23.60A.220

A. Shoreline environment locations 1. The shoreline environments set out in subsection 23.60A.220.C and the boundaries of these environments are established on the Official Land Use Map as authorized in Chapter 23.32 . 2. Any undesignated shorelines are designated Conservancy Preservation. 3. Submerged lands seaward of the Outer Harbor Line, Construction Limit Line or other navigational boundary that are not specifically designated or shown on the Official Land Use Map shall be designated Conservancy Navigation. B. Submerged Lands 1. On Puget Sound, Lake Washington and Green Lake, submerged lands shall be designated as shoreline environments that preserve them for ecological functions and public or recreational purposes. 2. On Elliott Bay, Lake Union, the Ship Canal, and the Duwamish River, submerged lands shall be designated as shoreline environments that balance preservation of ecological functions and a mix of public, recreational, industrial, and commercial purposes. In these areas; the environmental designation given to submerged lands is generally the same as the abutting waterfront dry land and extends to the outer Harbor Line, Construction Limit Line, or other navigational boundary. 3. Where the shoreline environment designation on submerged land is different from the shoreline environment designation of the adjacent dry land, the environment boundary is the OHW mark in freshwater environments and mean higher high water in saltwater environments. C. For the purpose of this Chapter 23.60A , the Shoreline District is divided into 11 environments. Table A for 23.60A.220 Environment Designation Conservancy Management CM Conservancy Navigation CN Conservancy Preservation CP Conservancy Recreation CR Conservancy Waterway CW Urban Commercial UC Urban General UG Urban Harborfront UH Urban Industrial UI Urban Maritime UM Urban Residential UR D. The purpose and locational criteria for each shoreline environment are as follows: 1. Conservancy Management (CM) Environment a. Purpose. The purpose of the CM Environment is to provide for water-dependent infrastructure, such as navigational locks, that provide a substantial public benefit, and recreational facilities, such as marinas and parks. Development allowed in the CM Environment can be managed to preserve ecological functions and typically provide public access. b. Locational Criteria 1) Dry or submerged land that is generally owned by a public agency and developed with a major infrastructure or a recreational facility, including navigation locks and marinas; 2) Public and private parks; or 3) Areas of medium to high intensity development that are surrounded by areas of less intense development such that they may require active management to protect ecological functions. 2. Conservancy Navigation (CN) Environment a. Purpose. The purpose of the CN Environment is to preserve open water for navigation. b. Locational Criteria. Submerged lands used as a fairway for vessel navigation. 3. Conservancy Preservation (CP) Environment a. Purpose. The purpose of the CP Environment is to preserve, protect, restore, or enhance shoreline areas that have intact or mostly intact ecological functions and areas that are particularly biologically or geologically fragile. Enjoyment of these areas by the public is encouraged to the extent that sensitive or fragile ecological functions are not adversely impacted. b. Locational Criteria. Dry or submerged lands with significant ecological functions; 1) Shorelines serving fragile biological, geological processes or containing ecological functions that may warrant preservation or restoration and enhancement; or 2) Shorelines unable to support development or uses without adverse ecological impacts or risk to public safety. 4. Conservancy Recreation (CR) Environment a. Purpose. The purpose of the CR Environment is to provide public access and recreational use of shorelines while protecting ecological functions. b. Locational Criteria 1) Dry or submerged lands generally owned by a public agency and developed as a park; 2) Areas where the biological, geological and other natural resource processes and functions can be maintained by limiting development; or 3) Submerged lands adjacent to dry lands designated Urban Residential where the biological, geological and other natural resource processes and functions can be maintained by limiting development. 5. Conservancy Waterway (CW) Environment a. Purpose. The purpose of the CW Environment is to preserve City waterways for navigation and commerce, including public access to and from water areas and to protect ecological functions. Since the waterways are public ways for water transport, they are designated CW to provide navigational access to adjacent properties, access to and from land for the loading and unloading of watercraft and temporary moorage. b. Locational Criteria. Waterways on Lake Union and Portage Bay. 6. Urban Commercial (UC) Environment a. Purpose. The purpose of the UC Environment is to: 1) Provide for a mix of water-oriented uses and development; 2) Allow limited nonwater-oriented uses and development where they would not displace water-oriented uses and, if located on waterfront lots, where they achieve another goal of the Shoreline Management Act, such as public access or protection or improvement of ecological functions; and 3) Provide for public access and recreational enjoyment of the shoreline while protecting ecological functions. b. Locational Criteria 1) Areas zoned Commercial, Neighborhood Commercial or lowrise multifamily; 2) Areas with minimal amounts of dry land between the shoreline and the first parallel street, with steep slopes, limited truck and rail access or other features making the area unsuitable for water-dependent or water-related industrial uses but that may be suitable for water-oriented commercial uses; or 3) Areas with large amounts of submerged land in relation to dry land and sufficient wave protection for water-dependent recreation. 7. Urban General (UG) Environment a. Purpose. The purpose of the UG Environment is to provide for economically viable use of commercial and industrial areas that are not suited for water-dependent uses due to limited or no water access and to protect existing ecological function. b. Locational Criteria 1) Areas with little or no direct water access, which makes the development of water-dependent uses impractical or unreasonable; and 2) Areas zoned Commercial or Industrial. 8. Urban Harborfront (UH) Environment a. Purpose. The purpose of the UH Environment is to encourage economically viable water-dependent and water-related uses to meet the needs of waterborne commerce, facilitate the revitalization of the city's central waterfront, provide opportunities for public access and recreational enjoyment of the shoreline, preserve elements of historic and cultural significance and protect ecological functions. b. Locational Criteria: Areas located within Downtown Harborfront 1 or Downtown Harborfront 2 zones. 9. Urban Industrial (UI) Environment a. Purpose. The purpose of the UI Environment is to: 1) Provide for efficient use of industrial shorelines by major cargo facilities and other water-dependent and water-related industrial uses, and to allow for warehouse uses that are not water- dependent or water-related where they currently exist; 2) Provide public access on public lands or in conformance with an area-wide Public Access Plan; 3) Accommodate ecological restoration and enhancement where reasonable; and 4) Allow limited nonwater-oriented uses and development where they would not displace water-oriented uses and, if located on waterfront lots, where they achieve another goal of the Shoreline Management Act, such as protection or improvement of ecological functions or public access. b. Locational Criteria 1) Areas zoned Industrial; 2) Areas adjacent to or part of major industrial centers that provide support services for water-dependent and other industrial uses; or 3) Areas where predominant uses are water-dependent or water-related manufacturing, warehousing, major port cargo facilities, or other similar uses. 10. Urban Maritime (UM) Environment a. Purpose. The purpose of the UM Environment is to: 1) Provide for efficient use of industrial and commercial shorelines by water-dependent and water-related uses; 2) Provide public access mainly on public lands or in conformance with an area-wide Public Access Plan; 3) Accommodate ecological restoration and enhancement where reasonable; and 4) Allow limited nonwater-oriented uses and development where they would not displace water-oriented uses and, if located on waterfront lots, where they achieve another goal of the Shoreline Management Act, such as protection or improvement of ecological functions or public access. b. Locational Criteria 1) Areas zoned Industrial or Commercial 2 with sufficient dry land for industrial uses but generally in smaller parcels than in the UI Environment; 2) Areas developed predominantly with water-related manufacturing or commercial uses or a combination of manufacturing-commercial and recreational water-dependent uses; 3) Areas with concentrations of state waterways for use by commerce and navigation; or 4) Areas near, but not necessarily adjacent to, residential or Neighborhood Commercial zones that require protection from the impacts of heavy industrialization and are therefore inappropriate for a UI Environment designation. 11. Urban Residential (UR) Environment a. Purpose. The purpose of the UR Environment is to provide for single-family residential development and accessory structures, while protecting ecological functions. Multifamily residential development is allowed in this environment where the underlying zone, as of the date of this ordinance, allows multifamily residential development. b. Locational Criteria 1) Areas zoned single-family; 2) Areas zoned multifamily on the date of this ordinance; 3) Areas where it is impractical to site water-dependent uses due to natural conditions such as steep slopes, shallow water, poor wave protection, or limited vehicular or water access; or 4) Areas with sufficient dry land lot area to allow for residential development entirely on dry land and without intruding into the shoreline setback. (Ord. 124105 , § 3, 2013.)