Tax Relief for People Affected by November Floods

If the record November 2006 floods adversely affected your home, business, or place where tax-related records are kept, you are eligible to receive various forms of tax relief this year. King County was included with 10 other Washington state counties in the Presidential Disaster Area resulting from storms, flooding, mudslides, and landslides that occurred throughout the state in November.

Most of the relief areas include significant time extensions across a wide range of filing dates, both for personal and business forms. Also, individuals may deduct personal property losses that were not covered by insurance or other forms of reimbursement.

If any of this may apply to you, consult your tax advisor to utilize the relief areas and to obtain more specifics for your particular situation.

King County Shoreline Master Program to be Updated

The state Department of Ecology has mandated that King County update its Shoreline Master Program by 2009, part of a review and overhaul of the over 30 year old Shoreline Master Program throughout the state. This update could have potential ramifications for waterfront properties, although it is generally expected that the recent regulations brought on by the King County Critical Areas Ordinance will already cover most updates that would be deemed necessary. King County has also taken a lesson from the sometimes controversial and contentious process that resulted from the Critical Areas Ordinance's implementation, this time rolling out the process and drafts in a slower fashion with public inputs encouraged at each step. The Shoreline Master Program and CAO have the interests of the environment and larger community in mind, while sometimes these regulations may clash with the property rights interests of owners along shorelines who prefer more leeway in what they can do with their property.

The Shoreline Management Act applies to marine shorelines, rivers with a flow greater than 20 cubic feet per second, lakes larger than 20 acres, upland areas within 200 feet of these water bodies, floodplains, and wetlands associated with these shorelines. The act covers land use, public access, archaeological / historical resources, and ecology.

King County has recently distributed a draft map of areas where the Shoreline Master Program updates may apply. County representatives are also holding four public input meetings, two of which occurred last week in Carnation and Enumclaw. The next two are on Tuesday February 13 5:30-8:30 pm in Maple Valley and Thursday February 15 5:30-8:30 pm on Vashon Island. Public comments are also being accepted by mail, email, phone, or at the meetings.

The projected timeline for the next steps in the process includes a draft of the revised county plan for this June, a second updated draft in the fall, and a final version for presentation to the King County Council in March 2008. DOE requires that the county have a finalized plan completed and submitted by December 2009.

Shoreline Development and Natural Processes Class

The Washington State University Extension Water Resources Leadership Team is providing a full day class - intended for both real estate professionals and waterfront property owners - that details impacts of shoreline development and how to best work with natural processes that occur along shorelines. I've been to a similar class in the past and it was quite interesting and informative; it includes classroom time plus a shoreline field visit to have hands-on discussion and learning.

The instructors will cover the following topics:
Natural shoreline processes
Bluff processes
Signs and risks of landslides
Avoiding natural hazards
Issues of human modifications, including bulkheads
Shoreline stabilization
When to contact a consultant
Alternative methods of erosion control
Regulatory framework
Field visit to a shoreline site (wear weather appropriate clothes)

The class is 8:30am - 4:30pm way out in Shelton (about 1.5 hour drive from Seattle) and costs $120 (which includes materials, refreshments, and lunch). Contact and registration information is available on their website.

Burien Puget Sound Shoreline Properties Survey

This week engineers and surveyors will be walking the beaches of Burien home owners to produce a "Base Flood Elevation Study" for determining normal water levels and to pinpoint potential flood hazard areas. They will be taking photographs, measuring bulkheads, and surveying aspects of the shoreline, but will not trespass onto upland property without owner permission first.

Most people think of rivers, reservoirs, and lakes for flooding, but large tidal water bodies can also be considered potential flood zones when storms occur (usually if timed with high tides) that raise the water level onto surrounding properties. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) establishes maps to show base flood elevations along the shorelines, and these can affect home owners who have or want to obtain flood insurance since the rates will be at least partly based on the flooding potential as described in these maps.

The study will be completed in April and made available to all local residents after FEMA approves the results. The study will be made available at Burien City Hall, and it will also be posted on the Burien city website.

For additional information you can contact Project Planner Morgan Wilson at 253-209-4746 or Burien Building Official Lee Bailey at 206-248-5523.

Seahurst Park Night Creatures

Come visit Seahurst Park on the Puget Sound shores of Burien to experience the beach creatures that come out on a low tide winter evening. The event will be led by naturalists from the Environmental Science Center and People for Puget Sound, who will provide hot drinks. They'll have a glowing bonfire to gather around and share stories before walking the beaches at night to educate you, your friends, and family about many things you likely did not know before. Prior starlight walks have been a big success with a great turn-out, and I've found them to be very fun and educational.

Be sure to bring weather and temperature appropriate clothing, good flashlights, and waterproof boots.

Date: Saturday February 17
Time: Starts at 7:30pm
For additional information: 206-988-3712