Draft Shoreline Master Program Now Available

Open House on Wednesday, March 20 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Orcas Center

From Colin Maycock, San Juan County Senior Planner

The first draft of the proposed update to the County’s Shoreline Master Program (SMP), is now available online for your review.

The draft goals and policies to be included in the county’s comprehensive plan can be found at: sanjuanco.com/CDP/docs/SMP_Draft-GPs_

The draft regulations can be found at sanjuanco.com/CDP/docs/SMP/SMP_Draft-Regs

In addition to the proposed changes in SJCC 18.50, the draft regulations include proposed amendments to SJCC 18.80.110 Shoreline permitting procedures.

The County is hosting a series of Open houses to discuss the proposed changes and to take public comments on the three main ferry served-islands.

Open House schedule

• March 18,  (Two sessions)The Grange, 152 First Street Friday Harbor
  • 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.
  • 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.
• March 19,The Lopez Center for Community and the Arts, 204 Village Road, Lopez Island. 5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
• March 20, 2013, The Madrona Room at the Orcas Center, 917 Mt. Baker Road, Orcas Island from 6 pm – 9 pm

Also available is a Google Earth data packet that can be downloaded and used to examine the proposed changes to the shoreline designations.

In order to use these files, you’ll need to install Google Earth.

Once Google Earth is installed,

• Download the file https://www.sanjuanco.com/CDP/docs/SMP/San_Juan_Co_Environment_Designations_021313.kmz and save it to your desktop.
• Open a Google Earth window.
• In the top left corner is the ‘file’ button. Mouse click on this for a drop down menu, select ‘open’ and then navigate to the KMZ file.
• The KMZ file will then be incorporated into your Google Earth and the program will shift to focus on San Juan County.

With this package attached, it will be possible to select the layer titled Proposed EDs (existing ED changed). This view shows only those areas whose shoreline designation the County is proposing to change.
If the cursor is clicked on each of these areas a ‘pop-up’ note describing the:

• Previous designation;
• Proposed designation;
• Reason for the proposed change.
• If the parcel layer is on the notes do not function.
• If the layer titled Proposed EDs (existing EDs not changed), is selected the map will show the areas that the current shoreline designation is expected to remain in place.
• If the Labels-Proposed EDs (existing ED changed) layer is selected, the map will display the names of the proposed designations that may change.
• In addition, you can select a layer that shows the complete proposed shoreline designations or another that displays the existing shoreline designations.

The small packet is versatile, simple to use and less cumbersome than the PDF maps used in the Shoreline Inventory and Characterization Report.

PDF maps depicting the same information are available at: sanjuanco.com/CDP/docs/SMP/Proposed_ED_Modifications_2013-03-05

The mandatory Shoreline Restoration Plan is available at: sanjuanco.com/CDP/docs/SMP/San_Juan_County_Shoreline_Restoration_Plan_2012_12_07[1]

If you have any questions or comments please contact me, at 360-370-7573 or at colinm@sanjuanco.com