2011 Successes
Snohomish County Shoreline Master Plan Update--For me, the biggest success has been that FINALLY Snohomish County adopted their Shoreline Master Plan Update.... A process which started in 2005, and for numerous reasons (too many to mention) was delayed beyond belief. At this point in time, the Department of Ecology (DOE) is still reviewing the SMP that the Snohomish County Council adopted, so there could perhaps be some unresolved issues the County may need to change and amend.
Sustainable Lands Strategy—Two years ago, County Council Chairman Dave Somers, along with the County Executive, took their own advice, and with agreement from many members of our farming community, the Tulalip and Stillaguamish Tribes, and two environmental groups working in Snohomish County...Futurewise, Pilchuck Audubon Society and Forterra (formerly Cascade Land Conservancy)... an Executive Committee was formed who then began work finding consensus and net gains for both farming and salmon habitat restoration and wildlife protection.
The process is in three phases and the first phase was completed with a report and ceremony in 2011, which identified a consensus-based process and a framework for moving forward. Given that 90 percent of our designated commercial agricultural land lies in the floodplains of the Skykomish, Snoqualmie, Snohomish and Stillaguamish river basins, which we all know is the home for our precious salmon which has been in constant decline, this has been a historic milestone in finding agreement between competing and important interests to all of us who live here. The committee hopefully will be completing Phase Two in early 2012, which will identify more concretely what needs to occur to ensure success in net gains for farms and fish. 2012 also will be the beginning of Phase Three, which will focus on implementation.
Transit Oriented Communities (TOCs)—A major focus of Futurewise and many of our partners is working to help local governments and developers build TOC’s. (For more information visit www.futurewise.org). The documentation is abundant on the positive benefits of having people live, work and play in communities served by multi-modal transportation networks (which include improving physical, mental and social health of people) as well as helping to slow the demise of urban sprawl that paves over our precious rural and resource land and costs all of us more in taxes to build infrastructure (i.e. roads, utilities, sewer, detention systems for surface water) and which has huge impacts on our water quality and wildlife habitat.
This year I hosted a workshop on Transit Oriented Communites at the Everett Transit Center, and am happy to report that many city and county electeds and planners were there! It’s the start of more to happen. In fact, I have been working collaboratively with the Housing Consortium of Everett and Snohomish County on a plan to build an affordable housing demonstration project somewhere in Snohomish County utilizing Inclusionary Zoning and Incentive Zoning applications (most likely along Highway 99 and the SWIFT Community Transit Rapid Bus System), which would be part of a Transit Oriented Community. We have lobbied the City of Lynnwood, the City of Everett, and Snohomish County! It’s an ongoing process....and it may take awhile....and I may need your help in 2012 on this one!
SnoH20mish: Learning About our Water Resources—In October, I organized the third Livable Snohomish County Summit and Candidate Forum predominately financed with grant money through the work I do as Smart Growth Director for Pilchuck Audubon Society, but also co-sponsored by Futurewise, Transition Port Gardner, the Snohomish Group of Sierra Club, Citizens to Protect the Upper Snohomish River Valley (CPUSRV), and KSER 90.7FM radio. Again, as in previous years, the event was well-attended and featured experts who volunteered their time to present a variety of topics to help all of use do a better job at protecting our water quality.
While not set in stone, I am now planning for a 3-hour summit in June focusing on the Transportation for Washington campaign led by Futurewise and Transportation Choices Coalition. This is a state-wide issue that you will be hearing more about SOON from me, and which I will definitely need you to help ensure that our tax dollars are spent correctly on fixing our current transportation infrastructure first before building more, funding more transit for the needs of a growing population, and investing in Transit Oriented Communities in areas that make sense for everyone. Stay tuned for a date!!
On the Horizon
I have identified 7 areas that I will be focusing most of time on, but as you know, I’m always working on other issues and requests as they arise as best I can! However, I need you and everyone in order to be successful. Together we can get a huge amount of work accomplished, and, more importantly, will be a powerful and effective voice in the future of our communities!
1. Tracking the Snohomish County Tomorrow process which begins the 2015 Update to the County’s Comprehensive Plan update, and includes the population allocations from the state’s Office of Financial Management and the county and cities process to distribute the population. I will be advocating for minimum urban growth area expansions to protect rural and resource lands and inclusion of climate change policies. I will be involved with the Buildable Lands analysis as it goes through the council public process.
2. Continuing work as part of the Executive Committee for the Sustainable Lands Strategy, who will be providing recommendations to the Snohomish County Council on policies and regulations and a process that will ensure success of salmon habitat restoration projects and preserve more land and to find net gains to both quantity and quality of farmland to offset loss of farmland for restoration projects.
3. Working with the Housing Consortium of Snohomish County to help develop an affordable housing demonstration project using inclusionary or incentive zoning, working with this committee to find a location and to work with key cities and Snohomish County to develop policies and regulations that will help bring this project to completion.
4. Collaborating with Forterra (formerly Cascade Land Conservancy) on building support for a successful Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) Program in Snohomish County to protect farmland. Forterra was recently awarded a contract with Snohomish County to put together a TDR program and recommendations. Once that report is open to the public, I will be collaborating with them for outreach and support of the TDR program.
5. Tracking the Snohomish County’s response to the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Biological Opinion that details how implementation of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) which affects listed species and their habitat. The county may be required to reopen and amend policies and regulations that affect floodplain development, including the Shoreline Management Plan, the Critical Areas Ordinance, and Flood Hazard permits, and I will be there to help ensure new or amended regulations will not be considered a “take” and will also meet state laws.
6. Building support for the Transportation For Washington Campaign, which focuses on three priorities: Fix it first, save lives--we need to fix the crumbling bridges and roads we have first, and then ensure that new investments we make will create jobs, spur economic growth and improve the safety and health of our communities; More transit--increasing our transportation choices will reduce traffic congestion, improve freight mobility, decrease pollution, spur economic development, and connect our rural communities; Build great, healthy communities--development and transportation go hand-in-hand which is why we need a more efficient transportation system that supports affordable and healthy neighborhoods that connect Washingtonians to jobs, their community and each other. (For more information, visit www.t4washington.org.)
7. Building capacity of the both Futurewise and Pilchuck Audubon Society AND the Livable Snohomish County Coalition to continue to educate and engage members and coalition partners around the above mentioned issues. Websites are www.futurewise.org, www.pilchuckaudubon.org and www.livablesnohomish.org