Environmentally Critical Areas Update - Timeline

Reviewing and updating our environmentally critical areas code to ensure we follow current best practices and state rules.
  • What & Why
    We must periodically review and update our comprehensive plan policies and regulations for environmentally critical areas (ECA) based on the requirements in Washington state’s 1990 Growth Management Act (GMA).
  • Get Involved
    We must periodically review and update our comprehensive plan policies and regulations for environmentally critical areas (ECA) based on the requirements in Washington state’s 1990 Growth Management Act (GMA).
  • Project Documents
    We must periodically review and update our comprehensive plan policies and regulations for environmentally critical areas (ECA) based on the requirements in Washington state’s 1990 Growth Management Act (GMA).
  • Background
    We must periodically review and update our comprehensive plan policies and regulations for environmentally critical areas (ECA) based on the requirements in Washington state’s 1990 Growth Management Act (GMA).
  • Timeline
    We must periodically review and update our comprehensive plan policies and regulations for environmentally critical areas (ECA) based on the requirements in Washington state’s 1990 Growth Management Act (GMA).

Winter 2014

  • Review existing requirements for periodic update of ECA policies and regulations
  • Consider the Washington State Department of Commerce checklist and any updates to the best available science

Spring 2014

  • Update the Best Available Science documents

Summer and Fall 2014

  • Review the updated information for any changes made to the best available science and identify if those changes require changes to ECA policies and regulations
  • Conduct a public meeting, and provide a comment period on our best available science documents

2015

  • Public outreach regarding proposed changes
  • Update policies and regulations and conduct a public meeting and a comment period
  • Draft regulations for public review

Spring and Summer 2016

  • Conduct SEPA review analyzing environmental consequences that may result from the proposed changes

Fall 2016 and Winter 2017

  • City Council review and public hearing
  • City Council adopts updated ECA policies and regulations 
  • Updated ECA policies and regulations took effect May 15, 2017