Council Looks At Link Between Land Use And Transportation

Last week Planning and Development Services (PDS) staff briefed councilmembers on proposed changes to the Countywide Planning Policies(CPPs). Snohomish County Tomorrow, an advisory group made up of elected officials from all the county's cities and the county, has been working on updating the policies. Their recommendations are now before the Council.

"The CPPs are the broad policies the county needs to follow regarding growth and development," said Councilmember Dave Gossett. "They will play a crucial role as we update our comprehensive plan."

The state Growth Management Act (GMA) requires cities and counties to update their comprehensive plan every 10 years. As part of that update jurisdictions need to identify how they will accommodate population growth for the next 20 years and provide infrastructure to support that growth. Due to the need for extensive public involvement and the complexity of the issues the Council will begin working on the 2015 update soon.

A number of the questions asked by councilmembers centered on issues involving the relationship between transportation and land use. Numerous policies address the issue. The key is that if transportation projects necessary to support development cannot be paid for land use designations must be changed.

"We know we have at least a $263 million shortfall in transportation funding for projects the county has identified as necessary to support development, a shortfall that has nothing to do with the current recession," said Gossett. "As part of the 2015 comprehensive plan update we will be required by the CPPs to change our land use plan to deal with the funding shortfall. But change them how?"

Gossett noted that the requirement could be interpreted a wide variety of contradictory ways during the meeting. He gave staff several examples including:

• Severe restrictions on land development in rural areas and   greatly increased density in urban neighborhoods
• Moratoriums on any development in parts or all of the county
•  More development in rural areas where there is less congestion
•  Ending funding for rural roads and focusing all funding in urban areas

"My point was not that I necessarily support any of these options, but that we have to know what this policy means," noted Gossett. "The councilmembers have been told that changing land use will solve our transportation shortfall. But PDS could not tell us how we will change our land use."

Last fall the Council passed a budget note requiring a Capital/Infrastructure Business Plan by March 31. One section of the plan will deal with the transportation funding shortfall and identify options for solving it, including land use changes and what road improvement projects might be not be completed.

"We have to be able to honestly and accurately tell our citizens what the choices are," said Gossett. "Until we know how land use would be changed or what projects might not be completed they cannot know what the consequences of different options are. And that means we cannot construct a framework for a transportation solution."

PDS has committed to coming back to the Council soon with an explanation of what they believe changing land use would mean.

Snohomish County Move Preserves Vital Habitat

On October 17, 2005, the Snohomish County Council approved a Settlement Agreement with King County regarding construction of the Brightwater Wastewater Treatment Facilities (Brightwater) in Snohomish County.

A condition of that agreement was that King County agreed to provide Snohomish County $70,000,000 in mitigation funding for the impact of the Brightwater facility on surrounding communities. The funds were to be used for recreational facilities, public safety improvements, habitat preservation, and a Community Resource Center located at the Brightwater facility.

"These projects will provide vital mitigation to Snohomish County residents for the Brightwater project," said Councilmember Dave Gossett. "Our recent purchase of the Schumacher site for habitat preservation is another step forward."

The Schumacher site is 4.9 acres that will provide habitat preservation and community access opportunities within a portion of middle Little Bear Creek.  The property is adjacent to 38 acres Snohomish County purchased in 2008.  The county has purchased the property for the 2010 Assessed value of $182,300.

"With this purchase the county has acquired approximately 106 acres for habitat preservation using Brightwater dollars," said Gossett. "Little Bear Creek is an environmental treasure and we are taking important steps to preserve it and protect water quality and salmon habitat."

As part of the purchase agreement the County has agreed to record a restrictive covenant after purchase of the property to permanently protect the environment and habitat.

"We have now spent roughly half of the Brightwater money available for habitat protection," said Gossett. "We are continuing to look for opportunities to protect Little Bear Creek."