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Jeanie Orr
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Jora Rehm-Lorber Uora.rehm.lorber@gmail.com]
Friday, January 23, 2009 11 :59 AM
#Long-Range Planning
Comments on Shoreline Master Program Update
@
Jefferson County Planning Commis ,
Dear Jefferson County Planning Commission,
Thank you for your time
Master Program update.
are important to me and
importance of a healthy
and attention for all your work on the Jefferson County Shorelines
Like so many county residents, clean water and healthy shorelines
my family. I grew up in Port Townsend a recongized early on the
sound surrounding the town.
Protection of our shorelines is one of the most important ways to keep our beaches safe to
swim, our shellfish safe to eat, and our properties safe from erosion. Taking care with
how we develop our shorelines will help us save puget Sound. The draft shoreline master
program update will help us reach those goals, and I support its adoption. Some important
features are: 1) the proposed shoreline environmental designations, including the ?natural
designation?, which will protect the county?s more sensitive shorelines as development
occurs, and ?priority aquatic?, which will provide better protection to important salmon
and shellfish habitats; 2) The policies and rules for ecological protection, which include
buffers and setbacks to protect buildings from flooding and erosion as well as protect
sensitive habitats; 3) The aquaculture provisions, including prohibitions on net pens, and
finfish aquaculture that use harmful agents; 4) The standards to ensure the shoreline
friendly construction of bulkheads, shoreline armoring, docks, and marinas; 5) The new?
administrative conditional use ?rules for some residential structures, such as boathouses,
will reduce costs to property owners, by eliminating the need for public hearings, while
ensuring environmental impacts are properly identified and mitigated.
I support additional safeguards for development of nonconforming lots. The draft would
exempt development on undersized lots from meeting buffer and setback rules with only
minimal review by county staff. Adequate review is necessary to make sure environmental
impacts are avoided to the greatest extent possible. With as many as 3,500 undersized lots
along Jefferson County?s shorelines, between 33 to 66 miles of healthy shorelines could be
developed without proper county oversight. The county should require an administrative
conditional use permit for these nonconforming lots to ensure adequate review to address
environmental impacts.
Once again, thank you to county staff and members of the County Planning Commission for
you attention on the SMP.
Jora Rehm-Lorber
657 Crutcher Rd.
Port Townsend, WA 98368
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