SMP Status Update - February 2020

The City Council approved SMP amendments in mid-June of 2019, which were transmitted to the Department of Ecology (DOE) in July of 2019. The amendments to the SMP included both an update to critical area protections, and amended language around dock repairs in the SMP (in response to public comment). Following adoption of the SMP amendments, the Department of Ecology is required to either approve, approve with conditions, or deny the amended SMP.

Initially DOE was cautious about adopting the proposed changes to the dock repair standards, because the amendments may result in an increased environmental impact and/or would establish a precedent on Lake Washington. The City has been working with DOE and the City’s consultant to confirm that no adverse environmental impact will result from the proposed amendment and we are now updating our Cumulative Impact Analysis (CIA) documentation accordingly. This process has been iterative with three or four interactions between DOE and the City of Mercer Island around the scientific content of the CIA documents and the specific language of the SMP.

There has been some delay – both because the DOE has been reviewing SMP amendments for multiple jurisdictions, and because the City has amended its scope with the City’s consultant to complete the additional technical work to support the proposed SMP amendment. City staff have been working with DOE to expedite the review as much as possible. The City anticipates that DOE will approve SMP amendment with conditions in the near future – tentatively by mid-March. Staff anticipate that DOE will support the overall concept around dock repair articulated by the City Council, but will require additional clarifying language; the City Council is tentatively scheduled to review this revised language in April with adoption anticipated in late April or early May.