LYNNWOOD—The Lynnwood City Council held a public hearing on a Critical Areas Ordinance during its Monday Business Meeting on July 27.
The City of Lynnwood is required to update its Critical Areas Ordinance periodically, as required by the Growth Management Act. Additionally, when a state agency, in this case the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, updates its best available science cities are also required to update their information.
Recently, the WDFW updated guidance regarding riparian ecosystems, including stream buffer requirements and management as related to development activities in 2020.
The last time Lynnwood updated its Critical Areas was in 2016.
The changes to the ordinance are as follows:
- The regulations chapter (17.10) will be moved to a new chapter, 8.10
- The Administration/Procession portion will be moved to Lynnwood Municipal Code 8.90
- There are updated to Wetlands and Streams regulations based on Best Available Science (BAS). These include updated wetland rating/scoring tables and buffers, updating wetland mitigation ratio tables, and updating stream buffers, incorporation of RMZ and SPTH and combining into a new article – Fish and Wildlife Habitat Conservation Areas
- There are no changes to Geologically Hazardous Areas, Frequently Flooded Areas, or Critical Recharge Areas
Council previously consulted the Planning Commission on the draft ordinance changes and they recommended approval to amend Title 8 to add a new chapter, 8.10 Critical Areas Regulations, as well as amending LMC 8.90 and 8.99 and repeal LMC Chapter 17.10.
The next action, following Monday’s Public Hearing, is council will consider adoption of the ordinance changes at its upcoming August 10 meeting.
There were no council comments or public comments.
The bulk of Monday’s meeting were consent agenda items including awarded a hotel voucher program, accepting the final 204th Street Southwest and College Place Improvement Contract, accepting the final Water Pressure-Reducing Valve (PRV) No. 2 Vault Improvement Project contract, and accepting the 44th Avenue West Underpass Pedestrian and Bicycle Improvement Project contract.
In addition to these, council held a close Executive Session regarding planning collective bargaining strategies per state law RCW 42.30.140.
Author: Kienan Briscoe
