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City staff reintroduces Shoreline Master Program update; staff outlines timeline and review steps
Summary
At a March 10 Planning Commission meeting, city planning staff reviewed the Shoreline Master Program (SMP), explained shoreline jurisdiction and permitting (including the letter-of-exemption for single-family homes), and said the periodic update begun in 2019 will be reinitiated following the recent comprehensive-plan work.
A city planner reviewed Anacortes’ Shoreline Master Program and told the Planning Commission on March 10 that staff intends to reinitiate the SMP periodic update, aiming to complete the work after the city’s recent comprehensive-plan update.
The presentation explained the legal basis — the Shoreline Management Act — and Ecology’s role in technical guidance and final review for certain shoreline permits. The planner said shoreline jurisdiction in Anacortes covers marine water and identified lakes and associated wetlands; upland jurisdiction typically extends about 200 feet from the ordinary high water mark. The presenter emphasized the SMP objective of "no net loss" of shoreline ecological functions.
Staff outlined the three shoreline permit types: shoreline substantial development permits, conditional use permits and variances. The planner said a project is a substantial development when…
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