Olympia should tighten up shoreline restrictions

SUE LEAN | Olympia • Published March 08, 2013 Modified March 07, 2013

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Applause for the six members of the Olympia City Council who voted to take the Shoreline Management Act update seriously with visioning software before making decisions on set-backs. They deserve to be cheered on through the difficult SMP process.

Proposed 30-foot setbacks from the shore are clearly inadequate. Seventy-foot setbacks would be great; 55 feet seems like a minimum sensible, yet visionary, choice. Stepbacks in building heights requirements also would be good at this time.

I hope the City Council will seize the SMP process to have a world-class waterfront for Olympia. Our capital setting is one of national geographic significance and the moment to guarantee adequate public access and to carry out the provisions of the Shoreline Management Act should not be lost.

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