Smart Development
Investing time up front to learn about a property’s history,
site conditions, and shoreline characteristics can help prevent costly surprises down the road.
Smart development also includes prioritizing natural solutions over hard infrastructure, preserving native vegetation for slope stabilization, and considering future risks like sea level rise. Resources such as county records, online mapping tools, and professional guidance are essential to evaluating site-specific risks and opportunities. By aligning personal goals with the land’s natural processes, homeowners can enjoy the benefits of waterfront living while protecting the shoreline for generations to come.
Building Responsibly on Dynamic Waterfront Land
When it comes to developing marine waterfront property, smart development begins with understanding that shoreline environments are dynamic and ever-changing. Unlike inland lots, these properties are shaped by tides, weather, and geologic forces, requiring thoughtful planning and informed decision making. Smart development means evaluating the land and its connection to the marine shoreline, not just the house, for slope stability, drainage, vegetation, and natural shoreline features. A well-situated home with mature native plants, safe setbacks from bluffs or beaches, and minimal site clearing is more resilient, requires less long-term investment, and better supports the health of Puget Sound.
Aligning Waterfront Living with Natural Shoreline Resilience
Investing time up front to learn about a property’s history, site conditions, and shoreline characteristics can help prevent costly surprises down the road. Smart development also includes prioritizing natural solutions over hard infrastructure, preserving native vegetation for slope stabilization, and considering future risks like sea level rise. Resources such as county records, online mapping tools, and professional guidance are essential to evaluating site-specific risks and opportunities. By aligning personal goals with the land’s natural processes, homeowners can enjoy the benefits of waterfront living while protecting the shoreline for generations to come.
Resources
Shoreline Considerations When Buying Marine Waterfront Property
Marine waterfront properties can be amazingly beautiful but also a challenge because of their changing nature. Before you invest, take time to ensure that the site fits your goals as well as the house does.
Preserving and Protecting Vegetation During Construction
Preserving native vegetation on your property during construction is a smart and cost-effective alternative to completely clearing your land and having to start a new landscape from scratch after construction.
Protecting Your Soil During Construction
Protecting topsoil on your property during construction helps with future stormwater management and saves money by reducing the amount of soil to be imported after construction.
Home Relocation: An Incredibly Resilient Adaptation for Shoreline Homeowners
The smaller the setback, the higher the risk for flooding or property loss due to landslides. One of the most resilient adaptations you, as a shoreline homeowner, can take to mitigate this issue is to relocate the structures on your property to increase setback or move the structure to a new, safer location.
Relocation Slides
Learn more about the process of home relocation in these slides provided by Jeff McCord, Nickel Bros.
Hire Smart Worksheet
Finding the right contractor to work on your property is an important step towards maintaining resilient shorelines. Choosing local experts with coastal experience ensures that you will get the best advice and assistance once the time comes to make changes to your property.
Smart Development as a Shoreline Landowner
Scroll to page 26 to better understand how to safely manage structure relocation and construction on your shoreline property.
