By CARA LORELLO
Staff Reporter
A small group of local citizens joined the Medical Lake Planning Commission last Thursday to hear discussion and give testimony during a public hearing for the revised plan for the city's Shoreline Management Program.
Revision of the plan has been a project on the table for the past several months and been a much talked about topic of previous commission meetings, which drew public interest particularly concerning protection of private property rights in regard to adopting regulatory guidelines for the protection and enhancement of city shorelines.
City planner Glenn Scholten gave a brief overview on leading up to commission members opening the hearing, where he clarified terminologies and explained specific procedures for various permits processes for developing existing shoreline properties and emphasized the importance of forming a local restoration district of interested citizens dedicated to preserving the current ecological state of natural and public access shorelines.
Public involvement is encouraged in both the periodic review and amending of the shoreline programs under WAC 173-26-090. The extent to which shorelines will benefit from these protection laws will be made fuller if there's an organized entity that maintains guidelines are followed, Scholten said in explaining to citizens certain rules won't always be changeable with the state Department of Ecology being the enforcing agency of this legislation.
“I believe this is a doable plan for our first, and we can build on it. But if the community doesn't get involved, then that's all it's going to be; a piece of paper on a shelf,” Scholten said.
Forty letters were sent out to shoreline property owners to receive copies of the new plan; about 15 returned with requests to get copies. Vikki Kennedy said in a letter read by Scholten during the testimony portion of the meeting, suggested the plan remove restricting vehicular access to the “unimproved boat launch” to restore “a badly tarnished area” page 32 of section C.
The location is the sight of a number of annual attractions that draw interest from the surrounding communities, which benefit the city's recreation and economy base, and should not be limited, Kennedy explained.
Kevin and Barb Twohig added they agreed with another suggestion in the section asking for the establishment of a new section of the city trail system through the degraded area of the shoreline where “numerous spider trails” along cliff sides adjacent to the launch have been formed.
John Nuess of Medical also asked if it was possible to include a motion in the plan to monitor or possibly eliminate the road leading up to Eastern State Hospital, which is in close proximity to the wetlands and lakeside.
“It should be monitored for its impact it's having on the lake. Initially if it doesn't get rooted in the first plan, it could get difficult to have anything changed,” Nuess said.
Scholten said in regard to the existing road if evidence of damage can be proven, it's a viable project for a restoration group to pursue, but it could face some obstacles as far as removal of a city road.
“I see that organization, if it's formed, as being the spearhead to get something like this [and other suggestions] changed…and drive further restoration of [shorelines],” Scholten said.
Commissioner Louis Feken disagreed, saying the road should remain because it's the main way of access for staff working at the institutions.
“It's a city street and it's there for a reason,” she said.
The commission unanimously accepted the written plan to include all citizen comments from the hearing. The plan will next go before the city council at a future meeting, a date to be determined later, city officials said.
Cara Lorello can be reached at [email protected]
Reader Comments(0)