Land Use Issues Presentation

Edgemoor Neighborhood Association Meeting, February 3

Fairhaven Pavilion, Fairhaven Park

7:30 to 9:00 PM (total time 90 minutes)

Plans (15 minutes)

v What is the Growth Management Act?

v What is the Comprehensive Plan?

v What are the Neighborhood Plans?

v What is the Shoreline Master Plan?

v What is SEPA?

Are there other land use plans, if so what are they?

How are these plans created and changed? How can ordinary citizens effect changes in these plans?

Codes (15 minutes)

v What is the Municipal Code?

v What is Zoning?

v What are Regulations?

v What are Ordinances?

v What are Variances?

v What is a Conditional Use Permit?

Are there other ways that land use is legally controlled? Explain.

How are the above codes created or changed? How can ordinary citizens effect changes in the codes? Who enforces the codes and what are the consequences for non compliance?

Key Players (15 minutes)

In areas of development and planning what is the role of the following:

v State Legislature

v State Agencies

v Mayor

v Public Works Director – and various employees: traffic experts, environmental experts etc.

v Planning Director – and various employees: environmental planners, short plat, long plat planners etc.

v Planning Commission

v Hearing Examiner

v City Council (initiatives)

v Ordinary Citizen

v Courts

2 Scenarios (15 minutes each)

1. Explain the steps involved in a new subdivision proposal, for example Chuckanut Ridge?

v What are the rights of citizens in each of these steps?

v Where in the process are the following issues addressed? Green space (vegetation, trees), transportation and traffic issues, infrastructure requirements (roads, sewers, water, utilities) and services (fire and police protection, libraries, parks etc.)

v If a citizen is concerned about any of these issues how can they have input and how do they go about it?

v What actions are most effective in initiating changes and what actions are least effective? Explain.

2. Explain the current land use plan for Fairhaven.

v How many large scale mixed use projects are zoned for this area and what is the projected number of residents to be accommodated by this zoning?

v What are the current building height codes and how can citizens seek changes in these codes in order to guarantee the historical character of Fairhaven?

v Provide background on the Fairhaven Parking District and the current status of “Parking Districts” in general.

v What is the city’s overall parking and traffic plan for Fairhaven and the adjacent neighborhoods?

v What is a citizen’s recourse to the inevitable spillover parking in the adjacent neighborhoods?

Questions (15 minutes)