But city planners say the setback rule curbs home projects needlessly.
Environmentalists and a state agency hope to halt the city’s proposed rollback of rules protecting steep slopes from development.
“This puts the island at risk,” Island Keepers member Sally Adams said. “There’s environmental fallout like slope failure that’s not being taken into account.”
Responding to landowner complaints, the city planning department has proposed amending the Critical Areas Ordinance to allow construction in areas identified as “geologically hazardous.” The City Council will discuss the amendment tonight at City Hall.
City planner Steve Morse said the CAO’s requirement of a variance for steep-slope work “hamstrings” many minor projects, such as decks, carports or kitchen expansions.
While a geotechnical engineer may asses an area safe for construction, a mandated 50-foot buffer automatically prohibits construction.
The rule has prevented some homes now judged within a geologically hazardous area from making structural upgrades or additions.
It has also halted the construction of a proposed affordable housing project for farmers at the city-owned Johnson Farm on Fletcher Bay Road, according to Morse.
He stressed that overlapping buffers will ensure the protection of vegetation, which fosters soil stability on slopes. Morse also said construction would still require landowners to obtain a geotechnical engineer’s assessment.
But removing the variance process limits the public process now required to allow construction on steep slopes, according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
“WDFW is supportive of a varience process because it allows the city staff, state agencies and elected officials to obtain more input and share information regarding these proposals and their potential impacts,” said state Department of Fish and Wildlife habitat specialist Jeff Davis in a letter to the city. “Simply removing the variance process will lead to less scrutiny of clearing and new construction projects and potential impacts (to) fish and wildlife resources, personal property and human lives.”
Adams also fears that the CAO amendment will stifle the “public’s voice,” warning that neighbors and other residents will no longer be notified or given an opportunity to provide input on construction proposals.
The amendment also gives too much authority to geotechnical engineers hired by landowners to assess slope stability, she said.
“It’s not good policy to have the person they hire being the decider,” she said.
