JOIN US for at the upcoming Future of Our Shorelines Open House
on Wednesday, March 12 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Learn more about the Shoreline Master Program and the 2025 update. This is an opportunity to speak with City staff and consultants in a casual setting about your thoughts, concerns, priorities, ideas, and questions about the future of our shorelines. We will review potential sea level rise adaptation strategies at the March meeting.
Periodic Review Reboot
The City of Port Townsend is undertaking a periodic review of its Shoreline Master Program (SMP), as required by the Washington State Shoreline Management Act (SMA), RCW 90.58.080(4). The SMA requires each SMP be periodically reviewed and revised, if needed. The review ensures the SMP stays current with changes in laws and rules, remains consistent with other City plans and regulations, and is responsive to changed circumstances, new information and improved data. Corresponding amendments may be required in Port Townend Municipal Code (PTMC) Chapters 19.05 Critical Areas and 20.01 Land Development Administrative Procedures.
We are past due for revisions. According to the State Shoreline Management Act (SMA) our 2007 SMP was due for review in 2020 and every ten years thereafter. Although we made considerable progress towards a 2021 periodic review, we ran into some staffing shortages and the process was put on hold.
Thanks to a grant from the Department of Ecology’s Shoreline Competitive Grants Program, we are rebooting the SMP Periodic Review. This grant will allow us to complete the SMP periodic review and expand the original scope to include:
· Streamline permitting
· Merging Waterwalk with Sea Level Rise (SLR) and King Tide Adaptation
Shoreline Master Program (SMP) Overview
The Shoreline Master Program (SMP) is a plan containing both policies and regulations that apply to shoreline areas (generally the water area and 200-feet inland). In Port Townsend, shorelines include Port Townsend Bay, Admiralty Inlet, Straits of Juan de Fuca, Kah Tai Lagoon, and Chinese Gardens Lagoon. The SMP is intended to provide for environmental protection, appropriate development, and public access.
Development and uses proposed with shorelines jurisdiction may be required to obtain a Substantial Development Permit, a Shoreline Conditional Use Permit, a Shoreline Variance, or a Letter of Exemption. ALL proposals must comply with the policies and regulations in the SMP.
The City and State Department of Ecology jointly administer the Shoreline Master Program. For background on the origin of shoreline master programs and the Act that started it all, see:
Photo from Washington State Department of Ecology
Scope of the Periodic Review
The review is expected to focus on revisions necessary to:
1. Keep the SMP current with changes in state law
2. Keep the SMP current with City adopted plans and regulations including recent climate change policies and regulations in the City’s Comprehensive Plan which call for consideration of projected climate change impacts and adaptation strategies when updating land use plans, and regulations.
3. Revisions to improve implementation (i.e., to facilitate the permit process).
Thanks to our grant award, we are expanding the original scope to include:
4. Streamline permitting – In light of new state legislation setting time limits on permit processing (SB 5290), the city proposes to audit SMP policies and development regulations and permit procedures in PTMC 20.01 to minimize redundancy and simplify the permit process.
5. Merging Waterwalk with Sea Level Rise (SLR) and King Tide Adaptation -
This task will involve participating in the Port’s Phase I Waterwalk design process to identify ways in which the SMP can be modified to meet the diverse and potentially conflicting demands of the Waterwalk Project. The heart of the task will be a robust public engagement process that seeks to understand community preferences for the Waterwalk including alternatives to adapt to sea level rise.
Objectives/Desired Outcome(s)
Based on community input, revise the Shoreline Master Program (SMP) and related sections of the Port Townsend Municipal Code to ensure compliance with the State’s SMP periodic review process, while incorporating local desires into the plan such as climate adaptation strategies and ways to improve implementation of the plan.
Fiscal Considerations
The work is assisted by funding from the Department of Ecology’s Shoreline Competitive Grants Program.
Materials available for review
1) Current Shoreline Master Program (2007)
2) Video and meeting materials for past meetings are available:
· April 9, 2020, Planning Commission - Introduction to the SMP
· May 18, 2020, City Council – Resolution to authorize grant application and approve Public Participation Plan
· August 27, 2020, Planning Commission – Review of public comment letters, Ecology Checklist and State Mandated Amendments
· September 24, 2020, Planning Commission – Amendments to the Critical Areas Ordinance (PTMC 19.05); Amendments to the Shoreline Master Program
· November 12, 2020, Planning Commission - Draft SMP Amendments completed
· January 14, 2021 - Summary of Shoreline Engage PT Survey Results
· May 27, 2021, Planning Commission - Revised draft amendments to the Critical Areas Ordinance
Estimated Schedule
We have worked with the Department of Ecology to develop a project schedule which ensures completion by June 30, 2025:
Ways to Get Involved
· Attend and participate in Planning Commission and City Council meetings: all interested parties are invited to submit comments and attend meetings before the Planning Commission and City Council. Please check the City Calendar for the schedule of upcoming meetings.
· Written comments will be accepted throughout the process. Your comments can be emailed/mailed using the contact information on this page, or you may get in touch with us by clicking the button below. Please indicate the Subject as: SMP 2025 Periodic Review Comments.
· Sign up to stay informed. Click the button below and sign up for the “SMP Interested Parties List."
JOIN US for at the next Future of Our Shorelines Open House on Wednesday, March 12, 2025 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
- Learn about the Shoreline Master Program and the 2025 update. This is an opportunity to speak with City staff and consultants in a casual setting about your thoughts, concerns, priorities, ideas, and questions about the future of our shorelines.
