Darrington Comprehensive Plan.Pdf
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2015 Update Darrington Comprehensive Plan The 2015 Update to the Comprehensive Plan Acknowledgments The participation and input of the people of Darrington was integral to the development of this Comprehensive Plan. This Comprehensive Plan is based upon the underlying efforts of the 1998 Darrington Comprehensive Plan. Mayor Dan Rankin Town Council Gary Willis Richard Osenbrock Judy O’Connor Kevin Ashe Mary Requa Planning Commission Lavinia Bryson, Chair George Winters Bridget Wisniewski Robert Requa Kelli Smith Administration Dianne Allen Raelynn Jones Comprehensive Plan Committee* Amy Lucas, Project Manager Sophia Archambault Oak Rankin Reed Rankin * With assistance from Darrington Strong and Young People of Darrington Darrington Comprehensive Plan Page 1 of 141 Contents i Introduction i Land Use Element i Housing Element i Transportation Element i Capital Facilities Element i Parks and Recreation Element i Utilities Element i Economic Development Element i Glossary Darrington Comprehensive Plan Page 2 of 141 2035 Darrington Vision Darrington is an intentionally rural community, surrounded by vast forest, public and private lands, rural farms, pristine waterways and rustic beauty that is rooted in a rich natural resource history. The Town's rural location and lack of urbanized density supports a prospering natural resource based economy, principally sustained by the local timber industry. The Town aims to be an innovative model for rural lifestyles in a diverse modern age. The Town will build upon the quality of resilience and independence for which Darrington is known, including public and private partnerships to pursue capital infrastructure improvements for the benefit of public health, welfare and safety of its citizens. Through its support of the local lumber mill, forestland stewardship and public-private partnerships, the Town endeavors to be a model for sustainable timber management and lumber based markets. Although the timber industry has evolved, it does supply family wage jobs that can be supplemented by value-added and secondary industries. The Town will actively strive to become a major recreation and adventure destination for the region’s urban population by participating in local and County tourism campaigns. Darrington’s continued support of youth and adult education promotes community vibrancy and economic versatility. This commitment will assure that the timber industry, recreation, education, transportation, modern telecommunications, green space and economic infrastructure will serve residents with public service needs, a healthy community and access to the latest technology for the 21st Century. Darrington continues to concentrate on its land use within its town boundaries and urban growth areas by actively investigating innovative growth options and will partner with Federal, State and Tribal Governments, as well as Snohomish County and neighboring counties, to protect and preserve surrounding natural resources, critical areas, and preserve the rustic nature of the upper Stillaguamish Valley. Introduction This Comprehensive Plan provides direction for a variety of decisions that will affect the size, shape, function, and livability of the Town of Darrington for the next 20 years. Darrington citizens value the small-town atmosphere, rural setting, history, and comfortable familiarity among residents. Although Darrington’s sense of place is rural and agrarian in its roots, the town promotes a modern, welcoming atmosphere as a rural center for the surrounding area for local households and visitors, and residents recognize that it will take a concerted effort to maintain this unique balance during the upcoming period of projected regional growth. Realizing the Community Vision One way to view the importance of this plan is to understand that it serves as a bridge between a relatively stable, slowly changing past and the next 20 years, during which we must expect to see this quiet, timber-oriented town change in many ways. Those involved in the current planning effort feel a responsibility to transfer their appreciation for the town’s history and regard for its former residents to the next generation in such a way that the essence of the community stays intact. In order to be useful, a comprehensive plan must not only provide a vision for the future, it must also help with practical daily decisions. It is apparent that development pressures will arise over the next several years and that there will be an increasing number of questions posed to the community by both commercial and individual developers relating to zoning, land use, and development standards. This plan, which has been shaped by community input, provides the framework of goals and policies that the community supports in addressing development-related questions. The goals and policies will guide elected officials and town administrators in applying the local development regulations in an equitable, consistent, and positive manner, and ensure that the community’s vision is carried out. Darrington Comprehensive Plan Page 3 of 141 What is a Comprehensive Plan? In 1990, the Washington State Legislature adopted the Growth Management Act (GMA) in response to mounting citizen demands for a long-term solution to the unprecedented population growth and suburban sprawl that Washington State experienced in the 1980s. RCW 36.70A requires that any county in Washington with a population of 50,000 or more and a population increase of l0 percent or more over the past 10 years plan under GMA. Under GMA, all of the cities within Snohomish County must write, maintain and update a Comprehensive Plan to account for population growth in the next twenty year horizon. A comprehensive plan indicates how a community envisions its future, and sets forth strategies for achieving the desired vision. A plan has three characteristics. First, it encompasses all the geographic and functional elements that have a bearing on the community’s physical development. Second, it summarizes the major policies and proposals of a city or town, but does not usually indicate specific locations or establish detailed regulations. Third, it is long range and looks beyond the current pressing issues confronting the community, to the community’s future. Although the planning time frame for a plan is twenty years, many of its policies and actions will affect its community well into the future. Why is a Comprehensive Plan Needed? Many of the regular decisions made by officials have a significant impact on how the community develops and functions. A comprehensive plan coordinates and guides individual decisions in a manner that moves the community towards its overall goals. It is important to consider the goals of the Growth Management Act (GMA). RCW 36.70A.020 outlines the goals with which this plan must comply. They are as follows: 1. Planned Urban Growth - Encourage development in urban areas where adequate public facilities and services exist or can be provided in an efficient manner. 2. Reduce Sprawl - Reduce the inappropriate conversion of undeveloped land into sprawling, low- density development. 3. Efficient Transportation - Encourage efficient multi-modal transportation systems that are based on regional priorities and coordinated with county and city comprehensive plans. 4. Affordable Housing - Encourage the availability of affordable housing to all economic segments of the population of this state, promote a variety of residential densities and housing types, and encourage preservation of existing housing stock. 5. Encourage Economic Development - Encourage economic development throughout the state that is consistent with adopted comprehensive plans, promote economic opportunity for all citizens of this state, especially for unemployed and for disadvantaged persons, and encourage growth in areas experiencing insufficient economic growth, all within the capacities of the state’s natural resources, public services, and public facilities. 6. Protect Property Rights - Private property shall not be taken for public use without just compensation having been made. The property rights of landowners shall be protected from arbitrary and discriminatory actions. 7. Process Permits - Applications for both state and local government permits should be processed in a timely and fair manner to ensure predictability. 8. Enhance Natural Resource Industries - Maintain and enhance natural resource-based industries, including productive timber, agricultural, and fisheries industries. Encourage the conservation of productive forest lands and productive agricultural lands, and discourage incompatible uses. 9. Manage Open Space and Recreation - Retain open space, enhance recreational opportunities, conserve fish and wildlife habitat, increase access to natural resource lands and water, and develop parks and recreation facilities. Darrington Comprehensive Plan Page 4 of 141 10. Protect the Environment - Protect the environment and enhance the state's high quality of life, including air and water quality, and the availability of water. 11. Encourage Citizen Participation - Encourage the involvement of citizens in the planning process and ensure coordination between communities and jurisdictions to reconcile conflicts. 12. Provide Public Services - Ensure that those public facilities and services necessary to support development shall be adequate to serve the development at the time of occupancy and use without decreasing current service levels below locally established minimum standards. 13. Historic Preservation