Rezoning of Sensitive Areas Proposed in Latest Draft of the LFP Comprehensive Plan
June 26, 2004

The most recent draft of the City of LFP's Comprehensive Plan proposes rezoning of 192 lots in the City to higher density. These lots are all currently zoned RS15 (15,000 square feet minimum) or RS20 (20,000 square feet minimum). The Comp Plan proposes to rezone these lots to "Single-Family Residential, Moderate/High", which is rather loosely defined in the draft Comp Plan as "Correspond[ing] to the RS-10000 and RS-9600 zoning classifications" (Policy LU 2.2, Page 34).

The alarming part of the proposed rezoning is that a significant portion of the lots being proposed for rezoning contain environmentally sensitive areas, based on maps provided by the City of LFP.

According to the Draft Comp Plan (also Policy LU 2.2), the former RS15 and RS20 classifications are "reserved for areas containing development restrictions such as environmentally sensitive areas, limited or non-existent utility services and access limitations.". A supplemental document provided on the City's web site which describes the changes in this most recent draft of the Comp Plan states that:

"...changes are included in the future land use map that will ensure that these two classifications are present only in areas where the exceptions [i.e., sensitive areas] would apply."

In other words, the City is claiming that only lots which are currently zoned RS15 or RS 20, and which do NOT contain any sensitive areas, are being proposed for rezoning to Single-Family Residential, Moderate/High.

However careful examination of the maps provided by the City to support this claim indicate that in fact 21 lots which contain sensitive areas are being proposed for rezoning.

Examine, for instance, this excerpt from the City's sensitive areas map, showing Perkins Way in the vicinity of 33rd Ave. NE. The areas shown in brown contain, according to the City's informal studies, steep slope and/or landslide hazard areas:

Compare that map to the following (also obtained from the City), which shows the proposed zoning changes in the same area. Lots which are shaded yellow are currently zoned RS20; lots which are shaded red are currently zoned RS15. Both are proposed for Single-Family Residential, Moderate/High. The green dots - not part of the City's map, but added by LFPSF - indicate lots which are being proposed for rezoning and which also contain sensitive areas, per the above map.

In this area alone there are 16 lots which are to be rezoned which, according to the City's own Sensitive Areas map, contain steep slope or landslide hazard areas.

Also consider this area, just northeast of Towne Centre. This map shows steep slope/landslide hazard areas (again, this data was obtained from the City):

Compare that to the proposed zoming changes:

There are 5 lots in this area which are proposed for rezoning to a higher density, even though by the City's own estimate they contain environmentally sensitive areas.

Note that the City's Sensitive Area maps are approximations. When a developer wishes to build in or near any of the areas which the City's maps indicate as containing environmentally sensitive areas, the developer must - at their own expense - conduct a detailed sensitive area study to determine exactly where the sensitive areas are. Development codes preclude most building or alterations within these sensitive areas, so the exact extent of the buffers obviously must be known. Additionally, all sensitive areas are legally protected by buffers; for example development is prohibited within 50 feet of the edges of steep slope hazard areas.

The Stewardship Foundation is strongly objecting to this proposed rezoning. One obvious problem is that the lots which clearly contain sensitive areas should not be considered for rezoning. We also believe that, since rezoning has profound effects on what can be developed (even in the face of sensitive area ordinances, for which a developer can obtain a Reasonable Use Exemption if a lot is configured to meet certain requirements), that a detailed sensitive areas study must be performed all of the areas considered for rezoning of those areas are near sensitive areas (per the City's existing maps). Also, the presence of a sensitive area buffer within a given lot should also preclude that lot from being rezoned to higher density.

We presented written and oral testimony to this effect at the most recent hearing on the Comp Plan on June 22, 2004. We urge all of our members, and anyone interested in preserving the environment of Lake Forest Park. to speak out on this matter. Contact the Planning Commission and members of City Council. The Planning Commission is nearing the end of the process of updating the Comp Plan; this proposed rezoning is a very recent change to the Plan (very recent, as in just the last few weeks, at least according to the public record). Time is of the essence.

The Stewardship Foundation is hosting a meeting on this subject on July 13 at 7:00 PM at the Lake Forest Park Civic Club. We'd love to see you there. Feel free to invite anyone whom you think might be interested in, or affected by, the proposed zoning change

Also, we’re encouraging people to speak up about this issue at the next City Council meeting, which is 7:30 on Thursday, July 8 at City Hall. There will be a comment period at the beginning of the Council meeting during which anyone can speak for three minutes. Show up and make your voice heard!

Further Information:

The City's web page for the Comprehensive Plan Update can be found here.

A copy of the letter submitted by the LFPSF to the Planning Commission on the rezoning issue can be found here (the maps it refers to are the same as the ones shown above on this page):

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