16.55.180 Amendment of Shoreline Master Program.
(1) This SMP carries out the policies of the Shoreline Management Act for the City of Pullman. It shall be reviewed and amended as appropriate in accordance with the review periods required in the SMA and in order to:
(a) Assure that this SMP complies with applicable law and guidelines in effect at the time of the review; and
(b) Assure consistency of this SMP with the City’s codes and development regulations adopted under chapter 36.70A RCW, if applicable, and other local requirements.
(2) This SMP and all amendments thereto shall become effective 14 days from the date of the Washington Department of Ecology’s written notice of final approval.
(3) The SMP may be amended annually or more frequently as needed consistent with WAC 173-26-100 through 120.
(4) Future amendments to this SMP may be initiated by any of the following:
(a) City of Pullman SMP Administrator;
(b) The City Planning Commission, upon their initiative, or at the request of the City Council by motion, or at the request of the SMP Administrator; and
(c) The City Council.
(5) Applications for SMP amendments shall specify the changes requested and any and all reasons therefore. Applications shall be made by a written request delivered to either the SMP Administrator or the City Council. Such written request shall contain information specified in the City’s procedures for regulation amendments and information necessary to meet minimum public review procedures.
(6) The City shall accomplish the amendments in accordance with the procedures of the Shoreline Management Act and implementing rules including, but not limited to, RCW 90.58.080 and WAC 173-26-100.
(7) Proposals for amendment of this SMP shall be heard by the Planning Commission in a public hearing. After conducting a hearing and evaluating testimony regarding the application, including a recommendation from the SMP Administrator, the Planning Commission shall submit its recommendation to the City Council, who shall approve or deny the proposed amendment following their open record hearing.
(8) Prior to approval, the City shall make a finding that the amendment would accomplish (a) or (b) of this subsection, and must accomplish (c) of this subsection:
(a) The proposed amendment would make this Program more consistent with the SMA and/or any applicable Department of Ecology SMP Guidelines; or
(b) The proposed amendment would make this Program more equitable in its application to persons or property due to changed conditions in an area; and
(c) This Program and any future amendment hereto shall ensure no net loss of shoreline ecological functions and processes on a programmatic basis in accordance with the baseline functions present as of August 2014 (the Final Shoreline Analysis Report).
(9) After approval or disapproval of an SMP amendment by the Department of Ecology as provided in RCW 90.58.090, the City shall publish a notice that the SMP amendment has been approved or disapproved by Ecology. (Ord. 16-3 §19, 2016).