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Staff proposes shoreline and adaptation code changes to enable defined pathways for flood response
Summary
Planning staff presented draft changes to the Shoreline Master Program and development code intended to separate bulkhead/erosion rules from flood-protection pathways and to allow some elevation and adaptive measures with safeguards and Department of Ecology alignment.
Planning staff outlined proposed edits to the town's Shoreline Master Program and development regulations intended to create clearer pathways for adaptation measures while retaining environmental protections.
Staff said the code currently conflates erosion-control bulkheads and flood-protection measures, and proposed separating those regulations so appropriate solutions can be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. "Our code is very specific in length. Our height limit is 28 feet. If you are exceeding the height limit, you need a variance, and that seems counterintuitive to us in... providing an avenue for adaptation to occur," staff said, explaining that the amendments would allow elevation for climate adaptation in defined scenarios while avoiding uses that would undermine shoreline function.
Staff emphasized these changes would be coordinated with the Department of Ecology and would not create an easy path to waterfront development; rather, they would create standards and documentation steps for when adaptation measures are necessary and justified.
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