City Seeks Public Comment on Draft of Shoreline Master Program

Are you interested Tacoma’s shoreline? Are you curious about actions and regulations planned for its use and protection? The City will be dealing with a host of shoreline issues in the coming months, and will be looking for public comment on its Draft Shoreline Master Program, now available to the public here. This master program is required by the Department of Ecology as they assist Tacoma and other cities in the implementation of updated guidelines.

Two informational meetings are scheduled at the new Center for Urban Waters regarding the Shoreline Master Program. The first is scheduled for Wednesday, October 20th at 5:00 pm. The next will be held on Wednesday, October 27th, at 5:00p.m., and will deal specifically with the Thea Foss Waterway.

The City hopes to finalize the plan and submit it to the DOE in January of next year, so comments from the public should be sent by November 3rd.

This effort is a very significant revision of Tacoma’s shoreline program. It deals with issues of industrial/commercial use, public access and environment. It is an integral part of Tacoma’s future, and is closely related to (and coordinated with) the Thea Foss Waterway Comprehensive Review, Critical Areas Preservation Ordinance, the Mobility Master Plan and the Open Space Management program.

There is a lot of information on the City of Tacoma site we’ve linked above – including past comments from the public regarding the existing program. We encourage you to take a look and learn what the pertinent issues are.