Shoreline Master Program in initial stages within city

The program affects all property bordering marine shorelines, rivers and streams. PHOTO BY JEREMIAH O The initial public hearing on Stanwood’s new Shoreline Master Program was held at City Hall Wednesday.

Stanwood’s first program was adopted in 1977, five years after the public adopted Washington’s Shoreline Management Act. Amended in 1998, it outlines goals, policies and regulations and designations relating to the shorelines within the city limits.

Now, it’s being revisited, with the goal of integrating the Growth Management Act and the Shoreline Master Program, both of which must now be updated every seven years.

Parametrix, an employee owned engineering, planning, and environmental sciences firm, is spearheading the project. The process will be brought before city council and the planning commission at each stage.

The program affects all property bordering marine shorelines, rivers and streams with a mean flow greater than 20 cubic feet per second and shorelands within 200 of the high-water mark for these areas. In a floodplain, distance is measured from the floodway.

This has a unique impact on Stanwood because of its multiple waterways: Port Susan Bay, the Stillaguamish River delta and the Church Creek drainage.

David Sherrard, of posing the distance be measured from the top of the levees in floodways. This minimizes the number of properties affected by regulations.

In short, regulations state that developments near the shore must abide by four broad policies:

• Encourage water-dependent uses;

• Protect resources;

• Promote public access;

• Provide for the restoration of ecological functions.

Existing structures are grandfathered in, but new construction must abide by the regulations.

Sherrard said the goal was to create a program for meeting regulatory requirements without inconveniencing business owners.

The program states that non-residential properties not emphasizing water related activities are only permitted as part of a mixed-use project that provides some public access to, or restoration of, the shoreline.

New developments must also take into consideration vegetation conservation, shoreline stabilization and the protection of critical areas to achieve no net loss of ecological functions.

An example is Locals Espresso, owned by Robert Westvang.

Westvang’s current Stanwood espresso stand, located on the south side of SR 532, is farther than 200 feet from the waterway, and so is not affected.

His property, however, extends into the program area. Future development of that parcel would require Westvang to accommodate public access and enjoyment of the shoreline.

One idea Westvang proposed would include adding an outdoor seating area with tables back of the stand.

Sherrard proposed a second idea, which would benefit all the businesses along the waterway south of SR 532. If the businesses pooled resources to build a walking path along the waterway at the back of their properties, it would accommodate public access and free them to further develop the properties as they please.

Sherrard encourages the owners of all properties affected by the program to involve themselves in the process.

The process will be divided into the following stages:

• Initial public involvement – began with Wednesday’s hearing;

• Inventory and characterization of the lands affected (early 2010);

• Assess options for updating the program in concert with state and county regulations (mid 2010);

• Draft the Shoreline Master Program (mid 2010);

• Present the program for review and adoption (late 2010).

The next step, for now, is to bring Wednesday’s presentation before the city council and the planning commission.