Issaquah Approves Shoreline Master Plan Update

The City Council reached a final agreement with the State Department of Ecology and approved a comprehensive update to Issaquah's shoreline regulations, called a Shoreline Master Program (SMP) on Feb. 20, after years of public input and review.

The update of regulations was a required component of the Shoreline Management Act, which aims to better protect the environment while also providing for appropriate water-oriented uses, single-family residential development and public access along our shorelines, according to a city press release.

The program applies to “shorelines of the state,” which in Issaquah includes the main stem of Issaquah Creek, the East Fork of Issaquah Creek and Lake Sammamish. The SMP regulations cover land located within 200 feet of these shorelines, as well as associated wetlands.

Issaquah’s SMP has not been updated since its initial adoption in 1990. Since then, the Greenwood Point/South Cove area was annexed into the City, and the Lake Sammamish shoreline along these neighborhoods are now included in the City’s SMP.

Several public meetings were held over the last few years to review shoreline information; evaluate policy options for shoreline buffers and development standards; and discuss standards for docks and moorage buoys on Lake Sammamish.

The Council’s action on Feb. 20 accepted mostly minor edits as required by the Department of Ecology, and made the SMP final. In addition, the council adopted amendments to the City’s Critical Area Regulations specific to the SMP update.

For more information, contact city of Issaquah Senior Environmental Planner Peter Rosen.

(Ed. Note: The information in this article is from a city news release.)