The Washington State Department of Ecology (DOE) is currently conducting their final review of the City's updated Shoreline Master Program (SMP), which was adopted locally in December, 2009. They are following the procedural steps for approving local SMP's specified in WAC 173-26-120, with the following happening to date:
Currently, the City is awaiting DOE's formal comments on the Shoreline Master Program. These will come in the form of required changes and recommended revisions. Once received, staff will prepare recommendations for each of the revisions and present those to the City Council.
At the time the recommended revisions have been made and issues have been addressed within the SMP, the Department of Ecology gives its final approval and the document takes effect immediately.
For more information contact Barry Wenger at DOE's Bellingham Field Office at 360-715-5220 or email: bwen461@ecy.wa.gov or Steve Sundin, City of Bellingham Planning and Community Development Department at 360-778-8359 or email: ssundin@cob.org
