PORT ANGELES — Port Angeles is joining nearly a dozen other cities to fight a lawsuit that could stop development along its waterfront.
The National Wildlife Federation has filed a lawsuit against the Federal Emergency Management Agency, claiming it isn’t properly managing development in shoreline areas to protect endangered species.
As part of that legal challenge, the group is seeking a preliminary injunction to halt the sale of flood insurance throughout the Puget Sound region.
The injunction would apply to development in flood zones, which encompass the entire Port Angeles waterfront.
City Attorney Bill Bloor said a ruling on the motion will be made sometime in February in U.S. District Court.
“It would basically prohibit development until the lawsuit is further resolved,” Bloor told the City Council on Tuesday.
The council authorized staff to contribute $1,000 to the legal battle.
Bloor said the lawsuit, though it targets FEMA, unfairly punishes cities.
“At the city level, we’re already doing things to make sure that listed species are not endangered,” he said.
Port Townsend
The injunction would also apply to a few areas along Port Townsend’s waterfront.
But Port Townsend City Manager David Timmons said the city won’t be joining the lawsuit because those areas are relatively minor.
He also believes Port Townsend already is doing plenty to protect endangered species.
“Our shoreline master program already addresses a lot of those issues,” Timmons said.
“It really doesn’t seem we have a lot of exposure there.”
Port Townsend’s floodplains include areas near Point Hudson and the Boat Haven, he said.
The other cities joining the lawsuit include Everett, Auburn, Burlington, Lake Forest Park, Mount Vernon, Orting, Snoqualmie, Sultan and Tukwila.
________
Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.
