Phase 3 - Draft SMP & Cumulative Impacts Analysis

This phase allows the City to begin tailoring its Shoreline Master Program to its own needs and reviews the results for impacts to ecological functions. During this phase, the City will produce 1) a well documented community visioning effort, 2) a full Draft SMP, 3) a preliminary Cumulative Impacts Analysis, and 4) demonstrable proof that these activities have been completed.

Community Visioning Process

The Community Visioning Process involves a series of meetings and questionnaires designed to help the City’s decision makers better understand its shoreline areas and what the community wishes to see in its shoreline areas in the future.  The results of the Community Visioning Process are used to guide the development of Shoreline policies and regulatory provisions.  The primary Waterfront Community Visioning Workshop was held on Monday June 8th, 2015 at 6:00pm in the Stevenson Library.  Additional input was gathered by interviewing shoreline stakeholders representing economic development, environmental protection, property owner, and recreationalist input.

Shoreline Goals, Administrative Provisions, Environmental Designations and Use & Modification Policies

The  Draft SMP includes the goals, policies, administrative provisions, environmental designations and use & modification policies that act as the bridge from where we were to where we want to be.  Similar to the zoning code, the Draft SMP will provide general goals about the use of shoreline areas, separate districts within which different land uses are allowed and/or preferred, and appropriate mechanisms through which the City can ensure those areas develop as intended.

Cumulative Impacts Analysis

The Cumulative Impacts Analysis provides the basis for the first iterative review of the Draft SMP.  This report will evaluate the policies of the Draft SMP and determine whether their implementation will achieve “No Net Loss of Shoreline Ecological Functions”, a standard required of the City’s SMP by WAC 173-26-186(8). If the initial Cumulative Impacts Analysis establishes the expectation that losses to ecological functions will occur, then the City must determine whether the policies may be modified to better align with the No Net Loss standard, whether additional protection and restoration efforts are necessary, or, more likely, whether some combination of the two will protect shoreline ecological functions over time.

Return to Shoreline Master Program