DOE Seeks Comment on Tacoma's Shoreline Master Program

Beginning Monday, the Washington State Department of Ecology will take public comment on proposed updates to Tacoma’s Shoreline Master Program (SMP). Monday, April 23 through Thursday, June 7 all interested parties are invited to submit written thoughts to the DOE on the plan that will guide uses and development along Tacoma’s nearly 46 miles of shoreline.

Tacoma’s proposed shoreline program revises policies and regulations, shoreline environment designations and shoreline district boundaries. Specific changes have been made to provisions addressing public access, recreation and the Thea Foss Waterway. Critical area regulations have been incorporated directly into the program.

Ecology will compare Tacoma’s proposed program to the requirements of the Shoreline Management Act and the Shoreline Master Program Guidelines. Based on the comparison, Ecology will decide whether to:

• Approve the program as is or with recommended changes, or
• Send the proposed program back to Tacoma with required changes to meet statutory and rule requirements. Recommended changes may also be included with the required changes.

Areas affected by the SMP include the obvious waterfront areas, but also Wapato Lake and portions of the Puyallup River and Hylebos Creek.

The Tacoma City Council approved the amendments under consideration after a spirited conversation among the Council and the public over differing visions for the future of Tacoma and its waterfront. We heard a great deal of public comment from Tacomans representing the whole spectrum of interests at the November 15 and November 30 City Council meetings. Port and other business interests were understandably concerned about the impact on their businesses, while other commenters raised environmental concerns and highlighted the future of Tacoma’s walkable waterfront as its own kind of economic development generator.

For more background on the amendments, see the above Council meetings, or read our previous coverage of the Shoreline Master Program amendments. If you want to go way back to the Walk the Waterfront debate, we got some insights from Councilmember Boe last October on imagining a waterfront walk.

Next steps: Once commenting closes in early June, a summary of comments, along with the City of Tacoma responses to those comments and a notice of the DOE’s decision will be posted on the DOE website, when they become available.

To submit your comments, or to learn more (including a whole lot of public documents), visit the Department of Ecology Tacoma SMP webpage.