Snohomish County is requesting the public and interested organizations to review and comment on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the 2015 GMA Comprehensive Plan Update.
The comment period runs through Oct. 8. The DEIS examines the environmental impacts associated with three land use alternatives for accommodating population and employment between 2015 and 2035 within unincorporated Snohomish County.
The three land use alternatives include alternative 1 Vision, which allocates much lower growth in the unincorporated urban growth areas (UGAs) and rural/resource areas and directs this growth into the cities. Around 92 percent of new population growth would go into the UGAs and about 8 percent in the rural areas. Alternative 2 includes the initial population growth targets recommended by Snohomish County Tomorrow and assumes no changes to the land uses as shown on the County’s FLUM. About 90 percent of new growth would be in the UGAs and 10 percent in the rural areas. Within the UGAs, about 32% of the growth would go to the unincorporated UGAs and 68% to cities. Consistent with the Washington State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA)–-required no action alternative, no changes to policies are proposed.
Alternative 3 means the initial population growth targets recommended by Snohomish County Tomorrow. The alternative considers some land use and regulatory changes, as well as proposed docket amendment requests that would amend FLUM designations and UGA boundaries for the cities of Arlington, Everett, Granite Falls, Stanwood, and Sultan. Similar to Alternative 1, the County would update comprehensive plan policies and infrastructure
plans to accommodate the proposed growth in a pattern supported by the amended land use plan.
To read the DEIS go to http://2015update-snoco.org.
To comment on the draft EIS, the public can submit wwritten comments via mail, fax, or email by 5 p.m. Oct. 8.
Comments may be mailed to:
Terri Strandberg
Snohomish County Planning and Development Services
3000 Rockefeller Avenue, MS 604, Everett, WA 98201
Comments may also be faxed 425-388-3670, or emailed to 2015update@snoco.org.
Interpreter and translation services for non-English speakers and accommodations for persons with disabilities are available upon request. Please make arrangements in advance by contacting Anne Kruger 425-388-3311, ext. 7119; anne.kruger@snoco.org. Hearing/speech impaired call 711.
