Agenda - Parks and Recreation Commission - 10/09/2014

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These standards in the metropolitan significance rules and in the plan amendment guidelines are currently used to determine an effect on or a substantial departure from the Regional Parks System: • Impacts on the use of Regional Parks System facilities include, but are not limited to traffic, safety, noise, visual obstructions (for example, to scenic overlooks), impaired use of the facilities or interference with the operation or maintenance of the facilities. • Impacts on natural resources include, but are not limited to, the impact on the level, flow or quality of a facility's water resources (lakes, streams, wetlands, groundwater) and impact on a facility's wildlife populations or habitats (migration routes, breeding sites, plant communities). • A proposed project is considered to have an impact on the system if it may preclude or substantially limit the future acquisition of land in an area identified in the system plan of the Council's Regional Parks Policy Plan. System Protection - Strategy 1: Local comprehensive plans may need to be changed if planned land uses would have a negative impact on current or planned regional park lands or facilities. The Council may require plan modifications to local comprehensive plans, updates, or amendments if they: • will more likely than not have adverse and substantial impacts on the current or future intended uses of the Regional Parks System lands or facilities, or • are likely to have adverse and substantial impacts on lands that are officially recommended for acquisition in an adopted policy plan There is a strong case for intervention in situations where potentially adverse land uses are proposed after a site for a Regional Parks System facility has been adopted by the Council in the System Plan section of this policy plan. Local governments will be notified of any changes to the 2040 Regional Parks Policy Plan following Council adoption of the changes and will be given nine months to bring local plans and ordinances into conformance with the Council's plan. The Council will review local comprehensive plan amendments and environmental documents to ensure that Regional Parks System sites and facilities are protected from land uses or projects that: • represent substantial departures from the 2040 Regional Parks Policy Plan, or • are likely to have a substantial impact on the Regional Parks System Substantial departures from the 2040 Regional Parks Policy Plan or impacts on the Regional Parks System may include, but are not limited to: • Plans that don't acknowledge the presence of the Regional Parks System unit • Projects that create safety issues for Regional Parks System users