BREAKING NEWS :

San
Juan Historical Museum hosts 'Historical Home Tour'

Home

News

H1N1 Swine Flu
Update

Obituaries

Weather

Election

Candidate Blogs

Bob
Myhr

Jamie Stephens

Kristine Lytton

Blogs

About Writing with Susan Wingate

Bob
Myhr

Ferry Home Companion

Focus Northwest

From the
Goal Line

Gluten Free Foodies

Jamie Stephens

Kristine Lytton

Voices for Health

Sports

Entertainment

Comics

Horoscopes

Lotteries

Puzzles

About Writing with Susan Wingate

Business

Lifestyles

Ferry Home Companion

Focus Northwest

From the
Goal Line

Gluten Free Foodies

Voices for Health

Community

Calendar

Local Gas
Prices

Opinion

Letters

About Us

Contact
Us

Subscribe

Advertise

Advertiser
Services

Other
Towns

Work
With Us

Terms
of Use

Site
Map

RSS

Jobs

Autos

Homes

Rentals

Foreclosures

Classifieds

Coupons

Special
Sections

Legal
Notices

Contests

email

letter

print

follow

related stories

Journal of the San Juans

Critical
Areas Ordinance has some real problems

Regional
workshop on the Critical Areas Ordinance June 18

San
Juan County Council, Planning Commission meet Thursday regarding Critical
Areas Ordinance

Seattle-based
Watershed Company tapped as consultant for critical areas and shoreline
updates

Point/Counterpoint:
The San Juan County Critical Areas Ordinance

San Juan Islands

Public
council workshop on Critical Areas Ordinance Rescheduled

County
Council, Planning Commission meet Thursday regarding Critical Areas
Ordinance

County Council workshop Aug. 25 on Critical
Areas Ordinance, Shoreline Master Plan

Aug
19 2009

The San Juan County Council has scheduled a three-and-one-half hour workshop
on the Critical Areas Ordinance and the Shoreline Master Plan, Aug. 25, 1 p.m.,
at the San Juan Community Theater.

The workshop is open to the public.

The Critical Areas Ordinance is being revised in compliance with provisions
of the Growth Management Act. Work is also beginning on the updated Shoreline
Master Plan, due in 2012.

Because wildlife habitat and environmentally sensitive geological areas
overlap at the shoreline, public discussion and debate — and the county’s staff
work on the two topics — have also overlapped.

The most debated issue is the minimum distance that new development should be
set back from the shoreline. State regulations and some scientists have
suggested a need to increase setbacks to as much as 150 or 200 feet. Real estate
and development interests in San Juan County have suggested that such
requirements could cost the county millions of dollars in lost property value
and property taxes.

The county is now negotiating the contract for a $400,000 grant from the
Washington Department of Ecology to help fund the Shoreline Master Plan updating
process. That process will include an effort to create a “tailored” approach to
establishing appropriate setbacks based on factors including the topography and
composition of the shoreline and the amount of tree and vegetative cover between
the development and the shoreline.

Council Chairman Rich Peterson, San Juan North, will moderate the workshop
discussion. Participants will include:

— Paul Anderson, wetlands specialist, Shorelands and Environmental Assistance
Program, Department of Ecology.

— Dr. Kenneth Brooks, Aquatic Environmental Sciences, Inc.

— Bob Fritzen, shoreline planner, Department of Ecology, working with San
Juan and Skagit counties and the Town of Friday Harbor.

— John Graves, National Flood Insurance Program specialist with the Federal
Emergency Management Administration.

— Robert Levinson, Professional Engineer, Earth Solutions NW, LLC.

— Attorney Kyle Loring, staff attorney for the Friends of the San Juans.

— Richard A. Mraz, wetlands specialist, Shorelands and Environmental
Assistance Program, Department of Ecology.

— Attorney Dennis Reynolds, representing the Common Sense Alliance.

— Tom Sibley, chief, Northern Puget Sound Habitat Branch, National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration.

— Dr. Kathy Taylor, Shorelands and Environmental Assistance Program,
Department of Ecology.

The participants will answer questions from council members and respond to
written questions from the public, as time permits. The council has pledged that
all questions submitted by the public will be answered either at the workshop or
on the county Web site and additional public outreach meetings, according to the
county public information office.

The full agenda, additional information and reference documents produced for
the workshop will added to the county’s Web site at
http://sanjuanco.com/Council/CAOworkshop.aspx as they become available.

email

letter

print

follow

COMMENTING RULES: We encourage an open
exchange of ideas in the PNWLocalNews.com community, but we ask you to follow our guidelines for
respecting community standards. In a nutshell, don't say anything you wouldn't
want your mother to read.

So keep your comments:

Civil

Smart

On-topic

Free of profanity

We ask that all participants own their words by registering for an account.
It's a simple process that will take seconds and helps keep our comments free of
trolls, cranks, and drive-by commenters.

As a community site, we ask that the community help by using the "Flag"
button on each comment if they feel the comment has violated the rules. You can
also use the up and down arrows on each comment to voice your opinion about that
particular comment.

Want to tell us something but you don't want it to be public? Talk
to us privately.

Most Read Stories

This
week | Last
week

Journal of the San Juans

Friday
Harbor fire chief suspended, goes on medical leave; five firefighters resign,
cite 'no confidence'

Prayer
service Monday, funeral Tuesday for Chester Cayou; had deep roots in the San
Juan Islands

Two
new restaurants will open soon in Friday Harbor: Cask and Schooner,
Homesteader Restaurant & Lounge

Madsen: Ag
Guild will try to raise $400K to buy 150 Nichols St.

San Juan Islands

Friday
Harbor fire chief suspended, goes on medical leave; five firefighters resign,
cite 'no confidence'

Canadian
bicyclist dies of heart attack on Orcas

Prayer
service Monday, funeral Tuesday for Chester Cayou; had deep roots in the San
Juan Islands

Two
new restaurants will open soon in Friday Harbor: Cask and Schooner,
Homesteader Restaurant & Lounge

Washington

Public
masturbator caught on camera at O.O Denny Park in Kirkland annexation area

Investigators
track foot found in Greenbank

Kirkland
woman accused of incest, sexual relationship with long-lost adult son

Falling
tree part kills Renton man in Bellevue

Friday
Harbor fire chief suspended, goes on medical leave; five firefighters resign,
cite 'no confidence'

Seven
attack man in bar alley | Kirkland Police Blotter

more local news from around
Washington »

Journal of
the San Juans

News

Election

Blogs

Sports

Entertainment

Business

Lifestyles

Community

Calendar

Opinion

Letters

Obituaries

Weather

Comics

Horoscopes

Puzzles

About
Us

Contact
Us

Subscribe

Advertise

Advertiser
Svcs.

Other Towns

Work With
Us

Terms of Use

Site
Map

RSS

Marketplace

Jobs

Autos

Homes

Rentals

Foreclosures

Classifieds

Coupons

Special
Sections

Legal
Notices

Contests

Our Products

Work With Us

© Sound Publishing, Inc. All Rights
Reserved.