Washington State mandates under its Shoreline Management Act (SMA) that local governments with shorelines considered “significant” must update their Shoreline Management Programs (SMPs) periodically. Unfortunately, the State’s SMA can be summarized by three broad and competing goals
Encouraging water dependent uses,
Protecting shoreline natural resources, and
Promoting public access to shorelines.
Further, the SMA directs that private property rights are to be protected and preferential accommodation will be made for single family uses.
Currently, this program has been complicated by
Property owner experience with the current, Bellevue shoreline regulations.
The fact that some jurisdictions, Bellevue being one, updated their shoreline regulations inappropriately several years ago.
And, the potential for further restrictions to be placed on shoreline properties (e.g. non-conforming use designations), including property deed restrictions.
All related documents are now located in the right sidebar.
Lake Sammamish Flooding 2020 "
July 14, 2020
Willowmoor Floodplain Restoration Project – Dynamic Weir AnalysisThis is a follow-up to a memo Reid Brockway sent to the Executive Committee dated March ..." Read More