Ordinance 2021-94 - Laserfiche WebLink

1 I. 14. Environmental Impact Statement. Everett has prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for public review to analyze and compare the relative environmental impacts of the ' growth alternatives being evaluated for Everett's plan update. A description of the types of changes expected in various parts of Everett's Planning Area are included in the DEIS. Historic Look at Everett's Comprehensive Plan: Everett's past comprehensive planningdocuments have attempted to embody a very comprehensive policy regarding land use. The city's first I comprehensive plan (1954) laid out the initial structure for the zoning of the City (1956), much of which still exists today in a very similar classification system. The zoning map and code existed essentially unaffected by any further comprehensive plan guidance until a Generalized Land Use Map, without Ipolicies, was adopted in 1968. In 1972, the Everett Community Plan was adopted with an extensive body of policies and I recommendations that went far beyond land use. This plan provided a basis for a more flexible approach to project review and creative approaches to housing and commercial development. This futuristic plan was probably too far ahead of its time to be successfully implemented in Everett. Citizens largely preferred to maintain the existing character of the community. During the 1970's, two notable State laws I affected land use regulation in Everett, the Shoreline Management Act and the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA). Aside from the City's programs to implement these two important pieces of legislation, only minimal revisions were made to Everett's land use regulations and implementation I programs. Everett instead focused on improvement and extension of its drainage, infrastructure and utility systems. illDuring the 1980's, Everett initiated and completed several important comprehensive planning efforts. Concurrent with the extension of infrastructure to a largely undeveloped area in the south part of the city, Everett prepared and adopted the Southwest Everett Comprehensive Plan (1982). In the early 1980's, the City formed a citizen's committee to study "growth management." Among the findings of this I committee were two significant recommendations: 1) to update the comprehensive plan, and 2) to revise the 1956 vintage zoning code. The first step came with the adoption of residential land use policies (1984-1986) and the adoption of a new residential land use map (1986). The emphasis of these policies I was to maintain the quality of existing single family neighborhoods, reduce the multiple family densities in parts of north Everett, and increase the residential densities where possible in south Everett. In 1987, the commercial and industrial land use policies were adopted, along with the Central City Development Plan, designed to guide the improvement and redevelopment of downtown and surrounding areas. These I policy documents set the stage for the 1989 revision to the city's outdated zoning code. In 1990, the City adopted the Urban Service Area plan. In 1991, the Environmentally Sensitive Area I policies were adopted along with the revised zoning regulations for sensitive areas, as required by the State Growth Management Act. I Everett's Growth Management Comprehensive Plan builds upon the preceding community planning efforts. It coordinates and refines many of the policies of earlier plans and combines new directions from GMA and public input to shape the character of future growth in Everett well into the twenty-first icentury. lb I 5