2017-2037 Comp Plan Update Enabling Ordinance with Exhibit A

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Kittitas County December 2016 Comprehensive Plan WSDOT property. This is the only Light Industrial classification on the Pass and it is intended to recognize the existing uses and provide a small area for other light manufacturing activities. Approximately 17 acres between the sewage treatment plant and Keechelus Lake is proposed in the plan as commercial lodging. The site's location and characteristics may make it well suited for a Recreational Vehicle park, a facility which the Pass is currently lacking. The majority of the Hyak subarea is used for recreation, including alpine and Nordic skiing, mountain biking, hiking and water sports. The Summit East Ski Area plans to expand considerably the area available for alpine skiing by constructing an additional chair lift to higher elevations. 4. Open Space and Critical Areas 4.1 Scenic Vistas and View Corridors The grandeur of the North Cascade Mountains is equal to that of any other range in North America. And Snoqualmie Pass, because of intersecting valleys at the summit, provides a unique combination of vistas, from a looming “up-close” view of Guye Peak, to the distant view, up Gold Creek Valley, of Chikamin Peak. There can be no doubt that mountain scenery, and the visual and physical open space it provides, is an important asset to the Snoqualmie Pass community that needs protection and enhancement. There are several ways to approach scenic vistas and view corridors, including: 1. Address the issue at ground level; that is, protect the sight-line of the viewer at a specific location (i.e., a view point or residence); 2. Protect the “content” of the view; that is, control activities that occur in the view corridor or vista so that the quality of the view is not reduced. Obvious activities include logging and utility right-of-way swaths; more subtle intrusions would include reflective satellite dishes or roofing material, or bright night lighting; or 3. Encourage that full advantage is taken of the view in a given facility’s design. This should occur in site design, building and village design, and in the location of parks and scenic view points. Developing regulations for the first approach would be difficult in any circumstance because it often involves protecting the assets of one property to the detriment of another. The protection of individual views from home sites is most effectively accomplished during site design, when lots and building envelopes can be staggered or stepped in a way that optimizes the view for everyone, rather than maximizing it for the few. View corridors and scenic vistas should always be considered in the design review process. Because of a combination of rugged terrain and Federal ownership, the very disturbing activity of ridge-top development will not occur, as it has in area of less rugged terrain in eastern Washington. The SPAMA plan will benefit the Pass over the long-run, if it can prevent further