Public Hearing Draft (clean) - City of Bainbridge Island

1.2.1 Shoreline Management Act Administration
Administration of the Shoreline Act is a cooperative effort balancing local and statewide interest
in the management and development of shoreline areas by requiring local government to plan
(via Shoreline Master Programs) and regulate (via permits) shoreline development. Local
government actions are monitored by the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology),
which approves new or amended Shoreline Master Programs, reviews substantial development
permits, and approves shoreline Conditional Use permits and Variances. The master program is
essentially a shoreline comprehensive plan with distinct environmental orientation applicable to
shoreline areas and customized to local circumstances. Collectively, the local master programs
comprise the State Shoreline Master Program. By law, the City is responsible for the following:
1. Preparation of a "Shoreline Master Program" in accordance in accordance with the
policies and requirements of the Act and the State Shoreline Guidelines (WAC 173-26).
The purpose of a Shoreline Master Program is to protect shoreline resources, manage the
uses and activities on local shorelines, and assure continued public use of waters of the
State.
2. The Act specifies that local master programs include goals and policy statements for
each of the required elements and take into account economic development, public
access, circulation and transportation, and recreation. Local government is further
encouraged to identify any other elements that are deemed appropriate and necessary to
implement the intent of the Shoreline Management Act, and to develop goals and
policies for those additional elements.
3. Master program regulations are developed and adopted by local government to
implement the goals and policies for each of the elements, These regulations address
various types of shoreline development, including agriculture, aquaculture, forest
management, commercial development, marinas, mining, outdoor advertising and signs,
residential development, utilities, ports and water-related industries, bulkheads,
breakwaters, jetties and groins, landfills, solid waste disposal.
4. Administration of a shoreline permit system to further the goals and policies of both the
Act and the local master program for proposed substantial development within two
hundred (200) feet of the ordinary high water mark (OHWM) of designated water
bodies. (Local government has the option to adopt the administrative process as part of
the SMP or as a reference document not considered part of the SMP. This allows local
government to make changes without the need of a SMP amendment. See WAC 173-26-
191(2)(a)(C).
5. Development of an inventory of natural characteristics and land use patterns along those
designated water bodies. Local governments are required to prepare a detailed shoreline
inventory that provides the foundation for development of a system that classifies the
shoreline into distinct shoreline “environments” These environments, or designations,
provide the framework for implementing shoreline policies and regulatory measures.
6. Local governments have the primary responsibility for initiating the planning program
and administering the regulatory requirements. The City of Bainbridge Island Shoreline
Bainbridge Island Shoreline Master Program---Public Hearing Draft SMP - March 12, 2012
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