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Residents urge council to act on Smith’s Cove shoreline and stormwater during public comment
Summary
Speakers from Friends of Smith's Cove told the council they believe a pending shoreline restoration plan and stormwater protections have been sidelined, alleging planning oversights and urging enforcement; the comments were received during public recognition and did not prompt immediate council action.
Two public commenters raised concerns about Smith’s Cove shoreline protections, stormwater infrastructure and historical planning decisions during the council’s public recognition period.
What speakers said: Jose Camacho, identifying himself as a member of Friends of Smith’s Cove, told the council the cove has a documented stormwater outfall labeled ST 17 and said he believes stormwater pollution and a longstanding salmonid restoration plan (dating to 2014) have been neglected. "Smith Cove in Evergreen Park has a stormwater outfall. It's in the city's records. It's in the GIS mapping for stormwater," Camacho said, and he urged the council to take notice of the pending restoration plan.
Robin Weldon, also speaking for Friends of Smith's Cove, criticized the 2021 Shoreline Master Program amendment and argued that state Ecology staff had not investigated changes she described as deceptive. "You cannot appeal something that is deceptive," Weldon said, and she described concerns about how Sheldon Boulevard and parcel boundaries were treated in prior shoreline classifications.
Council response and procedure: Council members listened but did not take immediate action in response to the comments during the meeting. The public-comment segment is an opportunity for residents to raise issues for the record; any operational response or staff follow-up would be decided separately through administrative channels or on a later agenda if council directs staff.
Context and limits: The remarks were claims by public commenters and were not verified at the meeting. Nothing in the transcript indicates the council or staff took immediate policy action or made factual findings in response. The speakers referenced past planning decisions, shoreline-management filings and correspondence; those assertions require review of city records and state agency files to confirm.
