Letter re floodplain
M E M O R A N D U M
City of Yelm
Community Development Department
To: Cathy Carlson, Parametrix
From: Grant Beck, Director
Date: May 14, 2004
Subj: Development in 100 year Floodplain
The Community Development Department has reviewed your proposal to create new lots and homes within the FEMA 100 year floodplain along Yelm Creek. Community Development staff would
take the position that this proposal is inconsistent with the polices and regulations of the Yelm Critical Areas Code and Thurston Shoreline Master Program.
In your email in support of the proposal, you note that there is no specific regulation which prohibits the subdivision and subsequent fill of property. However, when read together,
the clear intent of critical areas regulations, floodplain regulations, and shoreline regulations are to protect habitat and minimize potential flood damage.
For example, the Shoreline Master Program only allows landfill when it will not alter wildlife habitat or natural drainage controls. The Master Program further indicates that residential
development should be designed to make unnecessary such protective measures such as filling.
I could not recommend that a discretionary land use permit such as a subdivision application allow lots or fill within the floodplain after review of the policies and regulations of
the City of Yelm as read together as a whole.
c. file