Date: May 17, 2008
Community and Government Affairs
City of Lake Forest Park
206-368-5440
News Release
Shoreline Master Plan Open House
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
City Council Chambers
6:30pm - 8:30 pm
The City will be holding an open house from 6:30pm to 8:30pm on Wednesday, June 11, 2008 to provide information on the updating and adoption of the City’s Shoreline Master Program
1. What is a Shoreline Master Program (SMP)?
It is a set of policies and regulations that are mutually adopted by Lake Forest Park and the State Department of Ecology, which regulates shoreline use, development and protection in the City. The policies and regulations of the SMP apply within 200 feet of the shoreline of Lake Washington.
2. Why is the SMP being updated?
When shoreline properties were annexed into the City of Lake Forest Park in 1994, the City began enforcing the King County Shoreline Master Program of 1978 to regulate development on properties adjacent to Lake Washington. In 1995, a draft SMP was developed for Lake Forest Park, however, the adoption process was never completed. The Washington State Department of Ecology is now requiring that Lake Forest Park adopt an updated Shoreline Master Program before December 1, 2009 to comply with the State of Washington’s Shoreline Management Act (SMA) and the State’s updated Shoreline Master Program Guidelines.
Under the new DOE guidelines, the local jurisdiction must identify and assemble the most current, accurate and complete scientific and technical information available that is applicable to the issues of concern. The City must then base the master program provisions on an analysis incorporating this information.
The following materials have been prepared to support and evaluate the draft SMP (These materials are available on the City website: www.cityoflfp.com).
- The Shoreline Inventory and Characterization Report
- Shoreline Restoration Plan
- Cumulative Impacts Analysis
Click here to go to these documents.
3. What are the most significant issues that must be addressed in the SMP?
- Policies and regulations which require “no net loss” of ecological functions as a result of shoreline use and development, and
- Policies, regulations and actions that provide for restoration of impaired shoreline ecological functions.
4. What has happened so far with the SMP update process?
The Mayor appointed a Shoreline Management Plan (SMP) Update Task Force, which began meeting on October 5th, 2006. The Taskforce included three waterfront property owners, a member of the Planning Commission and a member of the Environmental Quality Commission. The task force members worked closely with City staff and the City’s consultant, The Watershed Company, and met 11 times before completing their review of the draft SMP and supporting studies on April 26th, 2007.
On July 12, 2007, the Council received a status report on the Task force’s work and requested that the Planning Commission review and provide a recommendation on the SMP. The Planning Commission began its review in September of last year and completed it on March 11, 2008 after eight meetings. The Planning Commission passed Resolution 08-01 recommending that the Council adopt the SMP and Restoration Plan for adoption (the Planning Commission recommended drafts of these documents are also available on the City website.)
5. What will happen after the open house?
The Council began review of the SMP and support documents on April 24, 2008. After the June 11 open house, the Council will continue its review of the SMP and, later this summer; hold another open house and a subsequent public hearing. Once the Council has completed its review of the draft documents, the Council will pass a resolution declaring an intent to adopt the SMP and Restoration Plan. This resolution and draft documents are then sent to the Department of Ecology. Ecology will then provide final comments and recommended revisions to the draft SMP and Restoration Plan. If the Council finds Ecology’s revisions acceptable, Council would then incorporate the changes and adopt the documents. The City would then transmit City’s adopted version to Ecology for its adoption process.
