Town zoning in shorelands, the scope of county shoreland zoning ordinances, and authorizing partial county zoning. (FE)

Under current law, each county must zone by ordinance all shorelands in its unincorporated area in order to promote the public health, safety, and general welfare and to effect the following purposes: to further the maintenance of safe and healthful conditions; prevent and control water pollution; protect spawning grounds, fish, and aquatic life; control building sites, placement of structures, and land uses;

and reserve shore cover and natural beauty. This bill adds that the requirements in a county shoreland zoning ordinance must relate to these purposes.

Current law allows a town to enact a zoning ordinance that applies in shorelands. This bill specifies that a town may enact a zoning ordinance affecting the same shorelands as a county shoreland zoning ordinance. Both the current law authorization and the bill's authorization are subject to a restriction that, generally, such a town ordinance may not impose restrictions or requirements in shorelands with respect to matters regulated by a county shoreland zoning ordinance affecting the same shorelands, regardless of whether the county shoreland zoning ordinance was enacted separately from, or together with, a zoning ordinance.