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Evergreen Islands urges Anacortes to lead March Point subarea planning as city adds climate element
Summary
Environmental advocates asked the planning commission to pursue a March Point subarea plan to address emissions and land-use impacts from nearby refineries, while staff underscored the new climate element required by state law.
Evergreen Islands, a local environmental nonprofit, urged the Anacortes Planning Commission on Aug. 27 to take a stronger role in planning for March Point — the industrial area that includes two refineries located in the city’s urban growth area.
Marlene Finley, representing Evergreen Islands, said March Point refineries are “by far the greatest greenhouse gas emitters in our area” and asked the city to pursue a subarea plan coordinating the city, county, tribes and industry to guide future land use and pollution controls. The organization suggested Tacoma’s Tideflats subarea planning process as an example of a multi-year, multi-stakeholder approach.
The nut graf: the comprehensive plan now must include a climate element under state law; advocates said Anacortes should couple that element with focused planning for the industrial March Point area to address emissions, cumulative impacts and coordination gaps between city and county permitting.
Planning staff noted the new climate element is one of the mandatory changes under the Growth Management Act updates and that critical areas and development regulations will be revised using best-available science. Grage and Coleman described the consultants’ work on critical areas and said drafts will be released for public review ahead of adoption.
Ending: Evergreen Islands and other advocates submitted written comments and urged the commission to add a March Point subarea planning process to the comp plan implementation steps; staff will include comments in the record and consider how targeted subarea planning might fit the update timeline and intergovernmental roles.
