Opinion ID: 1225292
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: phase i preliminary zoning studies

Text: Skagit County's resolve to zone Guemes for residential and recreational uses came about through long, careful and detailed studies officially made under law. In contrast to the abrupt rezoning in issue, they were painstakingly thorough and deliberate. Initiating officially what undoubtedly had been preceded by informal studies, the Board of County Commissioners for Skagit County, July 24, 1961, in resolution No. 3678, established a planning department under RCW 36.70, and created a planning commission of nine members as a component of that department. The resolution directed that the planning commission shall conduct such hearings as are required under the statutes, and make findings of fact and conclusions therefrom for transmittal to the department of planning which, in turn, should refer the same to the county commissioners with appropriate comments and recommendations. Section 5 of the resolution created the office of director of planning to head the department. A short time thereafter, the planning department engaged M.G. Poole & Associates, a firm of professional planners, and consultants, to start the studies, surveys and work preliminary to the preparation of a comprehensive zoning scheme for Skagit County. Nearly 2 years later, in May, 1963, M.G. Poole & Associates prepared and delivered to the county commissioners a 51-page report in booklet form entitled Regional Planning in Skagit County. [1] This document, as will be seen, was professional in concept and scientific in execution. It officially laid the foundation for the zoning of Skagit County, supplying the basic information for the ultimate county-wide comprehensive plan, zoning ordinance and zoning maps. It furnished the facts without which no sensible zoning could be accomplished; it described the county as to topography  depicting its composition of mountains, lowlands, forests, marshes, rivers, lakes and bays. It reported that the county had 160 square miles of lowland and river land, with the rest of the county predominantly forested and mountainous. Regional Planning in Skagit County showed that only 15.8 per cent of the county's total land mass could be called livable and that 1,462 square miles would have to be classified as nonlivable. Through various tables, the report showed that, in addition to the low river lands of some 160 square miles, other areas brought the total livable lands within the county up to 273 square miles. Concerning this 273 square miles of livable lands, the report said 10.1 square miles of it were then occupied for residential purposes, 3.6 square miles for industrial purposes, .63 square miles for commercial uses and 183.7 square miles were vacant. From these 183.7 square miles of vacant livable lands, along with those existing areas already in use but which were susceptible of increased density without crowding, would come the residential, recreational, agricultural, commercial and industrial districts for future growth. The report had for its stated purpose the objective to provide for the highest and best use of the land, in the public interest and to conserve, in so far as is possible, our original natural environment and to develop and to protect neighborhoods in existing and future residential areas (Italics ours.) and to group together similar land uses and to prevent mixed land uses. Maps, charts, tables and text of the regional report set forth policies, goals and methods to be used in a sound planning program. It gave detailed population figures and projected these into the future; it made recommendation for the space and locations to be reserved for future elementary, intermediate and high schools. It included recommendation for the location, width and kind of roads, streets and highways. In short, regional planning presented a detailed factual study of Skagit County's topographical, economic, social and demographic makeup upon which the next steps could rest as Skagit County moved forward under RCW 36.70 to a zoning plan. Nothing in this study suggested or implied that Guemes Island be zoned other than residential, or that zoning of island areas then reserved for recreational purposes as a public saltwater park be altered to allow a different use.