On January 26th, the SeaTac city council adopted the updated shoreline program after an extensive local process. The update began with a thorough inventory of existing land-use patterns and environmental conditions to preserve existing shoreline areas while protecting future economic development. SeaTac collaborated over two-and-a-half years with waterfront property owners, commercial property owners, real estate agents, environmental interests, and state agencies.
Key features of SeaTac’s updated program include:
- Improves protection of habitat and water quality through regulations that apply to all Angle Lake waterfront property owners.
- Requires structures to be set back 65 feet from the lakeshore.
- Promotes incentives for reestablishment of vegetation buffers.
- Reduces ecological impacts of new and replacement recreational piers.
- Limits construction of new shoreline armoring and encourages the use of soft-bank erosion control methods.
- Includes a restoration plan showing where and how voluntary improvements in water and upland areas can enhance the local shoreline environment.
The new Shoreline Master Program is currently under final review by the Department of Ecology. Ecology may approve the shoreline program as written, reject it or direct SeaTac to modify specific parts. Once approved by Ecology, SeaTac’s shoreline program will become part of the overall state shoreline master program. Ecology will help each local jurisdiction legally defend its shoreline program if necessary.
Ecology is accepting comments for the City of Seatac / Angle Lake Shoreline Master Program until August 27, 2010. Comments and questions should be addressed to David Pater, Department of Ecology, 3190 160th Ave. SE, Belevue, WA, 98008 or by email at David.Pater@ecy.wa.gov.
For further information regarding the Shoreline Master Program, please refer to the City of Seatac Web Page for complete details or refer to the following prior ALSC Blog Journal Entries:
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