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Home My WebLink About10012025 PC Special Meeting Packet SPECIAL MEETING AGENDA PLANNING COMMISSION October 1, 2025 6:00 - 7:00 PM Notice is hereby given that the Port Angeles Planning Commission will meet on Wednesday, October 1, 2025 starting at 6:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers in City Hall, located at 321 E. 5th Street, Port Angeles, WA. This meeting will be conducted as a hybrid meeting. In hybrid meetings, members of the public, Committee members, and City staff have the option to attend the meeting in person at City Hall or remotely through the Webex virtual meeting platform. For those planning to attend remotely, learn how to watch the meeting live and participate during the public comment period by visiting: https://www.cityofpa.us/Live-Virtual-Meetings For audio only, please call: 1-844-992-4726 Use access code: 2552 694 7119 Webinar password: PC10012025 (72100120 when dialing from a phone or video system) Once connected press *3 to raise your virtual hand, if you wish to make a comment or public testimony. You will be notified when it is your turn to speak. This access code will work for the October 1, 2025 meeting only. If you are joining the meeting through the Webex link and wish to make a comment or provide public testimony, please use the “raise your hand” feature in Webex. You will be notified when it is your turn to speak. Virtual Webex Meeting Link: https://cityofpa.webex.com/cityofpa/j.php?MTID=md8ebb0624a44b1cac0deea5da24d77e2 The meeting is open to the public. I. CALL TO ORDER II. ROLL CALL III. PUBLIC COMMENT IV. APPROVAL OF MINUTES None. V. ACTION ITEM 1. Public Hearing: State Environmental Policy Act Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) Alternatives. Public hearing for the Draft SEPA EIS Alternatives associated with the Vision 2045 Comprehensive Plan Periodic Update VI. ADJOURNMENT City of Port Angeles 2025-2045 Comprehensive Plan Update DRAFT Environmental Impact Statement September 2025 City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page i Fact Sheet PROJECT TITLE: City of Port Angeles 2025-2045 Comprehensive Plan Update PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The City of Port Angeles is preparing a Comprehensive Plan Update in accordance with the Growth Management Act (GMA). Port Angeles is required to complete its review and update of the Comprehensive Plan elements, development regulations, and Urban Growth Areas (UGAs) by December 31, 2025. As a result of the Comprehensive Plan Update, the City is considering amendments to Comprehensive Plan goals and policies, UGA boundaries, and associated maps. As required by the GMA, the City will formulate a new climate change and resiliency chapter in the Comprehensive Plan. The purpose of this document is to provide details about how the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) will be conducted, identify which components will be evaluated, describe the alternatives (including the preferred) that will be studied and analyzed, and outline the public engagement steps and timeline. PROJECT LOCATION: City of Port Angeles PROJECT SCHEDULE: The City is due to complete the Comprehensive Plan Update by December 31, 2025. STATE ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT (SEPA) LEAD AGENCY: City of Port Angeles LEAD AGENCY ADDRESS: City of Port Angeles 321 East 5th Street Port Angeles, WA 98362 LEAD AGENCY CONTACT PERSON: Ben Braudrick, AICP Community & Economic Development 360.417.4804 bbraudrick@cityofpa.us EIS CONTRIBUTORS: City of Port Angeles SCJ Alliance Makers Leland Consulting Group City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page ii DATE OF DRAFT EIS ISSUANCE: September 18, 2025 COMMENTS DUE: October 18, 2025 DATE AND LOCATION OF PUBLIC HEARING/OPEN HOUSE: City Council Chambers, 321 E 5th Street, Port Angeles, WA, 98362, and virtually PROPOSED DATE OF EIS ADOPTION: December 2025 DRAFT EIS AVAILABILITY: https://www.cityofpa.us/937/Vision-2045-Comprehensive-Plan-Periodic- City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page iii Table of Contents Fact Sheet............................................................................................................................................................ i 1 Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................................. 4 1.1 Objectives and Planning Context ................................................................................................................ 4 1.2 Alternatives ...................................................................................................................................................... 4 1.3 Summary of Impacts and Mitigation Strategies ....................................................................................... 6 2 Project Description .............................................................................................................................................. 8 2.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................................................... 8 2.2 Scope of the Environmental Review ........................................................................................................... 8 2.3 Objectives and Planning Context ................................................................................................................ 9 2.4 Alternatives ..................................................................................................................................................... 11 3 Existing Conditions, Impacts, and Mitigation Measures ............................................................................ 20 3.1 Land Use ......................................................................................................................................................... 20 3.2 Transportation ............................................................................................................................................... 37 3.3 Public Services and Utilities ......................................................................................................................... 63 3.4 Hazard Mitigation and Climate ................................................................................................................... 71 4 Distribution List .................................................................................................................................................. 74 4.1 Federal and Tribal Agencies ....................................................................................................................... 74 4.2 State Agencies ............................................................................................................................................... 74 4.3 City Departments .......................................................................................................................................... 74 4.4 County and Regional Departments .......................................................................................................... 75 4.5 Others ............................................................................................................................................................. 75 5 References ........................................................................................................................................................... 76 City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page 4 1 Executive Summary The City of Port Angeles is updating the Comprehensive Plan in accordance with the Growth Management Act (GMA). The GMA also requires that the city consider the potential environmental impacts associated with the Plan update in compliance with the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA). This summary provides a brief overview of the information considered in this SEPA Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). Chapter 2 contains detailed information on the alternatives being considered. Chapter 3 contains detailed information on the existing conditions, potential environmental impacts, and mitigation measures for each alternative and element of the environment. 1.1 Objectives and Planning Context The GMA requires that each city and county in Washington state conduct a periodic update of its comprehensive plan and development regulations per the Revised Code of Washington (RCW) 36.70A.130. A comprehensive plan serves as the blueprint for how a city will manage the population and jobs growth over a 20-year period. The City of Port Angeles’ previous comprehensive plan was substantially revised in 2016. The City of Port Angeles’ Comprehensive Plan update will provide a vision for the future of the community and a roadmap for development. It outlines what the community wants to look like moving forward to 2045, and how to make that collective vision a reality. 1.2 Alternatives 1.2.1 Alternative 1 – No Action Alternative 1 – No Action analyzes growth under the city’s existing land use and zoning and assumes current standards for development city-wide. The No Action alternative represents a continuation of the current practices for the development environment. Alternative 1 – No Action does not take into consideration recent legislation (2023) pertaining to increased densities for housing. It assumes the existing development environment would stay the same, with new development and infill following the current standards. 1.2.2 Alternative 2 – Distributed Growth Alternative 2 – Distributed Growth would distribute housing and employment growth across the City by expanding and increasing development density and intensity. The main features of the Distributed Growth Alternative are:  Increased housing capacity in most residential areas, including higher densities permitted in most of the central area north of Laurel Street between Valley Street and Ennis Creek, and in the area west of A Street on the 8th Street and C Street corridors. City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page 5  Expansions of where commercial land use is permitted, including expansion of mixed-use zoning on 8th Street west of A Street, west of Lincoln Park near the airport, along Park Avenue near the college, and the golf course.  Increased density along the Race Street corridor.  Increased density along 8th Street east of Valley Street.  Increased opportunities for attached and multiunit housing in residential neighborhoods citywide.  Redesignating the old Rayonier mill site from Industrial to Mixed-Use zoning.  Improved multimodal transportation networks.  Minimal increase in park land.  Citywide investments in utility infrastructure.  County-led UGA swap between the Clallam Bay/Sekiu UGA and an unincorporated area immediately west of the Port Angeles West UGA. 1.2.3 Alternative 3 – Focused Growth Alternative 3 would focus housing and employment growth in the downtown area, as shown in the Alternative 3 Future Land Use Map (Figure 4). The main features of the Focused Growth Alternative are:  Increased housing capacity in most residential areas, including higher densities permitted in most of the central area north of Laurel Street between Valley Street and Ennis Creek.  Expansions of where commercial land use is permitted, including along Park Avenue and near the college and the golf course.  Increased density along the Race Street corridor.  Increased density along 8th Street east of Valley Street.  Increased opportunities for attached and multiunit housing in residential neighborhoods citywide.  Redesignating the old Rayonier mill site from Industrial to Mixed-Use zoning.  Minimal growth in all other areas of the City.  County-led UGA swap between the Clallam Bay/Sekiu UGA and an unincorporated area immediately west of the Port Angeles West UGA. City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page 6 1.3 Summary of Impacts and Mitigation Strategies Table 1 Summary of Impacts and Mitigation Strategies Environmental Discipline Alternative 1 – No Action Alternative 2 – Distributed Growth Alternative 3 – Focused Growth Land Use Impacts  No Comprehensive Plan Update would be in violation of the GMA, which would be a significant and unavoidable adverse impact, exposing the City to legal challenges, potential loss of tax revenue, eligibility for state funding, or other consequences related to non-compliance.  Includes changes in land use designations for new residential, commercial, and industrial development.  Allows increased housing capacity in most residential areas.  Could create conflicts between new development and existing uses.  Would encourage more development across a larger area placing increased pressure on existing public services.  Changes would be more contained with more dense development patterns and greater levels of redevelopment and infill as compared to Alternatives 1 and 2.  Less commercial area expansion than Alternative 2. Mitigation  Significant unavoidable impacts for non- compliance with GMA.  Promote infill development to reduce pressure on areas outside the City and UGAs.  Encourage a minimum mix of housing types, including affordable options, in new subdivisions.  Refine and promote multifamily tax exemption program.  Same as Alternative 2 Transportation Impacts  Front St & 1st St segments on US 101, between S Lincoln St and S Golf Course Rd, would degrade from LOS D to E. US 101 segment between S Golf Course Rd and N Baker St would continue to fail the LOS standard in the future.  Increased demand over a larger area than Alternatives 1 and 3 could moderate congestion as growth occurs.  Potentially more strain on the downtown transportation system than Alternatives 1 and 2 but would still meet LOS standards. Mitigation  Prioritize improvements for active transportation.  Work with transit agency to provide bi- directional cross-town and microtransit services.  Revisit the concept of creating an alternative truck route to downtown.  Same as Alternative 1.  Same as Alternative 1. City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page 7  Additional evaluation and mitigation as development occurs. Public Services & Utilities Impacts  Need an additional 4 police to meet the LOS standard.  Need an additional 14 firefighters to meet the LOS standard.  Upgrades to the stormwater conveyance system, and potentially a new regional facility required to accommodate growth and prevent flooding of the stormwater system.  Insufficient conveyance capacity in combined wastewater system.  Same as Alternative 1.  Same as Alternative 1. Mitigation  Prioritize system rehabilitation and replacement to avoid compounding existing deficiencies.  Prioritize system rehabilitation and replacement to avoid compounding existing deficiencies.  Implement projects from the Capital Facilities Plan.  Same as Alternative 2. Hazard Mitigation & Climate Impacts  New development would be at risk from hazards exacerbated by climate change.  No Climate Element would be adopted and there would be no goals or policies in place to increase climate resilience.  New development would be at risk from hazards exacerbated by climate change.  Adoption and implementation of goals and policies in the Climate Element would make the City more resilient to climate change.  Same as Alternative 2. Mitigation  None available.  Implement measures identified in the Climate Resiliency Plan and Climate Resiliency Implementation Plan.  Same as Alternative 2. City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page 8 2 Project Description 2.1 Introduction The City of Port Angeles is preparing Vision 2045 Comprehensive Plan Update in accordance with the Growth Management Act (GMA). Port Angeles is required to complete its review and update of the Comprehensive Plan elements, development regulations, and Urban Growth Areas (UGAs) by December 31, 2025. As a result of the Comprehensive Plan Update, the City is considering amendments to Comprehensive Plan goals and policies and associated maps. As required by the GMA, the City will formulate a new climate change and resiliency chapter in the Comprehensive Plan. Development regulations (zoning, critical areas ordinance, etc.) may also be amended. This Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) studied a “No Action Alternative” and two action alternatives. The "Action” Alternatives are different approaches to achieve a proposed future vision of the City to accommodate growth, and they serve as the basis for the analyses related to the environmental elements that would be affected by that growth. The potential environmental impacts of development under each alternative are analyzed in this State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) EIS. The City of Port Angeles will use the findings of the EIS to inform their decision on a Preferred Alternative, which will be integrated into the Comprehensive Plan, and associated development regulations. The Comprehensive Plan is expected to have final adoption by the City Council in December of 2025. The alternatives considered in this EIS provide a range of development scenarios to accommodate housing and employment growth and infrastructure investments. The outcome will be a plan and policies that provide a coordinated framework for the City. Each alternative is described in this chapter. 2.2 Scope of the Environmental Review The City of Port Angeles published a Determination of Significance and Scoping Notice on April 1, 2025. Agencies, affected Tribes, and members of the public were invited to comment on the scope of the EIS, including potential project alternatives, probable significant adverse impacts, and mitigation measures. The scoping comment period ended on April 30, 2025. Port Angeles received 3 scoping comments, including a letter from the Port Angeles Association of Realtors and two letters from members of the public. Scoping comments specific to the contents of the EIS and the SEPA process included:  Documentation of the SEPA process should be made available, including the full materials provided during the open house.  The EIS should include a cost-benefit analysis and cover economic, fiscal, and social impacts.  Vacant buildings downtown should be addressed.  Maps in the DEIS should show existing and future urban growth boundaries. City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page 9 Port Angeles has considered the scoping comments throughout the development of the environmental analysis included in this EIS. Documentation of the SEPA process has been made available at https://cityofpa.us/937/Vision-2045Comprehensive-Plan-Periodic-. Economic impacts are outside the scope of SEPA but were considered in development of the Comprehensive Plan. 2.3 Objectives and Planning Context The Comprehensive Plan is the basis upon which local governmental decisions are to be made. It sets forth the City's goals and policies and visualizes directions the City will take over the next two decades. The Comprehensive Plan goals are expressed as broad statements of intent that will fulfill the vision of what the city intends to become or how the City should look or feel in the future. The goals in the Comprehensive Plan are supported by policy statements that usually include the word should. The policy statements are directive and provide a basis for decision- making and establish a principal of wise management leading to achievement of a goal. Objectives are statements of specific actions that when taken will result in the realization of a goal. The Comprehensive Plan is a long-term strategy that will outline the community’s vision, identity, and development strategies for the next 20 years. It will also guide decisions on key issues, such as:  Housing accessibility and equity;  Local economic development, business establishment and retention, and employment opportunities;  Future land use mapping and zoning practices;  Utility development and ongoing maintenance;  Park and recreation access;  Neighborhood services;  Environmental protection and climate resiliency; and  Transportation access and continuity The City’s Vision Statement says: In 2045, Port Angeles is a thriving community that encompasses and entwines its natural landscapes, adopts sensible approaches to climate resiliency, and reverence for tribal heritage while acknowledging its broader history, including its forestry practices and maritime traditions. The City carefully balances progress and tradition, fostering a resilient economy, diverse housing options, and well-constructed and maintained infrastructure that serves local needs. Port Angeles remains rooted in its strong sense of community, ensuring public safety, enhancing quality of life, and promoting overall well-being, while creating a welcoming environment for visitors. 2.3.1 Study Area Poised at the northern edge of the Olympic Peninsula in Clallam County, the City of Port Angeles serves as a major cultural and economic hub in the area. The city’s 10.7 square miles, or 6,856 acres, are framed by the Strait of Juan de Fuca to the north and the Olympic Mountains to the south, giving the community a unique natural setting. The City’s planning areas are made up of 18 neighborhoods, as shown in Figure 1. The Comprehensive Plan Land Use Appendix describes these areas in more detail. City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Figure 1 City Planning Areas City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page 11 2.3.2 Projections of Growth Understanding future population and employment growth is essential for community planning. The Port Angeles population has grown an average of 0.4% annually since 2000, compared to 0.9% for Clallam County and 1.3% for Washington State. The state Office of Financial Management (OFM) has projected a 5% growth rate for Clallam County over the next 20 years, which is higher than the growth rates to date. Clallam County is leading a collaborative process to “allocate” population growth to Port Angeles, Sequim, Forks, and rural areas. The forecasts and growth targets for Port Angeles used throughout the comprehensive planning process inform future actions on land use, infrastructure, housing, economic development, and transportation. Table 1 shows both the current and projected population, housing, and employment targets for Port Angeles. Table 2 Population, Employment, and Housing Growth Targets 20201 20242 2045 Projection3 Population 19,960 20,410 23,110 Housing Units 9,567 9,718 11,668 Jobs 8,884 8,884 9,851 1 2020 Decennial Census, U.S. Census Bureau. 2 April 1, 2024, estimates, Washington State Office of Financial Management. 3 2024-2045 Land capacity analysis, Clallam County. Port Angeles needs to plan for a projected increase of 3,150 new residents, 1,970 new housing units, and 967 jobs by 2045. New statewide requirements for comprehensive plans (see RCW 36.70A.070(2)) require jurisdictions to plan for housing units based on the income level those units can serve. Under Port Angeles’s current zoning, there is a deficit to serve the projected number of low-income households for this planning period, meaning zoning needs to allow more areas where low-rise and mid-rise apartment and condominium buildings can be developed. Zoning updates that implement the 2025 Comprehensive Plan and its Future Land Use Map would correct this deficiency by generally expanding capacity for all housing types and household incomes citywide. 2.4 Alternatives The alternatives were developed by understanding the housing and employment growth targets for the City and identifying where future growth may occur. The planning efforts incorporated findings from other planning processes running concurrently with the Comprehensive Plan update. These efforts include, but are not limited to, updating the various elements of the Comprehensive Plan, a new Climate Resiliency and Hazard Mitigation element, a Housing Needs Assessment, a Racially Disparate Impacts Analysis, a Housing Action Plan update, a Land Capacity Analysis, an Economic Development Report related to potential Western Urban Growth Area modification, and the Capital Facilities Plan (CFP). Alternatives 2 and 3 plan for the same amount of housing, population and employment growth; however, each alternative has different assumptions of where that growth will happen. City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page 12 2.4.1 Alternative 1 – No Action The No Action Alternative is based on the historical development trends of neighborhoods and existing land capacity. This alternative is a baseline using the City’s current Comprehensive Plan Land Use and zoning designations. It assumes the existing rate of development would stay the same, with new development and infill following the current standards. A new Comprehensive Plan would not be adopted under this alternative. The Alternative 1 – No Action Future Land Use Map is shown in Figure 2. City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page 13 Figure 2 Alternative 1 – No Action Future Land Use Map City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page 14 2.4.2 Alternative 2 – Distributed Growth Alternative 2 – Distributed Growth would distribute housing and employment growth across the City by expanding and increasing development density and intensity, as shown in the Alternative 2 Future Land Use Map (Figure 3). The main features of the Distributed Growth Alternative are:  Increased housing capacity in most residential areas, including higher densities permitted in most of the central area north of Lauridsen Boulevard between Valley Street and Ennis Creek, and in the area west of A Street on the 8th Street and C Street corridors.  Expansions of where commercial land use is permitted, including expansion of mixed-use zoning on 8th Street west of A Street, west of Lincoln Park near the airport, along Park Avenue near the college, and the golf course.  Increased density along the Race Street corridor.  Increased density along 8th Street east of Valley Street.  Increased opportunities for attached and multiunit housing in residential neighborhoods citywide.  Redesignating the old Rayonier mill site from Industrial to Mixed-Use zoning.  Improved multimodal transportation networks.  Minimal increase in park land.  Citywide investments in utility infrastructure.  County-led UGA swap between the Clallam Bay/Sekiu UGA and an unincorporated area immediately west of the Port Angeles West UGA.  Alternative 2 includes a UGA swap, as allowed in RCW 36.70A.110(8). “A UGA swap refers to the process by which a county can modify a UGA boundary by removing one area and adding another area. This process allows for removing areas that will not develop with urban growth” (DOC 2025). The City of Port Angeles is coordinating with Clallam County to plan for a potential UGA swap between the Clallam Bay/Sekiu UGA and an unincorporated area immediately west of the Port Angeles West UGA (Figures 4 and 5). Although the areas planned for the UGA swap are under the jurisdiction of the County, the City of Port Angeles would include the new UGA area within its service area. City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page 15 Figure 3 Alternative 2 – Distributed Growth Future Land Use Map City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page 16 Figure 4 Proposed UGA Swap Areas City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page 17 Figure 5 UGA Swap Detail Map and Proposed Land Use Designations City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page 18 2.4.3 Alternative 3 – Focused Growth Alternative 3 would focus housing and employment growth in the downtown area, as shown in the Alternative 3 Future Land Use Map (Figure 6). The main features of the Focused Growth Alternative are:  Increased housing capacity in most residential areas, including higher densities permitted in most of the central area north of Lauridsen Boulevard between Valley Street and Ennis Creek.  Expansions of where commercial land use is permitted, including along Park Avenue and near the college and the golf course.  Increased density along the Race Street corridor.  Increased density along 8th Street east of Valley Street.  Increased opportunities for attached and multiunit housing in residential neighborhoods citywide.  Redesignating the old Rayonier mill site from Industrial to Mixed-Use zoning.  Minimal growth in all other areas of the City.  County-led UGA swap between the Clallam Bay/Sekiu UGA and an unincorporated area immediately west of the Port Angeles West UGA. Alternative 3 also includes the same UGA swap, as detailed in Alternative 2, above. City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page 19 Figure 6 Alternative 3 – Focused Growth Future Land Use Map City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page 20 3 Existing Conditions, Impacts, and Mitigation Measures 3.1 Land Use This section summarizes the affected environment, including the current land use plan and policy framework, and current land uses within the City. It also provides a comparison of the potential impacts of the alternatives on land uses in the city. 3.1.1 Existing Conditions Regulatory Framework Washington State Growth Management Act (RCW 36.70A) adopted in 1990, provides a coordinated framework for sustainable planning by requiring comprehensive plans and development regulations that guide growth, protect resources, and support infrastructure. The GMA requires that every Comprehensive Plan include a housing element that “Identifies sufficient capacity of land for housing including, but not limited to, government-assisted housing, housing for moderate, low, very low, and extremely low-income households, manufactured housing, multifamily housing, group homes, foster care facilities, emergency housing, emergency shelters, permanent supportive housing, and within an urban growth area boundary, consideration of duplexes, triplexes, and townhomes” (RCA 36.70A.070(2)(c). RCW 36.70A.070(2)(e) requires jurisdictions to assess housing policies that may have a racially disparate or exclusionary effect on the local population and address patterns of disinvestment. Local governments must also identify displacement risk and establish policies to prevent displacement. The Shoreline Management Act (SMA) (RCW 90.58), adopted in 1971, governs shoreline use to protect ecological functions, promote public access, and encourage water-oriented development through locally tailored, state-approved Shoreline Master Programs (SMPs). The City of Port Angeles Shoreline Master Program, last updated in 2021, regulates shoreline development through policies, environmental designations, and development standards that promote responsible use, public access, and resource protection, with oversight from the Washington State Department of Ecology. House Bill (HB) 1220, enacted in 2021, amends the GMA to require jurisdictions to plan for and accommodate affordable housing. It requires comprehensive plans to include an inventory and analysis of housing needs for various income levels, including emergency shelters and permanent supportive housing. It also requires the identification of sufficient land and zoning capacities for these housing types. Additionally, the bill directs jurisdictions to consider policies that encourage the construction of accessory dwelling units (ADUs) to meet affordable housing goals. City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page 21 HB 1337, enacted in 2023, aims to expand housing options by reducing barriers to the construction and use of ADUs. The legislation requires cities and counties planning under the GMA to permit ADUs within their UGAs. It also prohibits certain restrictive regulations and allows local governments to offer incentives for ADU development. Key provisions of HB 1337 include limiting impact fees for ADUs to no more than 50% of those for the principal unit, eliminating owner-occupancy requirements, and permitting at least two ADUs per lot in single-family zones in UGAs. The City of Port Angeles Municipal Code (PAMC) (Title 17 – Zoning) establishes land use designations, allowable uses, and development standards. PAMC Title 14 Buildings and Construction, Title 16 Subdivisions, and Title 17 Zoning regulate the development of housing in the city. In addition, Title 15 Environment includes regulations that affect where new housing can be built, such as the critical areas ordinance included in Chapter 15.20 Environmentally Sensitive Areas Protection. Land Use The Land Use Element establishes City policy regarding how land may be developed. The Comprehensive Plan Land Use Map illustrates the desired development pattern for the city. There are six existing comprehensive plan land use categories:  Low Density Residential  Medium Density Residential  High Density Residential  Commercial  Industrial  Open Space These categories and their associated areas are configured in coordination with a wide range of planning considerations, including population projections and a developable lands inventory, per GMA requirements. The City’s current Comprehensive Land Use map is shown in Figure 7. Port Angeles contains a wide range of land uses. Most land is developed, with 10.4% of land remaining vacant or undeveloped as of 2025. The oldest and most urbanized area of Port Angeles is the original “townsite” which is shaped by a regular grid of streets and alleys. More recent development in outlying areas has been suburban with large lots and disconnected streets. City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page 22 Figure 7 Port Angeles’ Existing Land Use Map City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page 23 Zoning PAMC Title 17 establishes 20 zoning designations. The City of Port Angeles contains residential areas, industrial areas and commercial areas with a fairly well defined Central Business District (CBD). The current city zoning is shown in Table 3 and Figure 8. Table 3 Current Zoning Designations PAMC Zoning Code Section Abbreviated Designation Zone Classification 17.10 R7 Residential, Mixed Density 17.11 R9 Residential, Low Density 17.12 R11 Residential, Low Density 17.13 RTP Residential Trailer Park Overlay Zone 17.14 RMD Residential, Medium Density 17.15 RHD Residential, High Density 17.19 PRD Planned Residential Development Overlay Zone 17.20 CO Commercial, Office 17.21 CN Commercial, Neighborhood 17.22 CSD Community Shopping District 17.24 CBD Central Business District 17.25 CR Commercial, Regional 17.30 IP Industrial Park 17.31 PID Planned Residential Development Overlay Zone 17.32 IL Industrial, Light 17.34 IH Industrial, Heavy 17.36 IM Industrial, Marine 17.40 PBP Public Building - Park 17.44* PLID Planned Low Impact Development Zone 17.45* IOZ Infill Overlay Zone Shorelines of the State The SMA focuses on shoreline use, environmental protection, and public access. The City of Port Angeles implements the SMA through its SMP. The Port Angeles SMP provides shoreline designations and regulations for the City’s shorelines in compliance with the requirements of the SMA. As stated in the Port Angeles SMP (2021), the shoreline jurisdiction includes areas that are 200 feet landward of the ordinary high-water mark (OHWM) of waters that have been designated as “Shorelines of Statewide Significance” or “Shorelines of the State.” The Shorelines of the State are the marine waters of the Port Angeles Harbor and the Strait of Juan de Fuca, extending north to the international boundary, and the tidally influenced portions of Valley, Tumwater, Peabody, and Ennis Creeks. The Shorelines of Statewide Significance include the portion of the Strait of Juan de Fuca lying seaward from the line of extreme low tide north to the border with Canada. The Shoreline Environment Designations map is shown in Figure 10. City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page 24 Figure 8 2024 Zoning Map City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page 25 Figure 9 Shoreline Environment Designations City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page 26 Population According to OFM, as of 2024 there were an estimated 20,410 residents in Port Angeles. Since the 2020 Census, the city’s population has grown by about 2.25 percent. The population grew rapidly in the 1950s and 60s, slowing down since the 1970s. After the permanent closure of Fibreboard paper mill in 1970, the previously rapidly growing city has been experiencing slower growth with annual rates between 0.02 and 0.84 percent. Clallam County projects that the city’s population will grow to 23,369 by 2045, and that unincorporated Port Angeles’ urban growth area (UGA) population will reach 3,301. Therefore, the total population of the City of Port Angeles and the associated unincorporated UGA is projected to be 26,670 by 2045. The City’s population has grown at a slower rate (6.5%) than Clallam County (7.4%) and Washington State's total population (14.7%) over the past decade. Housing A Housing Needs Assessment (HNA) was prepared as part of the background analysis for updating the Housing Element of the City of Port Angeles 2025 Comprehensive Plan Update, as required by the GMA under RCW 36.70A.130. The HNA identifies current and future housing needs to serve all income demographics of the community and analyzes potential gaps in housing supply, type, and affordability (Leland Consulting Group 2024). As of the 2022 American Community Survey (ACS), there were 9,087 households in Port Angeles, with an average of 2.2 people per household. This is larger than Clallam County’s 2022 average household size of 2.1 and smaller than the 2022 statewide average of 2.5. In Port Angeles, renters represent a significant share of household tenure and experience a higher risk of housing instability due to factors such as changes in rent, lower incomes, and higher rates of cost burden. Households that own their homes in Port Angeles have a median income twice that of renter households, as shown in Figure 11. This demonstrates potential affordability concerns for rental households. City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page 27 Figure 10 Median Household Income Comparison Source: Housing Needs Assessment (Leland Consulting Group 2024); U.S. Census Bureau 5-Year ACS, Table S2503. A household is considered “severely cost-burdened” if it spends more than 50 percent of its income on housing. Figure 12 shows Port Angeles’ households broken down by cost burden and tenure. Overall, 38% of households are cost-burdened, and 16% are severely cost-burdened. Renters face higher levels of cost burden, with half of renter households spending more than 30 percent of their income on housing. This shows a need for more affordable rental housing in the city. Figure 11 Cost Burdened Households by Tenure $38,938 $54,361 $22,386 $44,398 $57,244 $60,212 $73,425 $34,936 $66,108 $90,325 Port Angeles Port Angeles (Owner- occupied) Port Angeles (Renter- occupied) Clallam County Washington State 2010 2022 9% 24% 16% 17% 27% 22% 74% 49% 62% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Owner Occupied Renter occupied All Households Severely Cost Burdened Cost Burdened Not Cost Burdened City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page 28 Source: Housing Needs Assessment (Leland Consulting Group 2024); 2016-2020 HUD Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy Displacement Risk According to the Washington Department of Commerce’s draft Displacement Risk Map, most of the Port Angeles census tracts in the east face a high risk of displacement (Figure 13). Overall, this is one of the highest concentrations in the county. Along with the low median income compared to the county and the state figures and the high-cost burden on housing, this indicates a need for additional housing that at-risk residents can afford. Figure 12 Displacement Risk Map for Port Angeles Source: Housing Needs Assessment (Leland Consulting Group 2024); Washington Department of Commerce Draft Displacement Risk Map. Housing Supply Port Angeles had 9,930 housing units in 2022 according to the latest American Community Survey 5-year estimate. The breakdown of units by type is shown in Figure 14. Although these numbers are similar to the rest of Clallam County and Washington State, a lack of diversity of housing types can present barriers to housing for some segments of the population, such as older adults who wish to downsize, first-time homebuyers who cannot afford a large home, or renters. City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page 29 Figure 13 Housing Unit Types, 2022 Source: U.S. Census Bureau 2022 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table DP04 Source: Housing Needs Assessment (Leland Consulting Group 2024); U.S. Census Bureau 2022 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table DP04 Although ownership vacancy rates have remained relatively consistent over time, rental vacancy rates have dropped steadily since 2014, from 10% in 2014 to 2.8% in 2022 (Figure 15). This trend indicates increased demand for apartments in the city, and likely an undersupply. Low vacancy rates can make it harder for workers to find housing, making it harder for local employers to recruit and retain workers, in addition to driving up housing costs and exacerbating housing insecurity overall. The current vacancy rates for both rental and ownership housing are below what is considered a “healthy” vacancy rate, which is between 5% and 6%. This demonstrates a need for more housing production in the city to keep up with demand and help improve housing affordability. City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page 30 Figure 14 Housing Vacancy Rates in Port Angeles, 2012-2022 Source: Housing Needs Assessment (Leland Consulting Group 2024); U.S. Census Bureau 2022 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table DP04. Employment According to the latest Census/LEHD data, there were 9,102 jobs in Port Angeles in 2021. Figure 16 shows employment by the job sector for the top ten sectors. The top industry in the city as of 2021 is healthcare and social assistance, which has grown by almost 50 percent over the past decade, and in 2021 represents 37 percent of all jobs in the city. Other top employment sectors include accommodation and food services, education, retail, public administration, and manufacturing. 0 2,000 4,000 6,000 8,000 10,000 12,000 0% 2% 4% 6% 8% 10% 12% 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 Ho u s i n g U n i t s Va c a n c y R a t e Homeowner vacancy rate Rental vacancy rate Total housing units Occupied housing units City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page 31 Figure 15 Jobs by Sector, in 2011 and 2021 Source: Housing Needs Assessment (Leland Consulting Group 2024); U.S. Census Bureau Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics (LEHD) via Census OnTheMap. The city has about the same number of commuters coming in daily as commuters working elsewhere. Thirty-nine percent of workers in the city also live in the city. Top destinations for commuting include Seattle, Sequim, and other areas in Clallam County. Figure 17 shows commuter inflow and outflow in Port Angeles. 0 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 2,500 3,000 3,500 4,000 Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction Utilities Wholesale Trade Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting Administration & Support, Waste Management and… Real Estate and Rental and Leasing Management of Companies and Enterprises Construction Information Finance and Insurance Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services Transportation and Warehousing Other Services (excluding Public Administration) Accommodation and Food Services Public Administration Educational Services Retail Trade Manufacturing Health Care and Social Assistance 2021 2011 City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page 32 Figure 16 Commute Patterns in Port Angeles and Clallam County, 2022 Source: Housing Needs Assessment (Leland Consulting Group 2024); U.S. Census Bureau Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics (LEHD) via Census OnTheMap. 3.1.2 Potential Impacts The following analysis evaluates each of the alternatives for potential impacts to land use patterns, compatibility, and compliance with adopted land use plans, policies, and regulations. A baseline was generated to forecast future housing conditions, population, and employment in the City of Port Angeles, based on a horizon year of 2045. Port Angeles needs to plan for a projected increase of 3,150 new residents, 1,970 new housing units, and 967 jobs by 2045. Under any of the alternatives, the City has the current capacity to accommodate development to support the housing and employment projections through 2045 (Table 4). See the Land Capacity Analysis for additional information on the housing and jobs capacity analysis (LCG, 2025). Table 4 Housing Unit and Job Capacity by Zone, 2024-2045 Zone Abbreviation Zone Designation Net Housing Unit Capacity Net Job Capacity R11 Residential Low Density 132 0 R9 Residential Low Density 1,424 0 R7 Residential Mixed Density 1,252 0 RTP Residential Trailer Park Overlay 42 0 RMD Residential Medium Density 1,141 0 RHD Residential High Density 506 0 CO Commercial Office 17 21 CN Commercial Neighborhood 27 58 CSD Commercial Shopping District 137 142 CA Commercial Arterial 129 181 CBD Commercial Business District/Downtown 18 70 CR Commercial Regional 0 0 IM Industrial Marine 0 0 IP Industrial Park 0 0 IL Industrial Light 0 581 City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page 33 IH Industrial Heavy 0 1,692 PRD Planned Residential Development Overlay 16 0 PBP Public Buildings - Parks 0 0 Total 4,841 2,745 Development and growth are expected to occur over time and are not anticipated to affect all sites within the city through the planning horizon of 2045, as addressed in the Comprehensive Plan Update. Zoning and policy changes alone do not cause development; however, they direct the future development pattern, intensity, and scale that would be expected as redevelopment occurs. Incremental development over time would likely moderate the impacts on land use. If a faster or concentrated pattern of growth occurs, greater land use impacts could occur. Alternative 1 – No Action Under the No Action Alternative, Port Angeles would not adopt an updated Comprehensive Plan. There would be no changes to the Urban Growth Areas (UGAs), zoning regulations, or land use policies. Population growth would continue, but likely at a slower pace compared to the action alternatives, at historical rates with development occurring as market conditions demand. While the existing land use policies and zoning would remain in effect, they may not adequately address current or future challenges, including new legislative requirements for housing or climate resilience considerations. The lack of updated growth strategies could contribute to urban sprawl, which runs counter to the GMA’s intent to promote compact, well-planned urban growth. Although the City currently has capacity to meet the need for developable land, without associated land use and zoning policy changes, demographic trends that could point to future displacement (such as the housing cost burden) would continue and would not be addressed by the Comprehensive Plan. Under this alternative, Port Angeles would not adopt an updated Comprehensive Plan and would therefore be in violation of the GMA, which would be a significant and unavoidable adverse impact. This could expose the City to legal challenges, potential loss of tax revenue and eligibility for state funding, or other consequences related to non-compliance. Alternative 2 – Distributed Growth Land Use Under Alternative 2, the City would adopt an updated Comprehensive Plan to comply with the GMA and provide a clear direction for that growth across the city. It would involve changes in land use designations for new residential, commercial, and industrial development. Key changes would include:  Reducing the number of residential designations from three to two, the majority of which combines the existing Medium and High designations into a “Medium-High Density” designation;  Moving away from specific units per acre density references to focus instead on form-based descriptions;  Changing the name of the Commercial designation to “Mixed-Use”; and  Adding a new “Public Facilities” designation (currently those facilities fall into one of the other designations). City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page 34 Alternative 2 would allow increased housing capacity in most residential areas. Currently developed parcels could also see a change in land use through redevelopment or infill development, either switching to a new use (i.e. from residential to commercial, or from a paved but vacant lot to commercial) or through more intensive development (i.e. from single-family residential to multi-family). New residential, commercial, and industrial development would convert previously undeveloped lands to new uses. The new types and densities of allowed development could cause population growth to occur slightly faster than with the No Action Alternative, but would still occur incrementally over the 20-year planning period. Changes in land use would have the potential to create conflicts between new development and existing uses if new uses are not compatible with adjacent existing uses. For example, new commercial development directly adjacent to low-density residential development, or more intense residential or commercial use next to the urban-rural boundaries, could constitute a compatibility impact. The Distributed Growth alternative would encourage more development across a larger area than Alternative 3, and this would place increased pressure on existing public services, such as parks, utilities, and emergency services that would be required to service a broader area. Multimodal transportation facilities also would require expansion to provide access to new development. Additional information on impacts to transportation and public services can be found in Sections 3.2 and 3.3. New development in shoreline areas would have the potential to be incompatible with the Shoreline Master Program. The redesignation of the old Rayonier site from Industrial to Mixed-Use zoning could intensify the use as compared to current use, but it has the potential to support a variety of water-oriented uses that would be compatible with the High-Intensity Mixed-Use shoreline designation. Housing While Port Angeles has enough land capacity for the total housing unit target, when determining what households these units could serve, there is a deficit of 69 units for affordable housing to serve low- income households. The Distributed Growth Alternative may be more likely to accommodate future low- income housing needs with infill housing and multifamily units built in areas that historically contain an overwhelming majority of single-family households, due to the higher residential densities allowed over a broader area than the other alternatives. Outcomes under any alternative would depend on the plans of individual property owners and developers, but opportunities would be present under each alternative. With the implementation of proposed zoning changes to allow higher residential densities, no significant impacts to housing are anticipated with Alternative 2. Employment The Land Capacity Analysis shows that there is currently enough land capacity to meet the employment growth targets for 2045, thus no significant impacts are anticipated. The Distributed Growth Alternative would also expand the area where commercial uses are allowed more than the other alternatives, potentially creating the most opportunities for new employment throughout the city. City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page 35 UGA Swap Clallam County completed a Land Capacity Analysis in July 2025, which demonstrates that, under existing zoning and vacancies, the County has sufficient capacity to accommodate the projected, allocated employment growth in unincorporated Clallam County over the next 20 years. Recent trends in the area median income (AMI) show a growing disparity between Clallam County and other western Washington counties, and a need for more prosperity-wage jobs. The Clallam Economic Development Council produced a Five-Year Development Plan that recommends promoting business clusters to provide the necessary jobs. Of the 272.2 industrially zoned acres in the Clallam Bay/Sekiu UGA, only 19.6 acres are suitably located to take advantage of urban services and experience any likelihood of success. The remaining 252.6 acres of industrially zoned property would not be as easily developed due to current ownership (federal land) and uses (jail facilities)(Clallam County, 2025b). The area of unincorporated Clallam County immediately west of the Port Angeles West UGA is uniquely situated to provide opportunity for future industrial development. The area contains less than 15% critical areas, is largely flat, and already contains areas of historic and existing industrial development. There are consolidated parcels of ample size to attract targeted business clusters as identified by the Economic Development Council. Service facility extensions are already being considered for the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe and current larger-scale commercial developments. The City of Port Angeles would start planning to extend urban services necessary for the full development of this area. Development or redevelopment consistent with the proposed new designations might be an intensification of use and mitigation would be required to avoid conflicts with adjacent existing development. This would require thoughtful zoning distributions in agreement with Clallam County to ensure that existing residential areas are preserved. Alternative 3 – Focused Growth Impacts associated with the Alternative 3 – Focused Growth would be similar to those for the Distributed Growth Alternative. Over time, as development occurs, changes in land use character are anticipated. Land use changes with the Focused Growth Alternative would be characterized by more contained and more dense development patterns and greater levels of redevelopment and infill as compared to Alternatives 1 and 2. Development under the Focused Growth Alternative would prioritize infill and redevelopment of underutilized parcels, particularly those already served by appropriate infrastructure (see also Section 3.3 Public Services and Utilities). Although some areas could experience increased land use intensity, this approach would help minimize land use conflicts and ensure more efficient public service delivery. Prosperity Wages A prosperity wage is sufficient to allow an individual or family to achieve a comfortable standard of living, covering basic needs like housing, food, healthcare, childcare, and transportation, while also allowing for savings and investments. City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page 36 Housing The Focused Growth Alternative may be more likely to accommodate future low-income housing needs with greater density in the downtown area due to a fiscal focus and capital facility prioritization of multi- level mixed-use and apartment buildings than the other alternatives. Outcomes under any alternative would depend on the plans of individual property owners and developers, but opportunities would be present under each alternative. With the implementation of proposed zoning changes to allow higher residential densities, no significant impacts to housing are anticipated with the Focused Growth Alternative. Employment The Land Capacity Analysis shows that there is currently enough land capacity to meet the employment growth targets for 2045; thus, no significant impacts are anticipated. The Focused Growth Alternative would also expand the area where commercial uses are allowed. Though the commercial area would be expanded less than under the Distributed Growth Alternative, this alternative would still create more opportunities for new employment than the No Action Alternative. UGA Swap Development of the UGA swap area under Alternative 3 would occur in the same manner as it would under Alternative 2. Alternative 3 would have the same Land Use impacts as Alternative 2, described above. 3.1.3 Mitigation Strategies The application of existing land use regulations, including zoning codes, the Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan, development standards, and the Shoreline Master Program, would help minimize or avoid many potential impacts to land use patterns and land use compatibility. These regulations are designed to ensure that new development is appropriately located, consistent with the GMA, and compatible with surrounding land uses. Other mitigation measures to reduce land use impacts could include:  Continued implementation and refinement of zoning regulations, design standards, and the critical area ordinance to maintain compatibility between urban, rural, and resource uses.  Continued application of concurrency requirements of the GMA to ensure new development is well-served by adequate infrastructure and public services.  Promotion of infill development and redevelopment to reduce pressure on areas outside the City and UGAs.  Public outreach and community planning efforts to inform residents about changes in land use designations and development patterns.  To address potential residential displacement, the City could encourage a minimum mix of housing type diversity in new subdivisions. This could be incentivized by reducing impact fees, system development charges, permit fees, and other development requirements.  Further refine and promote the multifamily tax exemption (MFTE) program, designed to provide affordable multifamily units, to attract participation. City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page 37  Prioritize the development of affordable and diverse housing options in downtown and other mixed-use areas to mitigate displacement risks. In site-specific review of new development pursuant to the Comprehensive Plan update, additional measures could be imposed to address compatibility concerns, preserve community character, or avoid impacts to critical areas. 3.1.4 Significant Unavoidable Adverse Impacts The No Action Alternative would not be in compliance with the GMA, which would be a significant unavoidable adverse impact. No other significant unavoidable adverse impacts to land use are anticipated. Under each alternative, the application of existing land use regulations would help minimize or avoid impacts. 3.2 Transportation 3.2.1 Existing Conditions The Transportation Element directs the City’s long-range vision and states that its goals are to:  Develop a coordinated, multimodal transportation system, which serves all areas of the city and all types of users in a safe, accessible, economical, and efficient manner.  Enhance network connectivity, prioritize emergency response, and promote climate resiliency through sustainable transportation innovations.  Move people and goods safely by improving circulation and transportation facilities  Strengthen connections for industry and commerce, promoting prosperity, safety, and equity.  Ensure the maintenance and improvement of transportation facilities are in alignment with the City's plans and standards, while adapting to climate risks and coordinating with different partners or stakeholders. The Port Angles transportation system is influenced by factors both within and outside of the city, including growth in neighboring communities, infrastructure maintenance by regional agencies, the lack of funding for road maintenance, new capacity projects, and competing demands for transit services. Effective interjurisdictional actions are needed to address cross-border issues and to mitigate the impacts of new development. Additionally, as Port Angeles does not directly administer public transportation services, the city is reliant on partnerships with state agencies and transit providers to serve residents. Regulatory Framework The City of Port Angeles transportation system is governed by a combination of local and state agencies. The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is responsible for constructing, maintaining, and regulating state highways that run through the city. Port Angeles Public Works Streets Division is responsible for local roads. Local documents that set transportation policies and prioritize road projects include:  The Transportation Element of the Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan,  The 2025 - 2030 CFP and Transportation Improvement Plan (Port Angeles, 2024a),  Local Road Safety Plan (Port Angeles, 2024b), and City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page 38  The Clallam Transit 2025-2030 Transit Development Plan and 2023 Annual Report (Clallam Transit, 2024). Roadway Network Streets are the foundation of multimodal travel in Port Angeles. They support the lives and activities of the city’s residents and visitors. Port Angeles’ street network is classified into four categories by functions and average daily traffic volumes: local/access roads, collector arterials, minor arterials, and principal arterials. Figure 17 shows the street network with their classifications. City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page 39 Figure 17 Roadway Functional Classification Source: City of Port Angeles, Fehr & Peers, 2025. City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page 40 Following the replacement of the Lauridsen Boulevard Bridge, the City has observed increased traffic demand along E Lauridsen Boulevard between S Lincoln Street and S Race Street in the past ten years. As conditions evolve, the City may consider reclassifying this segment to a principal arterial to better reflect its function. US Highway 101 (US 101) traverses through the city east-west and connects to regional destinations on the north end of the Olympic Peninsula. Within the City’s limit, US 101 splits into a one-way couplet at 1st Street and Front Street between S Lincoln Street and Golf Course Road. S Tumwater Truck Route (SR 117) connects US 101 between the 1st/Front Street couplet and W Lauridsen Boulevard along the Tumwater Creek, accommodating freight mobility including the logging trucks which routinely load and off-load at marine terminals in Port Angeles harbor. Port Angeles is also known for its natural features including forests, creeks, and mountains, and serves as a gateway to the Olympic National Park. While these natural features offer numerous amenities, they also constrain the city’s transportation network: the city's roads are divided by creeks running from south to north, which disrupt the otherwise well connected grid network and necessitate reliance on bridges over the creeks. Currently, W 8th Street Bridge and W Lauridsen Boulevard allow passage over Tumwater Creek and Valley Creek. E 8th Street and E Lauridsen Boulevard provide access over Peabody Creek. To cross White Creek, however, one must use the 1st/Front Street couplet, as no through routes are available to the south. Active Transportation Network Port Angeles' active transportation network consists of sidewalks, shared use paths or trails, and dedicated bicycle lanes. Most of the City’s sidewalks are located east of Tumwater Creek and north of Lauridsen Boulevard, both along arterial roads and within residential areas. Sidewalks are largely absent in other areas of Port Angeles. The current sidewalk infrastructure within the city totals approximately 83 miles, accounting for both sides of a road. The City has identified a need to expand its sidewalk infrastructure. Figure 18Error! Reference source not found.Error! Reference source not found. shows the current sidewalks in Port Angeles, as well as potential future sidewalks (e.g., areas where no sidewalk exists). City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page 41 Figure 18 Sidewalk Network in Port Angeles Source: City of Port Angeles, Fehr & Peers, 2025. City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page 42 Existing bicycle facilities include the Waterfront Trail, the Olympic Discovery Trail, and dedicated bicycle lanes. In all, these facilities total approximately 14 miles within Port Angeles. As shown in Figure 19, the City has constructed dedicated bicycle lanes along the following corridors:  Front Street between Marine Drive and N Lincoln Street  1st Street between Marine Drive and N Alder Street  S Lincoln Street between 1st Street and E 8th Street  E 8th Street between S Peabody Street and S Race Street  E Lauridsen Boulevard between S Lincoln Street and S Race Street  W 8th Street between S Lincoln Street and S A Street.  W 10th Street between S N Street and S I Street Currently, the City has secured funding for additional dedicated bike lanes or bike boulevards to be designed and constructed in 2025 and 2026 in the following locations:  S A Street between W 8th Street and W 10th Street  W 10th Street between S A Street and S I Street Upon completion, the existing and near-term built dedicated bike lanes will constitute a total of six miles. Besides near-term projects, the Race Street Complete Street Project will add another 0.6-mile shared use path/trail between E 8th Street and Front Street. The project is scheduled to enter the planning and design phase in 2025. City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page 43 Figure 19 Bicycle Network in Port Angeles Source: City of Port Angeles, Fehr & Peers, 2025. City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page 44 One of the quantifiable metrics used to evaluate the quality of existing bicycle infrastructure is bicycle level of traffic stress (LTS). Overall, the bicycle LTS can be described as follows:  LTS 1: Bicycle facilities are safe and comfortable for people of a wide range of ages and abilities.  LTS 2: Bicycle facilities are comfortable for most adults but may include small segments that exceed the tolerance for people of a wide range of ages and abilities.  LTS 3: Bicycle facilities are tolerable for confident, experienced bicyclists and pedestrians.  LTS 4: Bicycle facilities are missing and/or uncomfortable for most people and serve as a barrier to biking for many. Currently, the City of Port Angeles has not adopted methodology for determining bicycle LTS, so a set of criteria was developed to analyze current conditions and to help identify potential future active transportation projects. Detailed criteria for determining bike LTS are documented in the Comprehensive Plan Volume II. Figure 20 below shows the results of bicycle LTS in Port Angeles. Most of the local access streets are classified as LTS 1 because streets in residential areas usually have lower speed limits and traffic volumes, which create a safer environment for cyclists. Note that the results do not consider any planned facilities even though they are labeled on the map for reference. City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page 45 Figure 20 Current Bicycle Level of Traffic Stress (LTS) Source: City of Port Angeles, OpenStreetMap, Fehr & Peers, 2025. City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page 46 Transit Network Clallam Transit provides transit services in Port Angeles with internal circulations and connections to neighboring cities and Tribes. All routes depart from the Gateway Transit Center which is located between N Lincoln Street and N Laurel Street, across from the Port Angeles Visitor Center. As of 2024, a total of 28 bus shelters are available in Port Angeles, including six at the Gateway Transit Center. Most current bus stops consist of a pole with a bus sign, lacking route or timetable information. All Clallam Transit fixed routes, with the exception of Route 123 Strait Shot, the seasonal Hurricane Ridge Shuttle, and Clallam Connect, are fare-free as of January 1, 2025. Total ridership on fixed routes increased by approximately 26% from 627,000 in 2023 to 791,000 in 2024. The paratransit program run by Clallam Transit, Clallam Connect, provides door-to-door service for senior residents and people with disabilities. Table 4 shows the average monthly ridership in summer 2024 for fixed routes in Port Angeles. Figure 21 is a map of Clallam Transit fixed-route services in Port Angeles. Table 5 Clallam Transit Fixed-route Service Ridership Route Service Type/Area Summer 2024 Monthly Ridership (June – September) 10 Rural; SR 112 – Joyce 1,600 14 Intercity; US 101 – Forks 4,100 20 Urban 6,800 22 Urban 8,700 24 Urban 8,500 26 Urban 11,100 30 Intercity; US 101 – Sequim 20,400 123 Straight Shot Intercity; US 101 – Bainbridge Island Ferry Terminal 2,100 Hurricane Ridge Shuttle Shuttle – Olympic National Park 2,200 Source: Clallam Transit, 2025 Clallam Transit also operates a seasonal Hurricane Ridge Shuttle during summertime. The shuttle departs every hour from the Gateway Transit Center and stops at different trailheads in the Olympic National Park. A fare of $1 is required for taking the shuttle, with a reduced fare of $0.50 for senior citizens and individuals with disabilities. City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page 47 Figure 21 Clallam Transit Bus Routes in Port Angeles Source: Clallam Transit, Fehr & Peers, 2025. City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page 48 Freight Network Home to the Port of Port Angeles and located on the Olympic Peninsula amidst the timber industry, freight mobility is an important consideration in Port Angeles’ transportation network. The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) classifies freight corridors into five different classes based on annual freight tonnage moved on the roadway segment. Table 5 categorizes Port Angeles roadways into the five classes based on WSDOT 2023 Freight and Goods Transportation System (FGTS) truck corridors1. Currently, US 101 and SR 117 consist of the City’s truck route. Figure 22 illustrates the WSDOT classification of freight corridors in Port Angeles and the current truck route. Table 6 WSDOT Freight Classification in Port Angeles2 FGTS Truck Corridor Tier Description Streets in Port Angeles T-1 More than 10 million tons per year No Streets Classified T-2 4 million to 10 million tons per year US 101, SR 117, S Race Street, E/W 8th Street, Marine Drive T-3 300,000 to 4 million tons per year E/W Lauridsen Boulevard, S Airport Road, S C Street, S Lincoln Street, Mt Angeles Road T-4 100,000 to 300,000 tons per year W Edgewood Drive, W 18th Street, S L Street T-5 At least 20,000 tons in 60 days and less than 100,000 tons per year No Streets Classified Source: WSDOT Freight System, 2025 1 https://wsdot.maps.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=09185bbba7c94253a26961489bb 8ad20 2 Appendix D: Washington’s Freight Transportation System, pp.10. Freight System Plan. Washington Department of Transportation. City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page 49 Figure 22 WSDOT Freight System Source: WSDOT, Fehr & Peers, 2025. City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page 50 Automobile Network According to the Capital Facility Element of the Comprehensive Plan, traffic operations on all arterial streets should function at an average daily Level of Service (LOS) of D or better. LOS is a term that qualitatively describes the operating performance of an intersection or on a roadway segment. LOS is reported on a scale from A to F, with A representing the lowest delays and F the highest. Table 7 provides a brief description of each LOS letter designation. Table 7 Level of Service Descriptions LOS Description A Free-flowing conditions B Stable operating conditions C Stable operating conditions, but individual motorists are affected by interaction with others. D High density of motorists, but stable flow. E Near-capacity operations, with significant delay and low speeds F Overcapacity, with excessive delays and forced, unpredictable flows. Source: Fehr & Peers. Descriptions based on Highway Capacity Manual, 6th Edition. To evaluate whether the Port Angeles roadway facilities meet the standard today, intersection LOS and roadway segment LOS at selected high-volume locations were evaluated. Tables 8 and 9 present the LOS results under existing conditions. Figure 23 summarizes the results on a map. All intersections and six of the seven study roadway segments also meet the City’s standard currently. One segment, the section of US 101 from S Golf Course Road to N Baker Street (East City Limits), operates at LOS F (Fehr & Peers, 2025). Table 8 Existing Conditions Intersection Level of Service Summary ID Intersection Name Control LOS Standard LOS Delay (sec) 1 US 101 / SR 117 SSSC** D C 20 2 US 101 (E Lauridsen Boulevard) / S Lincoln Street Signalized D B 11 3 US 101 (S Lincoln Street) / E 8th Street Signalized D D 37 4 US 101 (N Lincoln Street) / E 1st Street Signalized D C 23 5 US 101 (N Lincoln Street) / E Front Street Signalized D D 35 6 US 101 (E 1st Street) / S Race Street Signalized D D 43 7 US 101 (E Front Street) / S Race Street Signalized D B 14 8 US 101 (E 1st Street & E Front Street) / S Golf Course Road Signalized D C 21 9 SR 117 / Marine Drive Signalized D B 17 ** SSSC = side-street stop control Source: Fehr & Peers, 2025. City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page 51 Table 9 Existing Conditions Roadway Segment Level of Service Summary ID Roadway Segment Name Bi-Directional Volume Bi-Directional MSV* of LOS D LOS 1 SR 117 from Marine Drive to US 101 640 1,368 C 2 US 101 from Cameron Road (West City Limits) to SR 117 1,260 1,659 D 3 US 101 from SR 117 to E Lauridsen Boulevard / S Lincoln Street 1,030 1,422 D 4 US 101 from S E Lauridsen Boulevard / S Lincoln Street to E 1st Street / E Front Street 880 1,493 D 5 US 101 (E Front Street) from S Lincoln Street to S Golf Course Road 1,580 1,706 D 6 US 101 (E 1st Street) from S Lincoln Street to S Golf Course Road 1,680 1,792 D 7 US 101 from S Golf Course Road to N Baker Street (East City Limits) 3,260 3,129 F * MSV = maximum service volume Source: Fehr & Peers, 2025 City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page 52 Figure 23 Existing Conditions Intersection and Roadway Segment LOS Results Source: Fehr & Peers, 2025. City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page 53 Safety Collision data from 2019 to 2023 was obtained from WSDOT to identify collision hotspots in Port Angeles. Key findings include:  1,290 collisions were reported along streets within the city's limits during this time.  26 of these collisions involved pedestrians, and 24 involved bicyclists.  25 collisions resulted in serious injuries, and 10 of the serious injury collisions involved pedestrians or bicyclists.  One collision resulted in the death of a bicyclist. This collision occurred on E Lauridsen Boulevard west of Race Street. Figure 24 illustrates where collisions were most frequent, noting the specific locations of collisions that resulted in a fatality or serious injury, based on the 2019-2023 WSDOT data. The map reveals that most of the collisions happened along the principal arterials and in particular at intersections along the 1st/Front Street couplet. In addition, according to the City staff, there was another fatal collision that happened on US 101 near Del Guzzi Drive in 2024. Airport The William R Fairchild International Airport was developed from 1934 through 1948 by the Works Progress Administration, the U.S. Army, and the U.S. Navy. Since 2008, the airport no longer offers regular commercial flights since Kenmore Air stopped serving Port Angeles. The airport includes a 5,000-squre- foot facility terminal building, 64 T-hangars and T-sheds, and 18,600 square yards for aviation parking with tie downs for 36 aircraft on the eastern ramp and for 30 more west of the terminal. City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page 54 Figure 24 Collisions in the Past Five Years within the City's Limit Source: Fehr & Peers, WSDOT, 2025. City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page 55 3.2.2 Potential Impacts Impacts Common to All Alternatives All alternatives assume the same amount of population growth over the 20-year planning period, resulting in similar amounts of increases in demand for transportation infrastructure. Active Transportation As shown in Figure 20, most of the arterials in the city were identified as LTS 3 or 4, indicating they are not comfortable for anyone but the most experienced bicycle riders. Port Angeles has opportunities to improve walkability, connectivity, and safety by expanding the current active transportation network. Although there is not an identified threshold for determining the severity of this impact, the need for these facilities will become more evident as the population grows over the planning period without improvements. The following segments along the school walking routes generally lack complete sidewalks on both sides of the road:  S D Street between W 6th Street and W 14th Street  S E Street between W 16th Street and W Lauridsen Boulevard  S M Street between W 10th Street and W 16th Street.  S N Street between W 10th Street and W 14th Street and between W 16th Street and W 18th Street  W 6th Street between S B Street and S I Street  W 10th Street between S C Street and S I Street  W 12th Street between S D Street and S I Street  W 16th Street between S C Street and S E Street  W 18th Street between S M Street and S I Street  E 3rd Street between Penn Street and Golf Course Road  S Fairmont Avenue between W Lauridsen and US 101  S Liberty Street between E 5th Street and E 8th Street  Porter Street between E Park Avenue and Campbell Avenue  Penn Street between US 101 and E 6th Street  S Laurel Street and S Peabody Street between E Park Avenue and E Ahlvers Road  E Ahlvers Road between Laurel Street and Canyon Edge Drive  Old Mill Road Between E Ahlvers Road and the City’s limit to the south. Transit Operations According to the 2021 Clallam Transit System Comprehensive Operation Analysis, fixed routes serving urban areas in Port Angeles (i.e., Routes 20, 22, 24, and 26) carried half of Clallam Transit’s total ridership, and the intercity routes (i.e., Routes 14, 30, and 123) carried an additional forty percent. These percentages underscore the importance of Clallam Transit’s fixed route services in Port Angeles. However, these fixed route services are constrained by a circular route design that results in a low frequency schedule, which likely depresses potential ridership, since trips are less efficient. City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page 56 Freight Operations At present, the US 101/Tumwater Truck Route (SR 117) interchange is not configured to accommodate westbound-to-northbound and southbound-to-eastbound truck movements. As a result, many large trucks traveling between the Port of Port Angeles and points west use the First/Front Street couplet, which impacts downtown in terms of noise and traffic. Traffic Operations To derive the future year traffic operation results, the project team escalated the 2024 volumes at study intersections and roadway segments by 13% - the forecast percentage population growth between 2024 and 2045. The 2045 volumes are shown in Tables 10 and 11. Table 10 Future Condition Intersection Volumes, 2045 ID Intersection Name PM Peak Hour Volumes 2024 Volume1 2045 Volume2 1 US 101 / SR 117 1,290 1,460 2 US 101 (E Lauridsen Boulevard) / S Lincoln Street 1,205 1,370 3 US 101 (S Lincoln Street) / E 8th Street 1,705 1,935 4 US 101 (N Lincoln Street) / E 1st Street 1,970 2,225 5 US 101 (N Lincoln Street) / E Front Street 1,625 1,845 6 US 101 (E 1st Street) / S Race Street 2,625 2,970 7 US 101 (E Front Street) / S Race Street 1,975 2,235 8 US 101 (E 1st Street & E Front Street) / S Golf Course Road 3,705 4,195 9 SR 117 / Marine Drive 1,230 1,395 1. Total volume of all turning movements at an intersection during the PM peak hour. 2. Rounded to the nearest five after applying a 13% 20-year growth rate from 2024 to 2045. Source: Fehr & Peers, 2025. Table 11 Future Condition Roadway Segment Volumes, 2045 ID Roadway Segment Name PM Peak Hour Bi-Directional Volumes 2024 Volume 2045 Volume1 1 SR 117 from Marine Drive to US 101 640 720 2 US 101 from Cameron Road (West City Limits) to SR 117 1,260 1,430 3 US 101 from SR 117 to E Lauridsen Boulevard / S Lincoln Street 1,030 1,170 4 US 101 from S E Lauridsen Boulevard / S Lincoln Street to E 1st Street / E Front Street 880 1,000 5 US 101 (E Front Street) from S Lincoln Street to S Golf Course Road 1,580 1,790 6 US 101 (E 1st Street) from S Lincoln Street to S Golf Course Road 1,680 1,900 7 US 101 from S Golf Course Road to N Baker Street (East City Limits) 3,260 3,690 1. Total volume of all turning movements at an intersection during the PM peak hour. 2. Rounded to the nearest five after applying a 13% 20-year growth rate from 2024 to 2045. Source: Fehr & Peers, 2025. City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page 57 The anticipated intersection and roadway segment LOS was calculated based on these predicted future volumes and is shown in Tables 12 and 13. Table 12 Estimated 2045 Intersection Level of Service Summary ID Intersection Name Control LOS Standard LOS Delay (sec) 1 US 101 / SR 117 SSSC** D C 23 2 US 101 (E Lauridsen Boulevard) / S Lincoln Street Signalized D B 12 3 US 101 (S Lincoln Street) / E 8th Street Signalized D D 47 4 US 101 (N Lincoln Street) / E 1st Street Signalized D C 29 5 US 101 (N Lincoln Street) / E Front Street Signalized D D 54 6 US 101 (E 1st Street) / S Race Street Signalized D D 44 7 US 101 (E Front Street) / S Race Street Signalized D B 17 8 US 101 (E 1st Street & E Front Street) / S Golf Course Road Signalized D C 32 9 SR 117 / Marine Drive Signalized D C 23 ** SSSC = side-street stop control Source: Fehr & Peers, 2025. Table 13 Estimated 2045 Roadway Segment Level of Service Summary ID Roadway Segment Name Bi-Directional Volume Bi-Directional MSV* of LOS D LOS 1 SR 117 from Marine Drive to US 101 720 1,368 C 2 US 101 from Cameron Road (West City Limits) to SR 117 1,430 1,659 D 3 US 101 from SR 117 to E Lauridsen Boulevard / S Lincoln Street 1,170 1,422 D 4 US 101 from S E Lauridsen Boulevard / S Lincoln Street to E 1st Street / E Front Street 1,000 1,493 D 5 US 101 (E Front Street) from S Lincoln Street to S Golf Course Road 1,790 1,706 E 6 US 101 (E 1st Street) from S Lincoln Street to S Golf Course Road 1,900 1,792 E 7 US 101 from S Golf Course Road to N Baker Street (East City Limits) 3,690 3,129 F * MSV = maximum service volume Source: Fehr & Peers, 2025. City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page 58 All study intersections would continue to meet the City’s standard (LOS D) in 2045 despite increased traffic volumes. Most intersections would maintain the same LOS as under existing conditions. The only intersection experiencing a measurable degradation of operations is at SR 117 and Marine Drive, where the LOS would drop from B to C, yet it would still comply with the City’s standard. Three study roadway segments would fall below the City’s LOS D standard: the Front Street and 1st Street segments on US 101, between S Lincoln Street and S Golf Course Road, would degrade from LOS D to LOS E and the US 101 segment between S Golf Course Road and N Baker Street (East City Limits) already fails to meet the City’s standard and would continue to do so with increased future traffic. With a total population increase of 13% over 20 years, an annualized growth rate of 0.62% per year is estimated. The Front Street and 1st Street segments on US 101, located between S Lincoln Street and S Golf Course Road, are projected to degrade from LOS D to LOS E in approximately 12 years and 10 years, respectively, based on the assumed annualized growth rate (Figure 25). City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page 59 Figure 25 Estimated 2045 Intersection and Roadway Segment Level of Service Source: Fehr & Peers, 2025. City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page 60 Alternative 1 – No Action Under the No Action Alternative, Port Angeles would not adopt an updated Comprehensive Plan. There would be no changes to plans or policies for improvements to transportation operations or infrastructure, potentially exacerbating impacts from population growth and increased traffic. Alternative 2 – Distributed Growth Under Alternative 2, the City would adopt an updated Comprehensive Plan to comply with the GMA and provide a clear direction for that growth across the city. It would involve updates to the goals and policies in the Transportation Element that include focusing on system resiliency, multimodal connections and Complete Streets, safety, and freight mobility. The Distributed Growth Alternative would promote development city-wide, likely resulting in increased transportation demand over a larger area than with the Focused Growth Alternative. This could potentially moderate the impacts from traffic congestion as growth occurs; however, the roadway segments estimated to degrade below City standards would still fail with full buildout unless mitigation is implemented. Specific development proposals would be evaluated on a project-level to determine whether or not it would have impacts to transportation beyond those analyzed in this programmatic EIS. Alternative 3 – Focused Growth Impacts from development with the Focused Growth Alternative would be similar to the Distributed Growth Alternative. With higher densities planned in the downtown area east of Cherry Street, those areas would likely see more strain on the transportation system than other areas; however, none of those areas are predicted to degrade below LOS standards. Specific development proposals would be evaluated on a project-level to determine whether or not it would have impacts to transportation beyond those analyzed in this programmatic EIS. 3.2.3 Mitigation Strategies Active Transportation Mitigation The City should prioritize improvements for the safety, comfort, and convenience of vulnerable roadway users – bicyclists and pedestrians. The City of Port Angeles Complete Streets Guiding Principles adopted in 2018 promotes the consideration of all modes of transportation at “each phase of planning, design, funding, construction, and the ongoing operation, preservation and maintenance of new and modified roadways.” Incorporating sidewalks to accommodate walking is consistent with the City's guidelines. Other mitigation could include improvements to school walking routes in Port Angeles, particularly those roadways identified above as lacking sidewalks. Other considerations for improving pedestrian safety at intersections include applying advanced signal controls for pedestrians. The City’s Signal Controller Upgrades Project (TR0120) will add leading pedestrian interval timing and no-turn-on-red blankout signs to intersections along US 101 (1st/Front Street couplet). Moving forward, the City should consider implementing similar controls to prioritize pedestrian and bicyclist safety on other arterials, such as S Lincoln Street, S Race Street, and 8th Street where bike lanes or shared use trails are implemented. City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page 61 To provide a better connected, low-stress system for cyclists, the City should consider the following improvements:  On Olympic Discovery Trail: o Adding physical buffers to separate the trail and traffic between S valley Street and W Hill Street. o Extend the current trail to fill the gap on W Hill Street and S Milwaukee Drive.  Link trails with other bike facilities: o Extend the northern end of the current dedicated bike lanes on S Lincoln Street to the Olympic Discovery/Waterfront Trail. o Extend the northern end of the planned/designed Race Street shared use path to the Olympic Discovery/Waterfront Trail. o Extend the western end of the dedicated bike lanes on W 10th Street to the Olympic Discovery Trail on S Milwaukee Drive.  Fill the gaps between dedicated bike lanes o Complete the bike lanes on E 8th Street between S Lincoln Street and S Peabody Street. o Extend the bike lanes on S Lincoln Street between E 8th Street and E Lauridsen Boulevard.  Freight/bike interactions o Dedicated facilities (trails, bike lanes) and enhanced signage along Marine Drive and other streets in the vicinity of the port provide additional protection for cyclists from freight traffic. Transit Operations Mitigation With more multifamily development coming to Port Angeles, there might be opportunities for the transit agency to consider restructuring routes to offer bi-directional cross-town services and introducing microtransit with on-demand hailing to cover areas of the city that are not along a fixed route. These revisions could result in more higher-frequency services on arterials and shorter travel times, with limited additional operating costs. According to the 2024-2029 System Transit Development Plan, Clallam Transit will consider expanding its microtransit service in urban areas where traditional fixed route services are not preferable. The plan also suggests considering late night and Sunday service in urban areas with a combination of fixed route and microtransit services3. The City of Port Angeles should work with Clallam Transit to implement pilot programs utilizing current resources and transform to the combination of cross-town fixed routes and microtransit services in the long term. Freight Operations Mitigation For more than a decade, the City has explored the idea of implementing a new cross-town route to support freight traffic in Port Angeles. This truck route would require improvements to the US 101/Tumwater Truck Route (SR 117) interchange to accommodate westbound-to-northbound and 3 Section 11: Action Strategies, 2024-2029 Transit Development Plan. Clallam Transit System. https://irp.cdn- website.com/0eaf265e/files/uploaded/2024-2029_TDP.pdf City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page 62 southbound-to-eastbound truck movements; enhancements to Lauridsen Boulevard to ensure that added truck traffic can be safety accommodated alongside other uses, and that other associated treatments to connect the truck route to the eastside of the city, potentially including bridges and intersection treatments on US 101. In the coming years, the City should revisit the concept of an alternative truck route and look for funding opportunities to advance key components, such as reconfiguration of US 101/Tumwater Truck Route (SR 117) interchange and safety and capacity enhancements to Lauridsen Boulevard. Traffic Operations Mitigation Potential impacts on vehicular movements along arterials in the study area may require additional evaluation and mitigation as development projects occur. The overall performance of intersections and roadway segments should be assessed by comparing the existing and the forecasted performance, based on proposed land use and/or transportation infrastructure modifications. If the proposed changes result in intersections or roadways not meeting the City’s adopted standards, additional mitigation measures may have to be implemented. Modifications to traffic circulation, volumes, speeds, on-street parking, and/or property access may occur as a result of implementation of the action alternatives and would be evaluated on a project-by-project basis. The Transportation Element contains a list of programs and projects that the City of Port Angeles has already committed to funding, as well as projects that would be needed to meet the City’s concurrency requirements through 2045. Implementation of these programs and projects over the planning period would likely mitigate most traffic operation impacts from growth. In particular, for the three roadway segments predicted to fall below the LOS standard, the following mitigation should be implemented:  1st/Front Street between S Lincoln St and S Golf Course Road - The city will keep monitoring traffic volumes, with the results guiding the evaluation of access control measures and the implementation of capacity enhancements based on future traffic growth.  US 101 between S Golf Course Road and N Baker Street - The city will keep monitoring traffic volumes, with the results guiding the evaluation of access control measures and the implementation of capacity enhancements based on future traffic growth.  US 101/Golf Course Road intersection - Replace the existing signal-controlled intersection with a roundabout. 3.2.4 Significant Unavoidable Impacts Implementation of the goals and policies in the Comprehensive Plan Update and the proposed mitigation above would likely avoid significant impacts to the City’s transportation system. No significant unavoidable impacts are anticipated. City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page 63 3.3 Public Services and Utilities 3.3.1 Existing Conditions Regulatory Framework Comprehensive Plan The Land Use and Utilities Elements of the Port Angles Comprehensive Plan provide the overall direction for facility plans and programs provided by the City. Those include plans for emergency services, schools, parks and recreation areas, and utilities. Municipal Code The Port Angeles Municipal Code Title 13 addresses all regulations and standards related to utilities in the City. Title 13 provides a comprehensive framework for managing utility services, including wastewater, electricity, water, solid waste, and stormwater. It outlines the policies for the operation and maintenance of utility facilities, establishes service provisions, and sets the fees associated with these services. Title 13 also specifies public works standards to ensure that utility systems are designed, constructed, and maintained in compliance with local and state regulations. It includes detailed rules for the management and operation of the City’s systems, addressing issues such as connections, usage, and maintenance requirements. Emergency Services The Port Angeles Police Department provides the full range of police services within the city limits of Port Angeles, operates PenCom (the county wide 911 dispatch center for police, fire and EMS calls that represents 18 agencies) and works with allied agencies on a regional basis to include the Olympic Peninsula Narcotics Enforcement Team (OPNET), police K-9 response and the Major Incident Response Team (MIRT). The police department provides patrol, crime prevention, community policing, a school resource officer, police k-9, crisis negotiators and criminal investigation services. The police operations headquarters and PenCom are located at City Hall. The Department has 65 personnel, which includes 35 authorized fully commissioned officers, 7 records specialists, 18 communications officers, 1 administrative coordinator, 2 systems coordinators, 1 GIS specialist, and an additional 5 unpaid police volunteers. The Port Angeles Capital Facilities Element states that the LOS standard for police service is 1 commissioned officer per 600 residents. Based on the 2024 population of 20,410, the City should have 34 officers to meet the LOS. The City currently meets the LOS standard. The Port Angeles Fire Department provides fire response and advanced life support emergency medical services within the city limits of Port Angeles. The Fire Department headquarters station is located at 102 East 5th Street. The Department has 27 career personnel who are cross-trained as emergency medical technicians, with 19 certified as paramedics. The department has four single-roll paramedics operating out of the Community Paramedic office Monday through Friday. There are 3 Chief Officers that provide 24- hour duty chief response availability on a rotational basis. In addition to career personnel, the Department has an active volunteer program with 15 volunteer personnel. The Port Angeles Fire Department strives to maintain an LOS ratio of 1.75 personnel per 1,000 residents, which is comparable to similar population cities. Based on the 2024 population, the City needs 36 career personnel to meet the LOS standard, 9 City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page 64 more than are currently on staff. The City currently does not meet the LOS for the number of required career personnel. Schools The Port Angeles School District Number 121 serves the City of Port Angeles and its surrounding community. The current inventory of educational facilities in the School District is shown in Table 14. Table 14 Port Angeles School District Facility Summary Name Student Count Description Grades Location Stevens Middle School 493 Middle School 1139 West 14th, Port Angeles, WA 98363 Seaview Academy 191 Alternative Online School 905 W. 9th Street, Port Angeles, WA 98363 Dry Creek Elementary 372 Elementary School K-6 25 Rife Road, Port Angeles, WA 98363 Franklin Elementary 339 Elementary School 2505 S. Washington Street, Port Angeles, WA 98362 Hamilton Elementary 355 Elementary School Pre-6 1822 W. 7th Street, Port Angeles, WA 98362 Jefferson Elementary 255 Elementary School K-6 218 E. 12th Street, Port Angeles, WA 98362 Roosevelt Elementary 440 Elementary School K-6 106 Monroe Road, Port Angeles, WA 98362 Lincoln High School 79 High School 9-12 924 West 9th Street, Port Angeles, WA 98363 Port Angeles High School 997 High School 9-12 304 Park Avenue, Port Angeles, WA 98363 Source: Washington State Report Card (OSPI, 2025). Utilizing funds through property sales, timber revenues, and Capital Levy funds, the District opened an artificial turf field in October 2023 at the former site of Monroe Elementary School. The District began construction of a new Stevens Middle School in April 2025, funded by the 2020 capital levy. The new three-story structure will serve sixth through eighth graders and include a modernization of the gymnasium. The District has also started the planning process for replacement of Franklin Elementary School and Port Angeles High School. Peninsula College is a center for higher education and diverse cultural opportunities. College programs include traditional academic transfer offerings, professional-technical training, Basic Education for Adults, adult continuing education, on-line learning courses and a center for baccalaureate degrees, allowing students many educational options. The college also works with key university partners, providing numerous opportunities for residents to earn bachelor degrees locally. These partners include City University, Western Washington University, Goddard College and The Evergreen State College. The Skills Center, working closely with Peninsula College and five neighboring school districts - Cape Flattery, Crescent, Quileute, Port Angeles and Sequim School Districts - provides the latest vocational/ technical education in a competency-based learning environment. City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page 65 Parks and Recreation Facilities The City Parks and Recreation Department maintains over 114 acres of developed park land in 22 parks, another 82 acres of undeveloped land reserved for future park development, and 92 acres of undeveloped lands set aside for protection as open space. The Parks Department maintains 14 playground equipment sites, 13 baseball and/or softball fields, 9 football and/or soccer fields, and 12 tennis courts. Approximately 10 acres are taken up by community facilities. The Senior and Community Services Center and the Vern Burton Community Center provide a wide range of year-around recreational services. Civic Field provides a full athletic complex for soccer, football and baseball, with lighting for nighttime activities, concessions, covered stadium seating, and locker rooms. The Carnegie Library, which neighbors the City’s former fire hall, has been converted to a museum leased by the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe. The City owns and operates the 41 acre Ocean View Cemetery. Other city facilities include the Feiro Marine Life Center, located in City Pier Park, and a traditional native long house, the Loomis Building and several other log structures at Lincoln Park. The Port Angeles Fine Arts Center is located in Webster Woods Park. Two public walkways connecting the downtown area with the residential area at the top of the bluff are owned and maintained by the City. One of those walkways terminates at the Conard Dyar Memorial Fountain in downtown Port Angeles. The City operates a boat launch ramp and floats for boat moorage on the eastern end of Ediz Hook. The City pier also provides moorage for transient boaters. The City maintains the Olympic Discovery/ Waterfront Trail from Morse Creek to the Coast Guard Base entry on Ediz Hook and through the city to the western city limits at Lower Elwha Road. The City is in the process of updating the Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Element, which sets the goals that the LOS standards will help to achieve and measure. These standards, such as park acreage per capita or trail accessibility metrics, will be developed and applied in alignment with this overarching vision to ensure the City effectively meets its park and recreation objectives for all residents. Currently, the City LOS for park facilities is 10 acres of parks per 1,000 population. 204 acres of parks are currently needed to meet the LOS with the 2024 population estimate of 20,410. The City’s 114 acres of developed park lands falls short of the LOS; however, when taking into account the amount of undeveloped land reserved for parks and open space, for a total of 288 acres, the City exceeds the LOS for parks and recreation facilities. There are no capital parks projects currently funded. Utilities Water Supply Port Angeles is located in the Port Angeles watershed, which drains 65,000 acres (101.5 square miles). A gradually-descending slope from the Olympic Mountains north to the Strait of Juan de Fuca characterizes the topography of the immediate Port Angeles area. Steep hillsides and bluffs of 50 to 150 feet in elevation mark the northern edge of the slope. This region is segmented by streams, which flow from the mountains toward the Strait and have formed V-shaped ravines that are much lower in elevation than the surrounding areas. These ravines contain the following major creeks passing through the community to City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page 66 Port Angeles Harbor and the Strait of Juan de Fuca: Dry Creek, Tumwater Creek, Valley Creek, Peabody Creek, Ennis/White's Creek; Lee's Creek and Morse Creek are located east of the City limits in the UGA. The Elwha River is located approximately 1.25 miles west of the City. Port Angeles’ municipal watershed consists of the drainage basin of the Elwha River. The Elwha River is about 45 miles long, has 100 miles of tributary streams, averages about 10 miles wide in an east-west direction, and drains 206,700 acres (323 square miles) of the Olympic Peninsula. Eighty-three percent of the drainage (174,623 acres) lies within Olympic National Park, and is therefore protected from timber harvest, agriculture, and other land-use disturbances. A Ground Water Resiliency Program is identified in the CFP to study the feasibility of supplementing the current water source with a well, or series of wells, in the Port Angeles watershed. The City of Port Angeles water service area includes the land within the city boundaries, along with services within Clallam County PUD No. 1, 52 Dry Creek customers, 5 Black Diamond customers, and one government account outside the city limits. The City also provides wholesale water to Clallam County PUD No. 1, subject to certain conditions consistent with GMA. Very few sites in the City obtain potable water from private wells. The current water supply for the City is from the Elwha River. The City’s water right for municipal supply is 20,600 acre-feet per year (approximately 18.3 million gallons per day). The Elwha River Ranney Well System, was originally constructed in 1977. Major renovations were made during the Elwha Dam removal project, which started in 2010, including the construction of a water treatment plant. The Port Angeles Water Treatment Plant has a treatment capacity of 10.6 million gallons per day. This source and treatment facility provide for domestic, commercial, and some industrial water needs of the City. Water is conveyed from the river via a 24-inch-diameter supply pipeline to the treatment facility, and then distributed to the City’s two largest storage reservoirs, Black Diamond and Peabody Heights. The City of Port Angeles owns and operates a total of 5 reservoirs throughout the service area and oversees over 10,000 commercial, residential, and industrial connections. According to the City’s 2018 Water System Plan, the City has sufficient supply, treatment, and transmission capacity to serve the projected additional connections within its existing and future service areas. The water department is continuously working on water main rehabilitation and plant improvements, with a primary focus on secondary water supply investigations aimed at enhancing the city's water source resiliency. The City is also contending with several unfunded projects, including water line replacements, fire flow improvements, and major water main replacements. Overall, managing the city's aging water infrastructure remains an ongoing challenge, necessitating continuous replacement, repair, and updates to meet current standards, with some projects requiring expedited attention. Stormwater The City has a Stormwater Management Program (SWMP) that is governed by a Phase II municipal stormwater permit with the Washington Department of Ecology. This program consists of nine key programmatic components that are designed to reduce downstream impacts, including:  Stormwater Planning  Public Education and Outreach  Public Involvement and Participation City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page 67  Mapping and Documentation  Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination  Controlling Runoff from Development  Stormwater Retrofit  Source Control  Operations and Maintenance. Under this program, the City maintains all public storm sewers, culverts, and other stormwater facilities, including the WSDOT conduits, culverts, and stormwater facilities along the US 101 corridor that are located within city limits. All development and re-development within the City is required to meet current standards for stormwater management. Where feasible, the City has made low-impact development (LID) the preferred approach to managing stormwater associated with development – moving away from the more traditional method of hard surfaces draining directly to catch basins and being piped to the nearest water body. Onsite stormwater management and LID is used to mitigate increased flow rates and volume through dispersed infiltration. LID hydraulicly mimics pre-developed conditions on a developed site. Most LID techniques require some measure of onsite vegetated area that can be used to collect, detain, disperse, and infiltrate stormwater back into the ground. Where site coverage is maximized to accommodate increased density and, in trade, open space is reduced, other LID techniques such as permeable pavement, cisterns, and vegetated roofs may still be effective in achieving these goals. Native infiltration rates of the surrounding soil predominantly govern feasibility of LID on a site. The predominant soil type in Port Angeles is Type C – glacial till, which is densely compact and restrictive to infiltration. Wastewater The City’s wastewater system wastewater system has 127 miles of sanitary and combined sewers ranging from 4 to 48 inches in diameter, 17 pump stations, a secondary wastewater treatment plant, and about 7,200 service connections. It includes a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) built in 1968-69 as a primary treatment facility and upgraded to a secondary wastewater treatment plant built in 1994. The plant has a design capacity for a population of 24,800. The City is responsible for the infrastructure operations and maintenance for wastewater collection and treatment within the City boundaries, the East UGA, and small portions of the West UGA . The WWTP also provides wastewater treatment and biosolids processing and disposal for the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe (LEKT) service area as part of a 2007 agreement between the LEKT and the City. The WWTP provides wastewater treatment and biosolids processing and disposal for septage that is hauled to the treatment plant for processing from across the region. The sewer conveyance system includes 127 miles of sanitary and combined sewer pipe ranging from 4 to 48 inches in diameter and has 17 pump stations. 67 percent of the collection system is separated sanitary sewer, while the remaining 33 percent is a combined sanitary and stormwater system. The City sewer experiences significant infiltration and inflow during storm events, compounded by insufficient conveyance capacity in portions of the combined system. City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page 68 Power The Light Division of the City of Port Angeles Public Works and Utilities Department is the electric power provider within the city limits. Clallam County PUD is the electric power provider for the unincorporated areas surrounding Port Angeles. The Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), via its transmission lines, delivers the power used by both the City of Port Angeles and Clallam County PUD The PUD has one substation within the Eastern UGA at Monroe Street, and another in the Western UGA near Benson Road and Highway 101. There are seven electrical substations owned by the City of Port Angeles within the City limits. Solid Waste The Solid Waste Utility operated by the Port Angeles Public Works and Utilities Department provides solid waste services. Residential customer waste is picked up weekly or biweekly and collection is mandatory. Commercial, curbside yard waste, and recycling is offered and provided by a private contractor. Current participation in the curbside recycling program is 80% per cent of the residential customers. Curbside participation in the yard waste program is around 50% per cent of the residential customers. The City of Port Angeles owns and operates the Port Angeles transfer station. The Port Angeles Regional Transfer Station began operation in 2007 after conversion from a landfill. This site accepts municipal solid waste from residential, commercial, and industrial customers throughout Clallam County. The Port Angeles Regional Transfer Station does not accept out-of-county waste. Recycling drop boxes are provided for glass, aluminum, and paper. Used oil, antifreeze, and batteries are also accepted at the site. Municipal solid waste is transported to regional landfills in Eastern Washington or Oregon. 3.3.2 Potential Impacts Impacts Common to All Alternatives Emergency Services Growth under any of the Comprehensive Plan alternatives would increase the demand for emergency services in the City. The existing police services currently meet the LOS standard for the number of required officers. The estimated population growth over the planning period is 3,150 people. To meet the LOS for police services under any of the alternatives, the City would be required to hire an additional 4 officers by 2045. The City will continually assess the level of emergency services provided and add staff as development happens gradually over the 20-year planning period. No impacts to emergency services are anticipated with the implementation of any of the alternatives. The City currently does not meet the LOS for fire services, with 27 career personnel. Based on the projected population increase, an additional 14 career personnel will be needed by 2045. The lack of fire service personnel may become more evident as development occurs over the planning period, which could result in significant strain on the existing facilities and increased response times. City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page 69 Schools Student enrollment is expected to increase with population growth over the planning period. Over time, the increased enrollment will put additional pressure on the District’s ability to meet educational requirements. The anticipated forecasted needs for the School District include facility modernization and replacement, particularly for aging buildings like Port Angeles High School and Franklin Elementary, to create contemporary and safe learning environments. The School District’s facility needs will be assessed periodically with the update of their CFP. Projects will be completed as capacity is needed and funding is available. Parks and Recreation Facilities The City currently has enough developed and reserved park lands to exceed the city-wide LOS under future conditions. However, as development happens over time, expanding parkland and improving equitable access across neighborhoods may be necessary and will be assessed on a case-by-case basis as development projects are proposed. Forecasted needs for Port Angeles parks likely involve maintaining and upgrading existing infrastructure while addressing aging facilities to ensure safety and functionality, as well as development of new park facilities. Enhancing recreational opportunities through diverse facilities, improving accessibility for all abilities, and continuing the protection of natural areas and open spaces are also anticipated. Furthermore, ongoing trail development and connectivity, along with understanding and responding to evolving community needs through engagement as part of this and future planning processes, will shape future park priorities and development within the city. The CFP, being developed in conjunction with the Comprehensive Plan Update, details upcoming capital improvement projects for parks and recreation over the next six-year planning horizon. This plan, which includes potential funding avenues, is updated annually to reflect evolving needs and priorities for the City's park system. As growth occurs incrementally over time under any of the alternatives, the need for new and updated park facilities will be assessed. Because of this, and the fact that the City currently exceeds the LOS standard, no significant impacts to parks and recreation facilities are anticipated. Utilities Stormwater LID can often be a challenge for project proponents due to poorly draining soils in the City and may require creative solutions to appropriately manage runoff. If onsite stormwater management is unattainable or inappropriate, runoff is directed into the public stormwater system. In general, increased density and site coverage thresholds will make onsite stormwater management less feasible and will require the City to manage more runoff directed from private development and into the public right-of- way. To combat flooding, upgrades to the City’s stormwater conveyance system may be required, and potentially the construction of new regional stormwater management facilities to provide treatment and/or flow control prior to discharge. Development in areas that are tributary to the Port Angeles Harbor are not required to meet stormwater flow control standards (unless the existing City conveyance is unable to accommodate the added runoff) and can be more accommodating to increased density and site coverage. These areas include most of the shoreline, the downtown corridor, and the northwest corner of the City. City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page 70 Wastewater The City completed a risk and vulnerability assessment of the wastewater facilities in the 2024 Wastewater Comprehensive Plan (City of Port Angeles, 2024c) to weigh system condition and vulnerability against the consequences of failure and to make recommendations for system improvements. The outcome of that analysis was a prioritized list of 14 facility and collection system rehabilitation/upgrade projects included in the City’s Capital Improvement Plan. Additionally, the Wastewater Comprehensive Plan identified that the City has $126 million backlog in conveyance infrastructure rehabilitation and replacement over the long- term. Additional growth and development over the 20-year planning period will compound the existing deficiencies, which could result in significant impacts to the City’s ability to effectively manage wastewater. Alternative 1 – No Action Under the No Action Alternative, the Comprehensive Plan goals and policies for Public Services and Utilities would not be updated. Growth and development would occur based on the current planning policies and may not meet regulatory requirements. A Wastewater Collection System Analysis was also performed during the 2024 Wastewater Comprehensive Plan. The analysis used the No Action Alternative growth projections and zoning. Results indicated significant capacity restrictions in the trunklines along Milwaukee Drive, West 4th Street, Marine Drive, Lauridsen Boulevard, South A Street, Front Street, and the alley between Caroline Street and Georgiana Street. Some of these capacity restrictions have been addressed by recent capital improvements. The capacity constrains are significant barriers to growth. The Capital Improvement program has been updated to prioritize removal of these barriers. With development occurring in the planning area through 2045 under the existing zoning, it is assumed that the existing public services and utility infrastructure would need to be updated to support this growth following the currently adopted CFP. Alternative 2 – Distributed Growth Alternative 2 would allow higher densities of residential and commercial development than are allowed today and would distribute that growth more widely across the City than Alternative 3. The wastewater collection system model would need to be revisited to more completely understand the impact of this distributed growth alternative. There would be additional capacity constraints to address beyond those identified in the No Action Alternative. Growth under Alternative 2 could have significant impacts to the City’s wastewater system. Alternative 3 – Focused Growth Alternative 3 would focus more growth in the downtown area with higher densities of residential and commercial development allowed. Supplying infill development with public services and utilities is more efficient than having to expand services into new areas. The wastewater collection system model would need to be revisited to more completely understand the impact of this focused growth alternative. There would be additional capacity constraints to address beyond those identified in the No Action Alternative. Growth under Alternative 3 could have significant impacts to the City’s wastewater system. 3.3.3 Mitigation Strategies Measures have been identified to mitigate increased pressure on City-provided services as growth and development occurs over the 20-year planning period. The 2025 CFP currently being developed contains City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page 71 updates to the City’s goals and policies and a plan for capital investments to provide future capital facility needs as related to the LOS standards set therein. Implementation of the priority projects would ensure that impacts from growth would be mitigated to less than significant levels. 3.3.4 Significant Unavoidable Adverse Impacts No significant unavoidable adverse impacts to public services and utilities were identified. 3.4 Hazard Mitigation and Climate 3.4.1 Existing Conditions Regulatory Framework Comprehensive Plan The Hazard Mitigation and Climate Resiliency Element of the Comprehensive Plan Update addresses the social, economic, and environmental sustainability of the City of Port Angeles to help better prepare the community members against climate impacts and natural hazards. The element encompasses natural hazards identified in the 2024 - 2029 Clallam County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan as well as the climate resiliency priorities at the citywide and city government levels identified in the 2023 Climate Resiliency Plan. Climate Resiliency Plan and Implementation Plan The City of Port Angeles adopted the Climate Resiliency Plan in 2022 and incorporated it as part of the Comprehensive Plan in the 2023 periodic update. The Climate Resiliency Plan was designed to increase opportunities and work collaboratively with the region in identifying and prioritizing actions that help the community prepare for climate risks. It calls for carbon neutrality by 2030 and provides a foundation for long-range sustainability policy (City of Port Angeles, 2022a). The Climate Resiliency Implementation Plan, also adopted in 2022, provides a detailed framework for the implementation phase of the Climate Resiliency Plan process (City of Port Angeles, 2022b). It includes a prioritized list of targets for achieving resiliency, as well as information on funding, partners and coordination, and monitoring and evaluation criteria. Natural Hazards Key hazards identified in the Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan (MJHMP) include drought, flood, landslide, tsunami, sea level rise, wildfire, and wildfire smoke, and others. Past growth and development indicate that vulnerability to the identified natural hazards have generally increased for the City of Port Angeles since the previously prepared 2019 MJHMP and will continue to increase over time. Since 2018, the City has reported several major disaster declarations including severe winter storms, straight-line winds, flooding, landslides, mudslides, snowstorms, and the COVID-19 Carbon neutrality means that greenhouse gases released to the atmosphere are balanced by removing or storing an equivalent amount of carbon. The world’s scientists have concluded we must collectively reach carbon neutrality by mid-century to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. The City will prioritize emissions reduction to reach carbon neutrality (City of Port Angeles, 2022a). City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page 72 Pandemic. Understanding the increased frequency of these natural hazards further illustrates the need for the City to improve its community resilience to existing and future hazards. Greenhouse Gases According to a 2019 Greenhouse Gas Emissions study, the City of Port Angeles’ residents, businesses, employees, and visitors produced 132,597 metric tons of CO2 which is approximately 6.7 MTCO2e per person. Most of these emissions (68%) came from transportation and mobile sources, primarily on-road vehicles (59.3%). The second leading contributor to greenhouse gas emissions was waste at 15%, followed by process & fugitive emissions at 14.4%. The City’s goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and achieve carbon neutrality by 2030 may be achieved through the implementation of the Climate Resiliency Plan and incorporation of goals and policies directly related to hazard mitigation and climate resiliency. Sea Level Rise As global temperatures rise, the melting of glaciers and thermal expansion of ocean water result in a rise in sea levels. Port Angeles, with its extensive shoreline, is facing a growing risk from sea level rise. Low-lying coastal areas, including harbors, marinas, and waterfront development, are vulnerable to erosion and frequent tidal flooding. Sea level rise can also intensify the effect of storm surges, making coastal storm damage worse. Sea level rise is expected to intensify coastal flooding and inundation, coastal erosion and land loss. 3.4.2 Potential Impacts Impacts Common to All Alternatives Development in Port Angeles, regardless of the Comprehensive Plan alternative chosen, is expected to increase in the study area over time. New residential and commercial development to accommodate growth projections would be at risk from hazards exacerbated by climate change. The level of exposure and sensitivity to hazards could vary based on the location of development. Air pollutant emissions generated are expected to increase as a result of that development. Similarly, regional vehicle miles traveled by residents and those who work in the study area would also increase, along with the emissions generated by those vehicles. Alternative 1 – No Action Under the No Action Alternative, the Comprehensive Plan would not be updated to include a climate element with goals and policies to increase climate resilience. Therefore, development under the No Action Alternative could put more of the community at risk from impacts due to sea level rise, wildfires, and other natural hazards than either of the other alternatives. Alternative 2 – Distributed Growth Although the level of growth anticipated is the same for all alternatives, that growth is likely to happen over a wider area across the city under Alternative 2. Less compact development could put more people, facilities, and critical areas at risk to natural hazards such as wildfire. However, the updated Comprehensive Plan would include a climate element which would set goals and policies related to climate change. Implementation of the policies in the climate element would make Port Angeles, including new City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page 73 development under the Comprehensive Plan, more resilient to climate change. No significant impacts are expected with adoption of Alternative 2. Alternative 3 – Focused Growth Alternative 3 would have similar effects as Alternative 2 but would include a higher level of growth within the downtown area. This growth could be at a lower risk of being impacted by climate change-related flooding, extreme precipitation, and sea level rise. Urban development could have a higher risk from extreme heat due to urban heat island effects, but would be very similar to those under Alternative 2. Denser development could result in a lower number of vehicle miles traveled compared to Alternative 2. 3.4.3 Mitigation Strategies To achieve carbon neutrality by 2030 while also bolstering our community’s resilience to natural hazards, the City will need to implement mitigation and adaptation measures across a variety of sectors. Greenhouse gas emission reduction alone will not get us to carbon neutrality; further goals and policies must be implemented to increase carbon sequestration throughout the city and increase the resiliency of our forested and natural areas. Mitigation would include those measures identified in the Climate Resiliency Plan and Climate Resiliency Implementation Plan, as well as the Comprehensive Plan policies. 3.4.4 Significant Unavoidable Adverse Impacts While the impacts of climate change on Port Angeles are likely to be significant, the impacts of the three alternatives would not be significant. Both existing and future residences and development would be at risk from climate change in all parts of the City, and the Comprehensive Plan would not significantly increase that risk. City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page 74 4 Distribution List 4.1 Federal and Tribal Agencies Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe Makah Tribe Hoh Tribe Quileute Tribe US Army Corps of Engineers – Seattle District US Department of Agriculture, Natural Resource Conservation Service US Department of Homeland Security – Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) – Region 10 US Department of Defense – Coast Guard – Northwest District US Department of the Interior – National Parks Service – Olympic National Park 4.2 State Agencies Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation Department of Commerce Department of Fish & Wildlife Department of Health Department of Ecology 4.3 City Departments City of Port Angeles Community and Economic Development City of Port Angeles City Manager’s Office City of Port Angeles Police Department City of Port Angeles Fire Department City of Port Angeles Public Works and Utilities Department City of Port Angeles Finance Department City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page 75 City of Port Angeles Information Technology Department City of Port Angeles Legal Department 4.4 County and Regional Departments Clallam County Department of Community Development Clallam County Department of Health and Human Services Clallam County Department of Emergency Management Clallam Transit Port Angeles School District Olympic Region Clean Air Agency Clallam County Economic Development Council Port Angeles Chamber of Commerce Port of Port Angeles Clallam County Public Utility District North Olympic Peninsula Resource Conservation & Development Council Port Angeles Regional Chamber of Commerce 4.5 Others Port Angeles Business Association North Peninsula Builders’ Association Port Angeles Association of Realtors Peninsula Housing Authority Peninsula Behavioral Health Serenity House of Clallam County Futurewise Port Angeles Waterfront District City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page 76 5 References City of Port Angeles. 2018. Port Angeles Water System Plan. Prepared by ch2M. March 2018. Accessed at: https://www.cityofpa.us/DocumentCenter/View/5994/Water-System-Plan-2018?bidId=. City of Port Angeles. 2021. City of Port Angeles Shoreline Master Program Periodic Review. Adopted June 15, 2021. Available at: https://fortress.wa.gov/ecy/ezshare/SEA/FinalSMPs/ClallamCounty/PtAngeles/PtAngelesSMPNov2 021.pdf. City of Port Angeles. 2022. Climate Resiliency Plan. June 2022. Available at: https://www.cityofpa.us/DocumentCenter/View/11771/2022-Climate-Resiliency-Plan---Final . City of Port Angeles. 2023. Stormwater Management Program Plan. Revised March 22, 2023. Available at: https://www.cityofpa.us/376/Stormwater-Management-Program. City of Port Angeles. 2024a. 2025 – 2030 City of Port Angeles Capital Facilities Plan & Transportation Improvement Plan. November 4, 2024. Available at: https://www.cityofpa.us/DocumentCenter/View/16583/Capital-Facilities-Plan--Transportation- Improvement-Plan-2025-2030-PDF. City of Port Angeles. 2024b. Local Road Safety Plan, Port Angeles, Washington. Prepared by Transpo Group. Updated May 2024. City of Port Angeles. 2024c. City of Port Angeles Wastewater Comprehensive Plan. June 10, 2025. Accessed at: https://www.cityofpa.us/DocumentCenter/View/15871/Wastewater-Comprehensive-Plan-. Clallam County. 2025a. Clallam County Comprehensive Plan Land Capacity Analysis. July 28, 2025. Available at: https://www.clallamcountywa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/23565/Land-Capacity- Analysis-Final-Draft-Amended-72825. Clallam County. 2025b. Technical Memorandum on supplemental employment capacity analysis and industrial land base. August 22, 2025. Clallam Transit. 2025. Clallam Transit website, Fares. Accessed September 2025 at https://www.clallamtransit.com/fares Fehr & Peers. 2025. Port Angeles 2025 Comprehensive Plan Transportation Appendix. Prepared for the City of Port Angeles. Leland Consulting Group. 2024. Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan Update Draft Housing Needs Assessment. Prepared for the City of Port Angeles. December 12, 2024. Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI). 2025. Report Card, Port Angeles School District. Available at: https://reportcard.ospi.k12.wa.us/ReportCard/ViewSchoolOrDistrict/100202. City of Port Angeles Comprehensive Plan DEIS | Page 77 Washington Department of Commerce (DOC). 2025. Draft Urban Growth Areas Guidebook. Available at: https://deptofcommerce.app.box.com/s/0psahjxca4rk0wwnv1vjxadp38brexmr. Accessed August 2025. City of Port Angeles Vision 2045 Comprehensive Plan Periodic Update Notice of Availability and Hearing on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) The City of Port Angeles is issuing its Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) pursuant to the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) for a 30-day public comment period (WAC 197-11-455) beginning September 18, 2025. Written comments are due October 18, 2025. Description of Proposal The proposal is a non-project action to update the Comprehensive Plan per state requirements. Vision 2045 will update the existing plan by providing a refreshed perspective of the land use, development, and transportation options serving the city while complying with state, regional, and county requirements. The City has prepared a DEIS that studies three alternatives at a programmatic level, illustrating different growth strategies. The first alternative is a No Action alternative that is required by SEPA and is a basis for comparison. The Alternatives include: Alterative 1 – No Action: Analyzes growth under the city’s existing land use and zoning and assumes current standards for development city-wide. The No Action alternative represents a continuation of the current practices for the development environment. It assumes the existing development environment would stay the same, with new development and infill following the current standards. Distributed Growth Alternative: • Increased housing capacity in most residential areas • Expansions of where commercial land use is permitted • Improved multimodal transportation networks • Minimal increase in park land • Citywide investments in utility infrastructure Focused Growth Alternative: • Majority of growth in Downtown and First Street/Front Street corridor • Increased housing capacity in residential and commercial areas • Focused investment in transportation, parks, and utilities • Minimal growth in all other areas of the City and Urban Growth Areas As a result of the Comprehensive Plan Update, the City is considering amendments to City Comprehensive Plan goals and policies, UGA boundaries, and associated maps. As required by the GMA, the City will formulate a new climate change and resiliency chapter in the Comprehensive Plan. Development regulations may also be amended. Submission of Comments Comments on the DEIS may be submitted to the City in the following ways: Email to: ced@cityofpa.us Mail to: Ben Braudrick, Planning Supervisor City of Port Angeles EIS Scoping Comments Community & Economic Development 321 East 5th Street, Port Angeles, WA 98362 Date and Location of Public Hearing/Open House The Planning Commission will host a public hearing on Wednesday, October 1, 2025, 6:00 pm in the City Council Chambers of City Hall, 321 East 5th Street, Port Angeles, WA 98362. The meeting will also be available virtually. To learn more about virtual attendance, please visit https://www.cityofpa.us/984/Live-Virtual-Meetings. Hearing Participation This hearing will be held in a hybrid meeting. The Audio Only and Live Hearing function and access to City Council Chambers a will be available 30 minutes prior to the meeting. If you are unable to attend the hearing, or unable to deliver audio public testimony during the public hearing as described above, you may submit written public comment. All written public comment must be postmarked prior to October 18, 2025. Toll Free Phone Number for Audio Only*: 1-844-992-4726 Access Code: 2552 694 7119 (*Audio Only Testimony for those without internet access: Instructions will be given during meeting) Draft EIS Availability The Draft EIS is available for download from the City’s website at: https://www.cityofpa.us/937/Vision-2045- Comprehensive-Plan-Periodic- DRAFT SEPA ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT PORT ANGELES PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING – OCTOBER 1, 2025 1 Public Noticing Process 1.Notice was sent to the PDN on September 15, 2025 and ran in the September 18, 2025. 2.A newsflash was posted on the City’s website on September 18, 2025.3.Posted on the Vision2045 page on the City’s website on September 18, 2025.4.Email notifications were sent to over 800 recipients on the Vision2045 Listserv, the Stakeholder Advisory Committee members, and the distribution list from the Draft EIS on September 18, 2025.5.The notice and Draft EIS were uploaded to the SEPA register on September 18, 2025.6.Verbal announcements at September 23, 2025 Council Work Session and September 24, 2025 Regular Planning Commission Meeting.7.Special Meeting Agenda posted September 26, 2025.8.Additional Special Meeting Notice on City’s Website on September 30, 2025. PORT ANGELES PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING– OCTOBER 1, 2025 2 Environmental Impact Statement Background •Part of the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) assessment. •Provides a full and fair discussion of significant environmental impacts. •Identifies alternative actions. •Identifies possible mitigation on proposed alternatives. •Allows for public comment. PORT ANGELES PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING– OCTOBER 1, 2025 3 Why Update Now? •Existing EIS is insufficient. •Adopted in 1995. •Alternatives include:1.Implement zoning changes now.2.Rezone strategic properties now and others in the future.3.Implement zoning changes comprehensively. •Significant updates to the 2025-2045 comprehensive plan. •Increasing development density and intensity. •Significant Future Land Use Map changes. •Planning for 3,150 new residents, 1,970 new housing units, and 967 jobs by 2045. PORT ANGELES PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING– OCTOBER 1, 2025 4 Process Thus Far •SEPA Scoping. •Comment period April 1 – 30 •Open House – April 17 •Existing Conditions Analysis. •Alternatives Analysis. •Draft EIS and Public Comment Period. •September 18 – October 18 •Selection of Preferred Alternative. •Final EIS. PORT ANGELES PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING – OCTOBER 1, 2025 5 Alternative 1 – No Action •Based on historical development trends and existing land capacity. •Baseline using current Comp Plan. •“Business as usual.” •Updated Comp Plan would not be adopted. PORT ANGELES PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING – OCTOBER 1, 2025 6 PORT ANGELES PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING– OCTOBER 1, 2025 7 Alternative 2 – Distributed Growth •Distribute housing and employment growth across the City. •Expand and increase housing capacity. •Increased opportunities for multiunit housing. •Expand commercial use. •Increased density along Race St, and 8th St east of Valley St. •Rezoning the Rayonier Mill Site from Industrial to Mixed Use. •Improved multimodal transportation. •Minimal increase in park land. •County-led UGA swap with Clallam Bay/Sekiu UGA. PORT ANGELES PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING – OCTOBER 1, 2025 8 PORT ANGELES PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING– OCTOBER 1, 2025 9 Alternative 3 – Focused Growth •Focuses housing and employment growth in the downtown area. •Expanded commercial use along Park Ave and near the college and golf course. •Increased housing capacity north of Lauridsen Blvd. between Valley and Ennis Streets. •Increased density along Race St corridor. •Increased opportunities for multi-unit housing. •Rezoning the Rayonier Mill Site from Industrial to Mixed Use. •Minimal growth in all other areas. •County-led UGA swap with Clallam Bay/Sekiu UGA. PORT ANGELES PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING – OCTOBER 1, 2025 10 PORT ANGELES PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING – OCTOBER 1, 2025 11 What Next? PORT ANGELES PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING – OCTOBER 1, 2025 12 Written public comment through October 18. Staff responds to public comment received. Review and further analysis of alternatives. Select preferred alternative. Issue a final EIS