2004/05/05 Council Agenda Packet

May 4, 2004 To: Everett City Council From: Peggy Toepel, Everett Shorelines Coalition Subject: Comment on Proposed Amendment to Everett Shorelines Master Program (Ref. Ordinance 2713-03) Over the course of successive "minor" amendments you have approved to the SMP in order to accommodate the Port's planned North Marina Development, please note that as of this proposal, the cumulative incremental amendments will have expanded the range of allowable uses within the Urban Maritime Use Environment right off the bottom of the list of our state's Shoreline Management Act priorities. The North Marina project initially pledged to honor the public interest in reserving waterfront for water-dependent and water-related uses, including the public's access to views of the public waters, where compatible with those activities. Non-water-related uses were to be confined to interior areas of the project, set back outside the 200 foot Shoreline strip. Amendment to the City's 2002 Shoreline Master Program was requested to relax the original water-dependent or water-related requirement for Urban Maritime waterfront,to allow commercial uses that were "water-oriented" or would "support water-related uses" in a mixed-use area. Once those had been accommodated, it was proposed to remove even this lesser constraint regarding relevance to water and allow"limited"non-water- related commercial uses in the PDO area, as long as they provided public access. Note that no standard for"limit" on either the quantity or the ratio of nonwater-related commerce was proposed,nor any standard for public access. The Port project's conceptual drawing shown in the Shoreline Public Access Plan featured a conspicuously labeled "pedestrian shopping street" in the interior area, between 13th and 10`h Streets. Now the Dept. of Ecology correctly points out that nonwater-related use in the Shoreline jurisdiction is inconsistent with the existing statement of Purpose for the Urban Maritime use environment, so you have before you yet another"minor" amendment to reconcile the SMP within itself. Nowhere in this process has the Council been given any justification of why nonwater- related commercial uses cannot be accommodated within the PDO area immediately bordering the Shoreline margin. By agreeing to allow nonwater-oriented uses to compete with water-related commerce for prime waterfront space anywhere in the mapped shoreline area, you encourage dilution of the maritime atmosphere that was supposed to promote the public enjoyment of the open space at the waters edge,the area best suited to public enjoyment. Please hold waterfront redevelopment to a high standard, and reconsider whether the SMP Urban Maritime Purpose statement (Section 4.4) really ought to be amended, or whether instead your earlier action that undermines Urban Maritime Policy#1 (of encouraging water-related uses) ought to be reversed. Thank you for considering this comment. Peggy Toepel, 11110 3rd Pl. SE Everett, WA 98208