The county council will hold public hearing at or after 9:15 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 4 in the County Council Hearing Room to receive testimony on a proposed ordinance to amend San Juan County Code critical area regulations. The purpose of the amendments is to comply with a Growth Management Hearings Board’s decision. Members of the public are invited to speak and/or provide written statements regarding the proposed changes to the general, wetland, and fish and wildlife habitat conservation area critical area regulations.
In response to the planning commission’s recommendation to simplify the site-specific buffer sizing methodology adopted in 2012 and provide better predictability and efficiency for landowners and developers, the revised site-specific proposal retains the same buffer types, and replaces the County’s wetland rating system with the State’s Wetland Rating System for Western Washington. This allows further code simplification including elimination of the Tree Protection Zone from the wetland protections because the proposed system accounts for the presence of trees. In addition, a site-specific, yet simple and predictable method of determining buffer widths is proposed based upon the appropriate wetland rating, land use intensity, and guidance from the WA Department of Ecology’s Wetlands in Washington State Volume 2.
The proposal also includes options to amend the definition of development, regulate new and expanding agriculture, and to establish standards for determining or verifying that there is no practicable alternative to locating certain uses in a critical area or buffer. It amends the impervious surface definition, habitat buffer averaging provisions, general utility exemption, and on-site sewage disposal system requirements. In addition, it deletes the public agency/utility exception and definition of new and expanding agriculture.
Written comments may be submitted in advance of the hearing. Please deliver 5 copies of all written comments to the Clerk of the San Juan County Council at 55 Second Street, Friday Harbor, or mail them to 350 Court Street #1, Friday Harbor, WA 98250.
Copies of the ordinance may be inspected or obtained at the Council Clerk’s office on business days between 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. It may also be viewed 24 hours a day at the County website at http://www.sanjuanco.com/Council/PendingOrdinances.aspx. For more information, please contact the Clerk of the County Council at 370-7472.
