Sammamish to begin review of Critical Areas Ordinance
July 5, 2010
By Caleb Heeringa
New: July 5, 9:29 a.m.
The city will review how it regulates development near streams, wetlands and other environmentally sensitive areas in city limits in the coming months.
Planning Commission members were given a refresher course in the Critical Areas Ordinance at a meeting July 1. Evan Maxim, a senior planner for the city, went over the environmentally sensitive areas covered by the ordinance, which is required by the state Growth Management Act.
The ordinance, originally adopted in 2005, has been somewhat contentious in the recent years, with landowners and developers critical of the burden it places on building and landscaping. On the other side, environmentally conscious residents are concerned the regulations don’t do enough to preserve wildlife habitat.
“It’s inherently a pretty involved and sometimes controversial topic,” Community Development Director Kamuron Gurol warned the commission before Maxim’s presentation.
Several of the “high priority” facets of the ordinance may be reviewed, including:
u The requirements for wetland and stream buffer sizes and wetland mitigation ratios. A private landowner with an ecologically important stream may be forced to keep anywhere from 50 to 150 feet of natural growth between the water and any new development. Buffers on the most important forms of wetlands can extend as far as 215 feet.
u The standards for trails and public development in stream or wetland buffers.
u The alterations a property owner can make to potential landslide areas as well as wetlands and stream areas.
u The standards for man-made ponds and ditches.
u The sunset clause, which would make portions of the ordinance such as stream buffer requirements revert back to their pre-CAO state. The clause was set to go into effect at the end of 2009, but a City Council ordinance extended it to January 2012 until the city could do a more thorough review.
That review begins now. The City Council will take public comment on the scope of the review at a joint meeting with the commission on July 13 and finalize their recommendation at the July 20 meeting. The commission will then host additional meetings on the subject before sending any proposed changes back to the council.
Reporter Caleb Heeringa can be reached at 392-6434. ext. 247, or cheeringa@isspress.com.
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