30.67.515 Boating facilities – marinas, yacht and boat clubs, boat launch facilities and boat ramps.
Boating facilities include marinas, yacht and boat clubs, boat launch facilities and boat ramps.
(1) The following general regulations apply to new boating facilities in shorelines:
(a) No boating facilities shall extend into a water body in such a manner as to impede navigation or create any navigation hazard.
(b) Boating facilities shall not be located on or over critical saltwater habitats or spawning areas for anadromous fish.
(c) Boating facilities shall not be located on or over nearshore accretion areas, such as sandflats, mudflats and pocket estuaries.
(d) Structures, equipment, wastes and materials shall not be stored, disposed of or abandoned within the shoreline jurisdiction. Boats may be stored within the shoreline jurisdiction.
(e) Construction materials that come in direct contact with the water shall not be treated or coated with toxic materials. Untreated wood, precast concrete, plastic or nontoxic alternatives shall be used unless the project proponent demonstrates and the department determines that there is no feasible alternative to toxic construction materials that will provide the structural characteristics necessary for the project.
(f) Finish treatments, including but not limited to paint, stain, water-proofer, pest preventatives and preservatives used on overwater structures or on structures within 25 feet of the ordinary high water mark shall not result in adverse impacts to water quality.
(g) Construction shall be limited to times that will have the least disturbance on spawning, migration and rearing of salmonids and other critical species.
(h) Marinas.
(i) Marinas shall not be located on or over critical saltwater habitats or in nearshore sediment accretion areas, such as mudflats, sandflats and pocket estuaries;
(ii) Moorage berths must be designed so that they can rise and fall safely with flood waters and tidal fluctuation and have a minimum clearance of six feet below the mean lower low water;
(iii) Marinas are not allowed in areas that would detrimentally alter littoral drift patterns. An evaluation of littoral drift patterns within the drift cell in which the marina is proposed is required during the siting process;
(iv) Marinas must be designed and constructed to incorporate uninhibited tidal bypass so as to minimize the need for maintenance dredging;
(v) Marinas shall be designed and constructed to allow adequate flushing and water circulation within the facility to avoid degrading water quality;
(vi) Marinas shall not be located within one-half mile of any outfall of primary treated domestic sewage or industrial waste;
(vii) Prior to siting an in-water marina, an analysis must be conducted to determine the feasibility of an upland boat storage facility on the project site as a preferred alternative; and
(viii) New marinas shall provide for public access consistent with SCC 30.67.330.
(i) Boat launch facilities - general.
(i) Pedestrian access to the water that is separate from the boat launching lane(s) may be required where it is determined to be necessary for public safety;
(ii) Safety buoys shall be installed and maintained separating boating activities from other water recreation and uses where reasonably required for public safety;
(iii) Public boat launch facilities shall include a level vehicle-maneuvering space measuring at least 500 square feet;
(iv) Public boat launch facilities shall include 32 to 40 parking spaces capable of accommodating a vehicle with an attached boat trailer for each ramp lane of boat access to the water; and
(v) All site improvements for boat launch facilities shall comply with all other requirements of the zone in which they are located.
(j) Boat ramps.
(i) Boat ramps shall be located on stable, non-erosional banks, where stabilization structures will not be necessary;
(ii) Boat ramps shall be placed and maintained as near to flush with the foreshore slope as is possible to minimize interruption of geohydraulic processes;
(iii) Boat ramps may be allowed for individual residences when the following conditions are met:
(A) The applicant shows that the boat ramp and its use will not adversely impact shoreline ecological functions or damage critical saltwater habitat;
(B) The upland slope within 25 feet of the ordinary high water mark does not exceed 25 percent; and
(C) Substantial cutting, grading, filling or shoreline stabilization measures are not necessary; and
(iv) When reviewing mitigation measures proposed by applicants to minimize potential impacts on shoreline ecological functions from boat ramps, the county will consider the following:
(A) Availability and adequacy of existing community or public facilities providing boat access to the same shoreline water body;
(B) Shared use facilities are preferred; and
(C) Preferred boat ramp designs are in the following order of priority:
(I) Elevated railways that have minimal disturbance to beach substrate;
(II) Open grid designs that have minimal disturbance to beach substrate;
(III) Seasonal ramps that can be removed and stored upland; and
(IV) Solid structures that interlock with one another leaving spaces for natural beach substrate that can adapt to changes in beach profiles.
(k) Yacht and boat clubs.
(i) Facilities of yacht and boat clubs that are not water-dependent shall be located on dry land except as specifically provided in the applicable shoreline environment.
(ii) Yacht and boat club moorage facilities shall comply with the requirements of subsection (1)(h) of this section.
(2) In addition to the general regulations contained in subsection (1) of this section, the following shoreline environment designation-specific regulations for new boating facilities in shorelines apply as applicable:
(a) Urban. Boating facilities are permitted.
(b) Urban Conservancy.
(i) Marinas, yacht and boat clubs, and boat launch facilities other than boat ramps are prohibited; and
(ii) Boat ramps are conditionally permitted.
(c) Rural Conservancy.
(i) Boat launch facilities and boat ramps are permitted; and
(ii) Marinas and yacht and boat clubs are conditionally permitted.
(d) Resource.
(i) Marinas and yacht and boat clubs are prohibited; and
(ii) Boat launch facilities and boat ramps are permitted.
(e) Municipal Watershed Utility. All boating facilities are prohibited except boat ramps, which are permitted.
(f) Natural. All boating facilities are prohibited except boat ramps which are conditionally permitted.
(g) Aquatic.
(i) Marinas, yacht and boat club facilities are conditionally permitted if the adjacent shoreland designation is either Urban or Rural Conservancy.
(ii) Boat ramps are:
(A) Permitted only when the adjacent shoreland is designated Urban, Rural Conservancy, Resource or Municipal Watershed Utility; and
(B) Conditionally permitted when the adjacent shoreland designation is Urban Conservancy or Natural.
(3) Moorage on waters of the state without a lease or permission from the state Department of Natural Resources is restricted by the state and mitigation of impacts to navigation and access is required. If the county becomes aware of unauthorized moorage on waters of the state, the department will notify the state Department of Natural Resources. (Added by Amended Ord. 12-025, June 6, 2012, Eff date July 27, 2012; Amended by Amended Ord. 19-020, July 3, 2019, Eff date Oct. 14, 2019).