Two areas shall be considered in establishing coastal setback requirements and may simultaneously apply to a given piece of property.
(A) Areas of coastal erosion.
(1) The following categories of coastal erosion are recognized (coastal erosion rates and the methodology used are outlined in the document entitled Geologic Hazards Associated with Lincoln County Coastal Shoreline, prepared by CH2M Hill, Inc., and RNKR Associates, 1977):
Less than 2.8 inches/year | Slight |
2.8 to 11.3 inches/year | Moderate |
More that 11.3 inches/year | Severe |
(2) The following coastal setbacks are required for the categories listed above in order to limit the need for structural solutions to coastal erosion. All setbacks shall be measured from the mean higher high water line and/or the base of the bank, whichever requires the greater setback.
Slight erosion | 1 foot of setback for each 1 foot of bank height |
Moderate erosion | 2.15 feet of setback for each 1 foot of bank height |
Severe erosion | 2.75 feet of setback for each 1 foot of bank height |
Example of How to Determine Geologic Setback
(B) Areas of visual concern. This is an area 25 feet landward from the top of a coastal bluff measured on the horizontal, where the top of bluff is the uppermost break in slope (see diagram in division (A) above). Where there is no coastal bluff or no clear break in slope, for example on a smoothly sloping lot, the area of visual concern is an area 25 feet landward (measured on the horizontal) from the line of mean higher high water or the line of non-aquatic vegetation, whichever is the furthest landward.
(Ord. 24, passed 4-5-1976; Ord. 85, passed 3-15-1982; Ord. 172, passed 10-7-1991; Ord. 239, passed 6-2-1997; Ord. 256, passed 4-6-2004; Ord. 287, passed 5-4-2010)