Public comment period open for shoreline rules

MOSES LAKE - The public comment period on the updated Shoreline Master Program is open until June 30.

The City Council is reviewing the Planning Commission's draft of the shoreline plan, which outlines the rules for development within 200 feet of the lake.

A public hearing was held at the May 13 council meeting and was continued by council until June 24 to give residents a chance to comment at a future meeting.

Under the current draft, residential uses are still allowed, as well as commercial uses that benefit from a shoreline location, such as a hotel or restaurant. Existing structures and uses can continue as they are and only additions or new uses would need to comply with the updated program.

The goal of the shoreline program is to ensure no net loss of ecological functions under state requirements, according to Senior Planner Anne Henning.

The Planning Commission has recommended the City Council adopt the draft, which was last updated in 1988.

"Planning Commission and staff have been working for some time on the issue of amending the existing SMP after the legislature adopted new guidelines that required cities and counties to adopt SMP's consistent with the new legislation governing shoreline management in Washington State," Henning wrote in a letter to council. "The beginning of numerous study sessions began November 2004."

Once approved, the draft will be sent to the state Department of Ecology for approval and once approved, immediately goes into effect. The council cannot formally act on the update until the first meeting in July in order to comply with state notice requirements.

A copy of the draft is available on the city's website at www.cityofml.com/smp. For more information or to provide comments, contact the Planning Department at 509-764-3747.