5/22/08

County planners schedule meetings to discuss rural growth management

Snohomish County’s planning department will hold a series of public meetings to gather input on its rural lands policies.

The public’s comments will be considered during the county’s Rural Lands Planning Project to update policies and regulations for managing growth and development in rural areas.

One of the primary goals of the state’s Growth Management Act, adopted in 1990, was to slow the spread of development outside of cities. The GMA required counties to develop comprehensive plans for managing growth over a 20-year period.

Snohomish County’s policies for growth management were approved in 1995, then reaffirmed in 2005 during a ten-year review.

In the last several years, the county has seen a record increase in applications for rural cluster subdivisions. The building codes allow this type of development, which clusters homes on smaller lots while maximizing the property’s common open spaces. The intended result was to provide new housing while preserving the landscape and character of the countryside.

However, many long-term landowners are concerned about the impact of rural clusters and larger subdivisions being planned for undeveloped areas. Along with other issues, homeowners question the ability of rural water systems to handle the increased usage. Traffic and stormwater runoff have also been cited as troublesome issues.

Through the public forums planned for June, the county hopes to more fully understand citizens’ ideas about “rural character” and lifestyles. This information may be used to propose new standards for rural development that will serve the county’s growing need for housing while maintaining current residents’ quality of life.

Public meetings are planned for Wednesday, June 4, in Snohomish at the Maltby Community Club; Wednesday, June 11, at Arlington’s Pioneer Hall; Tuesday, June 17, at the Monroe Evergreen State Fairgrounds; and Thursday, June 26, in Everett at the county courthouse.

All meetings will be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m., and will include a presentation followed by discussions to gather participants’ views on ways to preserve the character and quality of rural lands.

In the fall, a second series of meetings will be held to discuss the county’s findings and provide specific proposals regarding rural land planning policies.

For more information about the June meetings, or to post your comments online, visit www.snoco.org, search for Rural Lands Project, then click on Public Comment Opportunities.