Proposed rules would ban new piers, docks on much of Gig Harbor and Key Pen shoreline

New piers and docks would be forbidden on large swaths of shoreline along the Gig Harbor and Key Peninsulas under proposed revisions to Pierce County’s Shoreline Master Plan.

The ban would apply to about 39 miles of shoreline, including virtually all of the west shore of the Key Peninsula, the west side of Fox Island, much of the upper end of Henderson Bay and a long stretch of the Gig Harbor peninsula along the Narrows Strait.

The proposed revisions face a long series of hearings and must be approved by the County Council.

Dave Risvold, Pierce County’s environmental biologist who manages shoreline planning, told The Gateway the idea behind the changes is to protect the shoreline by identifying areas suitable for recreation “whose physical characteristics don’t lend themselves to docks.”

“This is based on the overarching policies of the Shoreline Management Act,” Risvold said. “We want to make sure we alter the shoreline as little as possible, while protecting public access.”

The ban on new docks and piers would apply to any stretch of shoreline accessible to the public at least 1.5 miles in length between existing overwater structures and having at least two of the following features:

▪ Unstable slopes, usually associated with high banks.

▪ High or moderate nearshore current, defined as tidal velocities of about 1.5 feet per second.

▪ Shallow beach slopes which would need a dock longer than 150 feet to achieve a draft of 8 feet at mean low tide.

The changes would not affect existing docks and piers, according to Tara Long, spokesperson for the county Planning and Public Works department. They would also not affect bulkheads, rip-rap or other shoreline protection structures, she said. And they apply only to saltwater shoreline, not to the county’s many lakes.

A ‘two-stage filter’

In identifying areas that need protection, Risvold said, the county applied a “two-stage filter.”

“We first considered the value of public access and recreation,” he explained, “and further filtered those into areas whose physical characteristics don’t lend themselves to docks.”

“For the first filter, we identified sections of beach without any existing dock for at least 1 1/2 miles, which is what we considered a desirable walking distance,” he said. “In the next step, we are looking at attributes that are undesirable for docks — steep slopes, unstable slopes, high wind and wave energy offshore, beaches that are flat and wide, and so forth.”

Paths and fences

Additional revisions would clarify what kind of fencing is allowed within shoreline buffer and setback areas. Fences would be limited to 4 feet in height, would have to be landward of ordinary high water and cause no loss of trees.

There would also be a change to align with the National Flood Insurance Program, specifying that no fill is to be used in a floodplain when creating an access path from a residence to the shoreline.

The proposed revisions are the result of a 2020 study by the Seattle firm Environmental Science Associates.

The county is soliciting public comment on the revisions, which must be approved by a string of commissions and committees, each of which will hold public hearings. If approved by the County Council, the changes would also need to be approved by the state Department of Ecology, which would also hold hearings and solicit public comment, Long said.

The earliest the changes could go into effect would be Spring of 2022, she said.

Meetings and information

A special county Planning Commission meeting is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 4. A Community Development Committee meeting is set for Dec. 6.

Property owners can determine their status under the proposed changes by visiting an interactive map on the Pierce County website.

A website explaining the changes is: www.piercecountywa.gov/7363/Shoreline-Master-Plan-Update-2021

Persons wishing to comment on the proposed revisions can use the form available on the county website, or mail a comment to Pierce County Planning and Public Works, c/o Dave Risvold, 2401 S. 35th St., Suite 175, Tacoma, WA 98409. Include the commenter’s name and email address.

This story was originally published October 29, 2021 at 5:00 AM.