HomeMy WebLinkAboutPlanning February 11 20141
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WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
Planning and Development Committee
February 11, 2014
CALL TO ORDER
Committee Chair Ken Mann called the meeting to order at 3:05 p.m. in the Council
Chambers, 311 Grand Avenue, Bellingham, Washington.
ROLL CALL
(3:06:05 PM)
Present: Ken Mann and Rud Browne.
Absent: Barbara Brenner.
Also Present: Carl Weimer, Barry Buchanan and Pete Kremen.
COMMITTEE DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL
1. REQUEST FOR AN EXTENSION OF THE PRELIMINARY APPROVAL FOR
NORTHGATE INDUSTRIAL PARK NO. 2 BINDING SITE PLAN PURSUANT TO
WHATCOM COUNTY CODE 21.07.030(5)(A)(I) &(II), FILED BY APPLICANT
OXY CORPORATION (AB2013 -351)
Amy Keenan, Planning and Development Services Department, gave a staff report
and stated the application is requesting a one -year extension pursuant to the County code.
If granted, the applicant has until December 9, 2014 to submit and record the general and
specific binding site plan as proposed and approved by the Hearing Examiner. The
Technical Review Committee found no new rules or regulations to impact the project, other
than additional conditions by the fire marshal.
Browne asked if the applicant accepted the fire marshal's recommendation. Keenan
stated the applicant has approved the recommendation.
Browne moved to recommend approval to the full Council.
The motion carried by the following vote:
Ayes: Mann and Browne (2)
Nays: None (0)
Absent: Brenner (1)
SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS
1. CITY AND COUNTY PRESENTATIONS RELATING TO POPULATION AND
EMPLOYMENT GROWTH ALLOCATION PROPOSALS (AB2014 -056A) (3:08:18
PM)
Matt Aamot, Planning and Development Services Department, gave a staff report
and invited the cities to present their recommendations and the rationale for those
Planning and Development Committee, 2/11/2014, Page 1
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recommendations. Staff will also present information on the three County urban growth
areas (UGAs).
Amy Harksell, City of Lynden Planning Director, submitted and read from a
presentation (on file). Lynden's demographics tend to be a few years behind the general
trend. They will plan for capacity of the UGA and reserve area for both employment and
population. They propose the BERK high employment allocation to help maintain their
ration of population to employment and make Lynden a full service community that reduces
the need for people to travel to other locations. Neither the UGA or UGA reserve are
considered agricultural land of commercial significance. They are not part the 100,000
acres of agricultural land that the County seeks to preserve and protect.
Browne asked and there was discussion of the current soil types, use, and zoning of
that land.
Mann asked and there was discussion of how long the area has been a UGA reserve
and about the attempt to remove the political arguments about the land use projections by
choosing the middle Office of Financial Management (OFM) and BERK projections.
Greg Aucott, City of Bellingham Planning Department Assistant Director, submitted
and read through a presentation (on file). For planning purposes, assuming the growth will
be less than ever was not wise. The City isn't willing to make that assumption.
Browne asked and there was discussion about population growth being relative to
economic growth.
Aucott concluded the presentation.
Browne asked and there was discussion of transfer of development rights (TDR)
receiving zones, the TDR program, and the value of a development right.
(3 :46:21 PM)
Alex Wenger, City of Blaine Community and Development Services Department,
submitted and read through a presentation (on file). He stated Blaine wants to evolve from
a bedroom community into a full service community for many reasons, including proximity
to major B.C. highways and ports, the new water reclamation facility and other
infrastructure, and normalizing sewer system rates. He described the areas with capacity to
accept the proposed growth projection.
(3: 55: 05 PM)
Browne asked and there was discussion of who has jurisdiction up to the Canadian
border. There is opportunity for county tourism advertising in those areas.
Mann asked and there was discussion about sewer extension to east Blaine and the
Blaine UGA being oversized.
(4:00:18 PM)
Jori Burnett, City of Ferndale Community Development Director, submitted and read
from a presentation (on file). There are just under 500 developable acres of residential
land, mostly on the west side of the Nooksack River. There are 135 acres of developable
Planning and Development Committee, 2/11/2014, Page 2
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industrial land in the UGA. The recent rezone requests have been for industrial or
commercial lands. They've developed a hybrid zone that allows both types of uses. They
have more land that is not developable because the land is very wet. Many undeveloped
areas have existed vested plans that the City must work around. The City does not propose
expanding its UGA.
(4:13:54 PM)
Rollin Harper, Cities of Everson, Nooksack, and Sumas City Planner, submitted and
read from a presentation on the proposals for the Cities of Everson, Nooksack, and Sumas
(on file).
Browne asked and there was discussion of plans to expand south of Nooksack and
the two cities combining and if there is opportunity for the County to advertise in the border
area between the U.S. and B.C.
Aamot submitted and read from presentations on the Birch Bay urban growth area,
Cherry Point urban growth area, and Columbia Valley urban growth area (on file).
Mann asked and there was discussion of whether the County is liable for a Growth
Management Hearings Board complaint if its recommendation is out of scale from the
medium.
Browne asked and there was discussion of the what will drive employment growth in
the east county and not encouraging more residential development without supporting jobs.
Gary Davis, Planning and Development Services Department, submitted and read
from a handout (on file) on non -UGA county allocations.
Mann asked and there was discussion of doing a land capacity analysis for the non -
UGA areas.
Mark Personius, Planning and Development Services Department, stated next step is
to bring forward the non - binding multijurisdictional resolution.
Browne stated he is concerned about encouraging further residential development in
Columbia Valley without job growth. The area is expensive to service and is suffering. The
first priority should be job growth and infrastructure in that area before encouraging more
residential. There is land for businesses, but businesses aren't coming. Adding 300 more
people won't encourage more business.
Perry Eskeridge, Realtors Association, answered questions regarding Columbia Valley
and stated there is an absence of affordable housing in Bellingham. People have to drive
out of town to find affordable housing.
Mann asked and there was discussion about whether the real estate and developer
community supports staying with the OFM medium projection.
Linda Twitchell, Building Industry Association of Whatcom County, stated she agrees
with comments from Perry Eskridge. Bellingham should take a higher majority of the
growth, and there must be political will to make that happen.
Planning and Development Committee, 2/11/2014, Page 3
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Darcy Jones, Jones Engineers, stated he agrees with comments from Ms. Twitchell.
They must use the UGA lands that are best suited for development. The city should be the
center of the County, and should take at least 50 percent of the County's population.
Clayton Petree stated there is tremendous opportunity in the Columbia Valley UGA
for businesses based on recreation. The City of Bellingham can meet its allocation if it
develops an annexation plan and has better capital facilities planning. Optimize the UGAs.
Review the technical report, because the names of things and the projections are different
from what they were before.
Personius stated he would schedule a presentation and draft resolution at the next
committee meeting and discuss this further. The environmental impact statement (EIS) is
nonbinding, and is intended to explore some of these issues.
Browne stated he would like to know the number of vacant and derelict properties
and other information about Columbia Valley. He would also like a staff recommendation on
what has prevented employment growth in Columbia Valley.
OTHER BUSINESS
There was no other business.
ADJOURN
The meeting adjourned at 5:38 p.m.
ATTEST:
, Council Clerk
-, Minutes Transcription
WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON
Ken Mann, Committee Chair
Planning and Development Committee, 2/11/2014, Page 4