Laserfiche WebLink
In order to assure the preservation of the scenic beauty, environment and the long success of <br />Snoqualmie Pass as a quality resort and year-round community, the plans of private individuals, <br />large landowners, and public agencies need to be coordinated through an overall plan for the <br />community. <br />1.2 Community Planning History <br />In March of 1990 a "town hall" meeting was held at the Pass with officials of Kittitas County at <br />which residents and property owners expressed concerns on issues ranging from road standards <br />and maintenance to police and fire protection. At the urging of the Kittitas County <br />Commissioners, and with the assistance of the County planning staff, the Snoqualmie Pass <br />Planning Advisory Council (now known as the Snoqualmie Pass Advisory Council, or SNOPAC) <br />was formed and conducted its first official meeting in April 1990. A substantial portion of the <br />planning area lies within King County, and appropriate officials from both counties monitored <br />and supported SNOPAC's efforts. <br />Members of SNOPAC devoted over 4,000 hours meeting the challenge of creating the first <br />Comprehensive Plan for Snoqualmie Pass. This plan, the Snoqualmie Pass Comprehensive Plan, <br />was completed in 1993 and subsequently adopted by Kittitas and King Counties as Sub-Area Plan <br />(in July, 1996) and Rural Town (1997), respectively, within their comprehensive plans. <br />Other significant planning activities undertaken since the adoption of that first comprehensive <br />plan include: <br />1) The US Forest Service preparation and adoption of the Snoqualmie Pass Adaptive <br />Management Area Plan which establishes standards and guidelines for all activities occurring on <br />Forest Service lands within the Adaptive Management Area (AMA). <br />2) Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust's successful achievement of a National Scenic Byway <br />designation (in 1998) to help conserve the scenic forested corridor along 1-90 from Seattle to <br />Cle Elum. <br />3) Ski Lifts, Inc. (Booth Creek Ski Holdings, Inc.) acquisition of all public ski operations at the Pass, <br />and the subsequent development of an overall Master Plan for the ski areas. <br />1.3 The Current Planning Process <br />This updated Comprehensive Plan is the community's second phase of planning It is the result of <br />thousands of hours of volunteer work invested by the community (through countless SNOPAC <br />committee meetings, community open houses, general meetings, and consultant reports and <br />meetings) to review the growth and activities at the Pass over the past ten years, identify <br />current and future growth-related issues, and adapt the first comprehensive plan to meet the <br />challenges and needs of future growth. <br />Originally made up primarily of local residents and recreational homeowners, business <br />operators and development interests, SNOPAC has expanded to include representatives of local, <br />state and federal agencies, private commercial forest landowners, and mountain recreation and <br />Kittitas County <br />Comprehensive Plan <br />December 2016