consideration.
Options:
1. Review and accept the Department of Ecology’s Required and Recommended changes.
2. Review the Department of Ecology’s Required and Recommended changes and direct staff to schedule additional time on a future Council Agenda for further review and deliberation.
Financial Impact:
No known financial impact.