Planning commission approves Shoreline Master Program updates to align with 2024 critical areas amendments

The City of Lakewood Planning Commission on Nov. 6 voted unanimously to approve Resolution 2024-09, adopting locally initiated amendments that reconcile the Shoreline Master Program with the city’s 2024 critical areas ordinance changes.

Planning staff told the commission the update is primarily technical: it moves certain provisions into Title 14, updates the codified ordinance number to reflect a new chapter in Title 16 effective Jan. 2025, and clarifies which water bodies are governed by the Shoreline Master Program versus the critical areas ordinance. Staff said the revisions also tighten exemptions — for example, utility-trenching would not be allowed in Category 1 or 2 wetlands and would be discouraged in Categories 3 and 4.

“We received public comments following the official hearing from the Department of Natural Resources, and they indicated no corrections,” staff said during the presentation, noting the public hearing on Oct. 2 was a joint hearing with the Department of Ecology. The packet included whereas clauses documenting why the reconciliations are being made and the findings the commission must make under state law.

Commissioners asked whether the changes added new substantive policy; staff emphasized the intent is to reconcile duplicate or inconsistent cross-references rather than create new regulatory requirements. After discussion the chair called for the motion; the commission moved, seconded and approved the resolution by voice vote. The chair announced the motion passed.

The commission flagged that the Shoreline Master Program changes will also be reviewed as part of routine periodic review in 2029 and that future substantive updates would follow required public-notice and joint-state procedures.

The commission’s action now goes forward to the next step specified in the code and associated state coordination handled in partnership with Ecology.