Important Information
Attached is the summary of Decisions/Action Items from last week's SMP CAC meeting. The three primary agenda items were:
1) Shoreline Environmental Inventory and Characterization
2) Shoreline Environmental Designations
3) Shoreline Residential Developmental Standards
The issue that was of paramount importance to the FHA was a proposed change to Urban Residential Development Standards. The presentation pertained to 23.60.198 - Residences other than Floating Homes. Specifically the issue dealt with house barges.
The proposed change was: Prohibit over-water residential structures.
The reason stated was: To insure no net loss of ecological function and to meet the requirements of WAC 173-26-241 (3)(j).
I asked Maggie Glowacki if this proposed change would also be made to 23.60.196 -Floating Homes, which we will discuss at the November meeting. Maggie responded yes. I asked if it would only pertain to new structures. Maggie responded yes. I asked if that meant new houseboat moorages or new houseboats on existing moorages. Maggie gave a somewhat tentative answer, but indicated that it was probably new moorages. However, it did not appear to be a firm answer as far as I was concerned.
Below is the WAC reference - WAC 173-26-241 (3)(j) - mentioned above. Floating Home section is highlighted.
(j) Residential development. Single-family residences are the most common form of shoreline development and are identified as a priority use when developed in a manner consistent with control of pollution and prevention of damage to the natural environment. Without proper management, single-family residential use can cause significant damage to the shoreline area through cumulative impacts from shoreline armoring, storm water runoff, septic systems, introduction of pollutants, and vegetation modification and removal. Residential development also includes multifamily development and the creation of new residential lots through land division.
Master programs shall include policies and regulations that assure no net loss of shoreline ecological functions will result from residential development. Such provisions should include specific regulations for setbacks and buffer areas, density, shoreline armoring, vegetation conservation requirements, and, where applicable, on-site sewage system standards for all residential development and uses and applicable to divisions of land in shoreline jurisdiction.
Residential development, including appurtenant structures and uses, should be sufficiently set back from steep slopes and shorelines vulnerable to erosion so that structural improvements, including bluff walls and other stabilization struc tures, are not required to protect such structures and uses. (See RCW 90.58.100(6).)
New over-water residences, including floating homes, are not a preferred use and should be prohibited. It is recognized that certain existing communities of floating and/or over-water homes exist and should be reasonably accommodated to allow improvements associated with life safety matters and property rights to be addressed provided that any expansion of existing communities is the minimum necessary to assure consistency with constitutional and other legal limitations that protect private property.
The FHA SMP work group will be meeting with Peter Eglick and Mike Ryherd to discuss these and other SMP issues important to FHA around the beginning of October.