Open house Monday on updated Port Angeles shoreline plan

PORT ANGELES — An open house and public hearing on the city’s updated shoreline master program is set for Monday.

The open house will begin at 6 p.m. and the public hearing at 7 p.m. at the Vern Burton Community Center, 308 E. Fourth St., the state Department of Ecology said.

Ecology is taking public comment through April 11 on the updated plan before considering final approval of it.

People are invited to provide verbal testimony or submit written comments at the hearing.

The proposed updated shoreline master program regulates new construction, development and uses along marine shorelines from Dry Creek to the Clallam County line near Morse Creek.

To the north, it extends to the international border in the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

It also extends south from the shoreline and upland 200 feet from the ordinary high-water mark, which in Port Angeles is 7 feet above sea level, associate planner Scott Johns said in an earlier interview.

It combines plans for future development and preservation with new development ordinances and permitting requirements.

It establishes buffer zones to protect wetlands, with flexibility for individual circumstances, Ecology said, and also includes a restoration plan showing where and how voluntary improvements in water and upland areas can enhance the local shoreline environment.

The Council approved it in June 2012, and revisions Ecology required were completed in January.

“Port Angeles’ locally tailored shoreline program is designed to help minimize environmental damage to shoreline areas, reserve appropriate areas for water-oriented uses and protect the public’s right to public lands and waters,” Linda Kent, Ecology spokeswoman, said in a statement.

No net loss

One of the guiding principles of the program is a “no net loss” standard.

This means development must maintain or improve the shoreline ecological functions.

Among those who plan to comment on the plan is Anne Shaffer of the Coastal Watershed Institute.

“I think the city is heading in general in the right direction,” she said, praising action to maintain bluff vegetation and riparian corridors.

She added that she would like to see more avoidance of any impact on some areas, such as Ediz Hook.

After the public comment period is done, Ecology may approve the proposed shoreline master program as written, reject it or direct Port Angeles to modify specific parts.

Once approved by Ecology, Port Angeles’ shoreline program will become part of the overall state shoreline master program.

About 195 cities and counties statewide are in the process of or soon will be updating or crafting their master programs.

All Washington cities and counties with regulated shorelines must update their programs by December 2014, following regulations adopted by Ecology in 2003.

Written comments and questions should be addressed to Jeffree Stewart, Department of Ecology, Shorelands and Environmental Assistance Program, P.O. Box 47775, Olympia, WA 98504-7775.

Stewart can be reached by email at jeff.steward@ecy.wa.gov or by phone at 360-407-6521.

Port Angeles’ proposed shoreline program and related documents can be reviewed at City Hall, 321 E. Fifth St., or at its website at http://tinyurl.com/bgd69sk, as well as at the Ecology website at http://tinyurl.com/a6bozke.

More in News

Tamara Clinger decorates a tree with the theme of “Frosted Cranberries” on Monday at the Vern Burton Community Center in Port Angeles. The helping hand is Margie Logerwell. More than three dozen trees will be available for viewing during the 34th annual Festival of Trees event this weekend. Tickets are available at www.omhf.org. (Dave Logan/for Peninsula Daily News)
Finishing touches

Tamara Clinger decorates a tree with the theme of “Frosted Cranberries” on… Continue reading

Grants to help Port Angeles port upgrades

Projects, equipment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions

Joseph Molotsky holds Jet, a Harris’s hawk. Jet, 14 or 15, has been at Discovery Bay Wild Bird Rescue for about seven years. Jet used to hunt with a falconer and was brought to the rescue after sustaining injuries while attempting to escape an attack from a gray horned owl in Eastern Washington. (Elijah Sussman/Peninsula Daily News)
Wild bird rescue to host open house

Officials to showcase expanded educational facilities

Jaiden Dokken, Clallam County’s first poet laureate, will wrap up their term in March. Applications for the next poet laureate position, which will run from April 2025 to March 2027, are open until Dec. 9. To apply, visit NOLS.org/NextPoet. (North Olympic Library System)
Applications open for Clallam poet laureate

Two-year position will run from April 2025 to March 2027

The YMCA of Port Angeles was May recipient of Jim’s Cares Monthly Charity at Jim’s Pharmacy in Port Angeles.
Staff and customers raised more than $593 to support the YMCA.
Pictured, from left, are Joey Belanger, the YMCA’s vice president for operations, and Ryan French, the chief financial officer at Jim’s Pharmacy.
Charity of the month

The YMCA of Port Angeles was May recipient of Jim’s Cares Monthly… Continue reading

Festival of Trees QR code.
Contest: Vote for your favorite Festival of Trees

The Peninsula Daily News is thrilled to announce its first online Festival… Continue reading

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office uses this armored vehicle, which is mine-resistant and ambush protected. (Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office)
OPNET to buy armored vehicle

Purchase to help with various situations

Lincoln High School students Azrael Harvey, left, and Tara Coville prepare dressing that will be part of 80 Thanksgiving dinners made from scratch and sold by the Salish Sea Hospitality and Ecotourism program. All meal preparation had to be finished by today, when people will pick up the grab-and-go meals they ordered for Thursday’s holiday. (Paula Hunt/Peninsula Daily News)
Students at Wildcat Cafe prepare Thanksgiving dinners

Lincoln High School efforts create 80 meals ready to eat

D
Peninsula Home Fund celebrates 35 years

New partnership will focus on grants to nonprofits

A mud slide brought trees down onto power lines on Marine Drive just each of the intersection with Hill Street on Monday. City of Port Angeles crews responded and restored power quickly. (Dave Logan/for Peninsula Daily News)
Downed trees

A mud slide brought trees down onto power lines on Marine Drive… Continue reading

Photographers John Gussman, left, and Becky Stinnett contributed their work to Clallam Transit System’s four wrapped buses that feature wildlife and landscapes on the Olympic Peninsula. The project was created to promote tourism and celebrate the beauty of the area. (Paula Hunt/Peninsula Daily News)
Iconic Peninsula images wrap Clallam Transit buses

Photographers’ scenes encompass community pride

Housing identified as a top priority

Childcare infrastructure another Clallam concern