Smart Growth Anacortes supports the City’s Updated Gap Analysis as a useful starting point for the Shoreline Master Program update, but we believe it falls short of fully addressing the environmental realities Anacortes faces. Climate change, extreme weather, sea level rise, and shifting ecological conditions must be analyzed as interconnected risks—not simply listed as future concerns. The City has already commissioned strong scientific and compliance tools through the FACET Report, the Best Available Science review, and the Comprehensive Plan Climate Element; these should be integrated into one transparent, traceable process that clearly shows how recommendations are being used. With time remaining before the 2027 deadline, the City can strengthen shoreline protections, improve implementation, and build a more resilient, science‑based SMP. We urge the Planning Commission to direct staff to prepare a supplemental climate and ecological resilience analysis so the final SMP update is measurable, defensible, and aligned with the community’s long‑term environmental needs.
