Moses Lake to talk shoreline regulations

Jan. 31 meeting part of plan update

MOSES LAKE — Updates are being proposed to the regulations of shoreline surrounding Moses Lake, and city officials are meeting later this month to gather input on those changes.

The city of Moses Lake Shoreline Master Program regulates development along the lakefront. This update is the first significant change since the program was adopted by the city in 1974, and associate planner Anne Henning said the update will lead to a tailored program depending upon the needs of different sections of the lake.

"Right now we have kind of one size fits all," Henning said of current shoreline programs.

Henning said an inventory was completed by Central Washington University which collected data on existing shoreline including wetlands, shoreline vegetation and bulk heads. Through grants from the Department of Ecology, the city hired a group of consultants to take that data and help update the program.

The update would not impact existing shoreline development, but new developments such as docks or bulk heads along the lake would need to meet updated standards.

The Jan. 31 open house, Henning said, will allow residents and users of the lakefront to comment and ask questions of proposals and data so lake shoreline protection needs also meet needs of the community.

"We're looking for all the public input we can get," Henning said.

The city's community development department will be hosting the event from 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 31, at the Museum and Arts Center located at 226 W. Third Avenue.

Consultants will present their findings on the existing conditions throughout the shoreline of Moses Lake, and how those findings will result in updates of regulations along the lake. Henning said the aim is to gather input on how to protect the shoreline and meet the needs of the communities along it.

The new guidelines incorporate shoreline within the city's entire urban growth area, but Henning said shorelines outside of the city limits would have to follow any county regulations unless those properties are annexed into the city.

For more information, contact Henning at (509) 766-9287 or ahenning@ci.moses-lake.wa.us. Information will also be posted on the city's Web site at www.ci.moses-lake.wa.us.