The city’s looking for volunteers to serve on advisory groups for the update of the Shoreline Management Plan. Read the city’s press release below.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Ryan Ericson, Shoreline Planner
City of Bainbridge Island
(206) 780-3719
rericson@ci.bainbridge-isl.wa.us

City Seeks Volunteers for Shoreline Advisory Groups

BAINBRIDGE ISLAND, July 13, 2010 – The City this week published a call for citizens interested in participating in advisory work groups for the update of the Shoreline Master Program (SMP), currently underway. The SMP guides shoreline development under Washington’s Shoreline Management Act. The process is scheduled to continue over the next 18 months.

“As we update our program to protect critical marine resources while also fostering sustainable uses on our shorelines, we want to make sure that we are hearing the voices of all concerned,” said Ryan Ericson, the City’s Shoreline Planner. “Our goal is to pull citizens together through these advisory work groups to explore critical issues, foster the exchange of concerns and ideas, and, we hope, identify some creative and innovative policy approaches.”

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The city held a meeting on Tuesday to begin the public participation component of the upcoming Shoreline Master Plan update.

About 90 island residents attended the meeting, according to a city press release.

The SMP update has piqued the interest of many waterfront landowners. The update could lead to tougher regulations for near-shore development.

Using a state grant, the city hired planning consultants AHBL to assist in developing the public participation process. The firm’s staff helped direct the meeting and will evaluate the public input in the coming weeks.

The city will begin discussing shoreline policy issues later in the process.

The city’s SMP is a combination of planning strategies and regulations that guide shoreline development.

State law requires that the city update its SMP by December 2011.

Residents can contribute ideas about the SMP’s public participation process before Mar. 16 through a survey posted on the city’s website, by mail (Shoreline Master Program Update, Planning and Community Development, City Hall, 280 Madison Ave. N., Bainbridge Island, 98110) or e-mail (pcd@ci.bainbridge-isl.wa.us).