Landslide ordinance changes on hold

EDMONDS – The name has been changed but City Council members have decided to put off any decision regarding proposed ordinance changes pertaining to the Meadowdale landslide hazard area in north Edmonds until a more detailed map can be made.

If approved during the city’s budget process next year, a geotechnical engineer will be hired to combine results from a radar mapping system and existing information to create a new topographical map of the area. The new map would provide a more updated view of the area and its potential for landslides.

The decision followed more than an hour and a half of public comments on the subject.

“The (city) staff has done a good job … but there are still many details that need to be refined before its adopted,” one resident said.

Several other community members suggested a committee of design officials and residents be formed to assist in the process.

Since March of this year, the City Council has considered the ordinance during several work sessions, a previous public hearing, and a community meeting in Meadowdale, the area most affected by the ordinance.

Proposed changes to the current ordinance for the area, generally north of 164th Street and west of 72nd Avenue, include:

• Removal of the architect’s stamp requirement on building plans submitted for the area;

• Extending the lifetimes of applications and permits for building plans in the area from 180 days to two years;

• Implementing additional requirements on temporary erosion control for the area, especially after a storm;

• Approval of a seasonal groundwork procedure so residents can work year-round on specific projects in the landslide area.

Perhaps one of the most important changes for Meadowdale residents is the removal of the community’s name from the ordinance title. In previous public hearings, residents have expressed the concern that the title would stigmatize the area and reduce property values.

In an earlier City Council meeting, Edmonds building official Jeannine Graf said the Meadowdale area is well documented as a landslide hazard area and has a history that includes several significant landslides since the early ’40s, city staff said. However, because it was determined that there is less than a 30 percent probability damage will occur to development in the area within a 25-year period, it has been permissible to build there.