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Coupeville planning staff to pursue shoreline code tweak to enable resilience work on overwater buildings
Summary
Staff said the town will begin a locally-initiated Shoreline Master Program amendment to reduce local barriers that prevent owners of overwater buildings from pursuing certain flood- and foundation-protection measures; Department of Ecology review will be required and the process may take longer than standard timelines.
Planning staff told the commission the town will pursue a locally initiated amendment to the Shoreline Master Program to better enable resilience work for overwater buildings at the wharf and waterfront.
Why it matters: Many Coupeville pier- and overwater buildings sit on piles and piers whose foundations are affected by erosion and sea-level/flood changes; current shoreline ordinance language restricts “hard armor” shoreline modifications below the ordinary high-water mark and can block some protective measures owners say are necessary to protect historic overwater structures.
What staff proposed: Staff said the amendment’s goal is to align the town’s shoreline ordinance more closely with Department of Ecology guidance so owners of culturally significant overwater buildings can pursue foundation reinforcement and limited protective measures consistent with ecological and shoreline-management objectives. Staff called the change a narrowly focused, locally initiated amendment that will be routed through the Department of Ecology review process and likely will take longer than the standard timeline.
Commissioner questions focused on scope and overlap: Commissioners asked whether the change affects short-term-rental rules or other waterfront land-use items; staff clarified the Shoreline Master Program amendment is focused on resilience/adaptation measures and is a separate effort from short-term-rental policy work, which the council will address at a later meeting.
Next steps: Staff will prepare the locally initiated SMP amendment and begin the Department of Ecology review and public-notice process. No ordinance changes were adopted at this meeting.
Ending: Staff emphasized the effort is narrow — focusing on making protective options available for overwater buildings while seeking to preserve ecological functions — and that coordination with Ecology will guide the timeline and scope.
