Introduction – General Provisions Revised
19.70.010 Purpose.
A. The purpose of this chapter is to designate critical areas and to establish standards for the protection of their functions and values, in compliance with the provisions of the Washington State Growth Management Act of 1990 (Chapter 36.70A RCW), and consistent with the goals and policies of the Anacortes Comprehensive Plan.
B. By identifying and regulating development and alterations to critical areas and their buffers, this chapter seeks to accomplish the following goals:
1. Protect members of the public and public resources and facilities from injury, loss of life, or property damage due to landslides and steep slope failures, erosion, seismic events, or flooding;
2. Protect, maintain and restore healthy, functioning ecosystems through the protection of unique, fragile, and valuable elements of the environment, including, but not limited to, ground and surface waters, wetlands, and fish and wildlife and their habitats, and to conserve the biodiversity of plant and animal species;
3. Direct activities not dependent on critical area resources to less environmentally sensitive sites and mitigate unavoidable impacts to critical areas by regulating alterations in and adjacent to critical areas;
4. Prevent cumulative adverse environmental impacts to water quality, wetlands, and fish and wildlife habitat, and the overall net loss of wetlands, frequently flooded areas, and habitat conservation areas;
5. Alert owners, potential purchasers, real estate agents, appraisers, lenders, builders, developers and other members of the public to natural conditions that pose a hazard or may otherwise limit development;
6. Serve as a basis for exercise of the city’s substantive authority under the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA).
C. The regulations of this chapter are intended to protect critical areas in accordance with the Growth Management Act, through the application of best available science, as determined according to WAC 365-195-900 through 365-195-925, and in consultation with state and federal agencies and other qualified professionals.
D. This chapter is intended to be administered with limited flexibility and attention to site-specific characteristics. It is not the intent of this chapter to make a parcel of property unusable by denying its owner reasonable economic use of the property, or to prevent the provision of public facilities and services necessary to support existing development and that planned for by the community without decreasing current service levels below minimum standards.
E. The city’s enactment or enforcement of this chapter must not be construed for the benefit of any individual person or group of persons other than the general public. (Ord. 4025 § 2 (Att. A), 2022; Ord. 3064 § 2 (Att. A), 2021)