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Home My WebLink Aboutres2005-009VHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL AGENDA BILL NO. AB2005 -086 CLEARANCES Initial Date Date Received in Council Office Agenda Date Assigned to: Originator: Troy Holbrook 1118105 1125105 Introduction Division Head: Sylvia Goodwin Dept Head: Hal H. Hart Prosecutor: Karen Frakes / 0 Purchasing /Budget: Executive: Pete Kremen SUBJECT. Joint Whatcom County and City of Bellingham Council resolution for updating the Urban Fringe Subarea Comprehensive Plan. A TTA CHMENTS: 1. Proposed Resolution Whatcom County, City of Bellingham joint resolution for updating the Urban Fringe Subarea Plan 2. Subarea Map SEPA review required? ( ) Yes ( X ) NO SEPA review completed? ( ) Yes ( X ) NO Should Clerk schedule a hearing? ( ) Yes ( X ) NO Requested Date: SUMMARYSTATEMENT.• City of Bellingham and Whatcom County Planning staff and planning commissions began working together to update the 1997 Urban Fringe Subarea Plan in 2003. Much was done, including community visioning workshops and Planning Commission hearings in 2003 and publication of Draft and Final Environmental Impact Statements in 2004. Planning Commission review was halted in fall of 2003 to give the City and County time to update their respective Comprehensive Plans. . In the interim, Bellingham, Whatcom County and WTA jointly sponsored a consultant to conduct community growth forums and develop urban growth and infill strategies for the City of Bellingham. This resolution gives direction for City and County to resume working on the Plan update and to form an advisory committee to provide assistance in ensuring interagency coordination. Distribution Request Indicate those who should receive a copy after Council action. List specific names to the right ADS Facilities Management ADS Finance ADS Human Resources ADS Info Services Assessor Auditor Cooperative Extension District Court Executive Health Hearing Examiner Jail COUNCIL ACTION TAKEN: 1/25/2005: Approved 7 -0, Res. #2005 -009 Juvenile Parks Planning Hal H. Hart Prosecutor Public Works Sheriff Superior Court Related County Contract #: Treasurer Other Related File Numbers: Ordinance or Resolution Number (this item): Res. #2005 -009 NOTE: The Bellingham City Council did not approve this joint resolution. According to legal counsel, it has therefore never been enacted. Urban Fringe Subarea Update 1/18/05 Sponsored by: Planning Proposed by: Planning Introduction date: January 25, 2005 RESOLUTION NO. 2005-009 JOINT CITY OF BELLINGHAM AND WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL RESOLUTION FOR UPDATING THE WHATCOM COUNTY URBAN FRINGE SUBAREA COMPREHENSIVE PLAN WHEREAS, the Whatcom County Urban Fringe Subarea Comprehensive Plan was last updated in September, 1997; and WHEREAS, Section IX, "Comprehensive Plan Amendments" of the Urban Fringe Subarea Plan specifies that the plan should be periodically reviewed every five years; and WHEREAS, The October 2000 Amendment #4 to the Interlocal agreement between the City of Bellingham and Whatcom County specifies a concurrent joint City /County process for Comprehensive Plan amendments and rezones within the Bellingham UGA; and WHEREAS, On October 24, 2002, the Bellingham City Council and Bellingham Planning Commission held a joint work session on population, employment and housing forecasts which "launched" the update of Bellingham's 1995 Comprehensive Plan and joint City /County review of Whatcom County's 1997 Urban Fringe Subarea Plan; and WHEREAS, On February 11, 2003, Whatcom County Council Resolution No. 2003 -015 initiated for formal review a Docket of amendments to the Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan, including Docket # 2003 -A: "review and, as needed, revise the comprehensive plan to ensure continued compliance with the Growth Management Act and to reflect new information and priorities ". This review may include, but is not limited to the Bellingham Urban Growth Area, rural lands, housing, forestry and the environment. This docket also includes Docket # 2003 -C, Caitac USA Corp. for consideration of adding approximately 702 acres of "Rural" and "Transportation Corridor" designated land to the Bellingham UGA; and WHEREAS, City and County planning staff initiated a public visioning process for the Subarea Plan update in April, 2003 by hosting a series of six public workshops throughout Bellingham's UGA to gather public comment. Public comments from the meetings were compiled, posted on City and County Planning websites and distributed to City and County Planning Commissions; and WHEREAS, The Bellingham and Whatcom County Planning Commissions held a joint public hearing on the plan update on August 14, 2003; the Bellingham Planning Commission held work sessions on the plan update on February 6, 2003 and August 21, 2003; the Bellingham and Whatcom County Planning Commissions held joint work sessions on the Plan Update on August 7, September 11 and September 18, 2003: and WHEREAS, in October, 2003, in response to public input and concerns raised by various City and County planning commissioners and elected officials, work on the plan update was delayed in order to give the County and City time to update their respective Comprehensive Plans as required by the Growth Management Act; and WHEREAS, On January 27, 2004, Whatcom County Council Resolution No. 2004 -009 initiated for formal review a Docket of amendments to the Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan, including Docket #2004 -C, Amend the maps and text of the Urban Fringe Subarea Plan and portions of the Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan that relate to the Bellingham Urban Growth Area. This will include evaluation of whether the UGA should be adjusted to encompass the "five year review areas" including the Caitac property; and WHEREAS, a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the plan update was jointly published by Whatcom County and the City of Bellingham on March 11, 2004, a hearing on the DEIS was held on April 21, 2004, public comments were received, and a Final EIS responding to those comments was published on July 1, 2004; and WHEREAS, The City of Bellingham, Whatcom Courify, and Whatcom Transit Authority (WTA) jointly contracted with Cascade Studios, a Spokane consulting firm to conduct a series of community growth forums that were held between May and November 2004 for the purpose of helping the City, County and Whatcom Transit Authority examine alternatives for addressing projected urban population growth and infill; and WHEREAS, Bellingham City Council December 6, 2004 Resolution 2004 -36 specifies Bellingham's intent to complete the GMA required update of the Comprehensive Plan by July 1, 2005 but no later than December 1, 2005; and WHEREAS, On December 13, 2004 the Bellingham City Council held a public hearing to consider the "Community Forum on Growth Management" process, final report and recommendations; voted unanimously to "accept" the recommendations of the report and use the report as an information piece for the Comprehensive Plan; and voted unanimously to direct City planning staff to "start the process with the County in updating Whatcom County's Urban Fringe Subarea Plan and Bellingham's Urban Growth Area as soon as possible after the first of the year "; and WHEREAS, The Whatcom County Council has received the 2005 docket of proposed Comprehensive Plan and associated amendments to the Zoning Ordinance to be considered in February 2005 for initiation this year including one proposal to expand the UGA in the King Mountain area and three proposals for rural zoning changes in the Toad Lake area; and NOW THEREFORE BE IT JOINTLY RESOLVED BY THE WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL AND THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BELLINGHAM that The City of Bellingham and Whatcom County planning staff, Planning Commissions and Councils will work together to complete the update of the Whatcom County Urban Fringe Subarea Comprehensive Plan for Bellingham's Urban Growth Area and surrounding rural and agricultural lands by July 1, 2005. NOW THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that an Advisory Committee be formed to provide suggestions and recommendations and to assist with interagency coordination of the Plan update, including representatives from the following: 1. Whatcom County Council and Bellingham City Council (Co- Chairs) 2. Whatcom County Planning Commission and Bellingham Planning and Development Commission 3. Whatcom County and City of Bellingham Planning and Development Department Directors and their designees 4. Whatcom County and City of Bellingham Public Works Departments 5. Whatcom Transit Authority 6. Council of Governments 7. Public members as determined by the Committee generally following the format established in the Growth Forum Steering Committee NOW THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a public involvement process be established for the Plan update with text and maps for each of the Analysis Areas and the entire Plan reviewed in accordance with the Whatcom County/Bellingham Interlocal Agreement as follows: 1. Joint City /County staff preparation. 2. Advisory Committee review. 3. Community information meetings for each of the analysis areas in the Plan. 4. Joint and/or separate City /County Planning Commission hearings and work sessions (as Planning Commission schedules permit). 5. A City Council public meeting to consider the recommendations of the two Planning Commissions. The City Council may choose to conduct an additional public hearing. 6. A County Council public meeting to consider the recommendations of the Bellingham City Council. Prior to final action on a decision that would conflict with the City Council recommendations, both Councils will meet in a joint session to resolve the differences. 7. The County Council will take final action on the plan update. APPROVED this 25 day of January 2005. ATTEST ►YutCq�� WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL `SON • �0 0*,'G0- WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON . w 14A 'y - �• 0 41 OP Ift Dana $rovuP *SXWVAwk#oNhe f ouncil Laurie Caskey-Schreiber, Council Chair 000 ogo* APPROV TM Fi01�11�`� Civil Deputy Prosecutor Adopted by the Council this day of CITY OF BELLINGHAM: PASSED by me this day of ATTEST: Finance Director Approved as to Form: Office of the City Attorney 2005, for the Council President 2005. Mark Asmundson, Mayor EXHIBIT A URBAN FRINGE SUBAREA MAP Q Af IT it _ .a LUMMI RESERVATION ' I—D URBAN FRINGE SUBAR jEA w P. .4 1,9 J i._. fl� W_ OR—S jo 4P 2— ol co g! _EV�WN�aWE AD URB FRINGE TE L. AN SUBAREA asw C U) (Z CD to CL Cr Cr 0> x c o CD 3 0 CL C: CL DO DO (D (D ;-,: CL 0 — > =3 -n G) 3. (D cn 0, co un Fo, > =r (D > > O Q Af IT it _ .a LUMMI RESERVATION ' I—D URBAN FRINGE SUBAR jEA w P. .4 1,9 J i._. fl� W_ OR—S jo 4P 2— ol co g! _EV�WN�aWE AD URB FRINGE TE L. AN SUBAREA asw