HomeMy WebLinkAboutNatural Resources July 13 20101
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
Natural Resources Committee
July 13, 2010
CALL TO ORDER (9 :30 :44 AM)
Committee Chair Carl Weimer called the meeting to order at 9:30 a.m. in the Council
Chambers, 311 Grand Avenue, Bellingham, Washington.
ROLL CALL (9 :31 :12 AM)
Present: Carl Weimer, Bill Knutzen and L. Ward Nelson.
Absent: None.
Also Present: Kathy Kershner, Barbara Brenner, Sam Crawford and Ken Mann.
COMMITTEE DISCUSSION
1. DISCUSSION REGARDING WHATCOM COUNTY CODE 20.38, AGRICULTURE
PROTECTION OVERLAY (AB2010 -240) (9 :31 :15 AM)
Wain Harrison, Planning and Development Services Department, introduced the
presentation.
Tyler Schroeder, Planning and Development Services Department, submitted and
read from a presentation (on file).
Samya Lutz, Planning and Development Services Department, concluded the
presentation on the next steps.
Discussion included whether long -term agricultural viability is a factor in determining
agricultural designation, in addition to soil type and tax status; whether the County's
agricultural designation was challenged to the Growth Management Hearings Board; the
Wells versus Whatcom County case; certain properties with the agricultural protection
overlay (APO) that don't have the types of soils that are the highest ranking soils; (9 :47 :57
J; whether certain APO properties have no purpose in protecting commercial agricultural
viability; including parcels less than 20 acres that are used for agricultural land in the land
calculations; protecting the development rights of parcels that have been designated open
space; cluster requirements in forestry land and rural land due to APO designation; an
exemption for land not used for agriculture since 1975; forest land that can be converted to
agricultural land in the future; whether they need to save more land than is designated by
APO and the rural study area; giving staff direction on where to expand the rural study
area, if necessary; forestry landowners who aren't able to protect and preserve the
agricultural lands as they want when they are forced to cluster; shrinking the rural study
area into a more targeted agricultural area; getting rid of the APO and moving to another
strategy; Farm Friend's proposed tools for the agricultural zone and rural study area;
(10 :27 :17 AM) whether they can protect 100,000 acres in the rural study area and
agricultural zone; whether Farm Friends can bring forward the Code changes to implement
these tools for Council approval; creating a streamlined process for the transfer of
development rights (TDR) program; no longer funding the purchase of development rights
(PDR) program; the process for removing property from open space /agricultural taxation
designation; the status of past proposed changes to the agricultural program, and;
developing criteria for designating agricultural lands and agricultural zoning.
Natural Resources Committee, 7/13/2010, Page 1
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
Nelson stated all systems must be in place for long -term agricultural viability. He's
not interested in valuating all the lands outside the rural study areas. Consider extending
lands to make sure there is additional protection. Identify tools that may better protect the
rural study area and agricultural zones.
The following people spoke:
• Wayne Fitch, Planning and Development Services Department, answered
questions.
• Henry Bierlink, Farm Friends, answered questions.
• Larry Helms, Agricultural Committee, stated make these things simpler.
Create simple maps for people to look at and understand.
• Bob Wiesen, 3314 Douglas Road, stated the APO hasn't accomplished what
they wanted. They must decide how to treat critical areas, such as cluster
reserve tracts that are wetlands. They must be able to farm the critical
areas, or they won't achieve 100,000 acres in the county.
• Wendy Harris, Bellingham, (10:42:50 AM) stated the best way to protect
agricultural land is to downzone. Determine which lands are vested and
which aren't. Agricultural activities may depend on something besides soil.
• Dean Martin, Bellingham, stated things are very complicated and difficult to
understand. They have not made a proper designation of agricultural lands in
Whatcom County, according to the Growth Management Act (GMA). The APO
was a sidestep around that requirement. Develop designation criteria such as
farm size, whether the land is urban, geography, whether the land is
conducive to agriculture, long term commercial significance, whether there
are prime soils, whether products can get to market, and other criteria. Do
the review on a landscape basis, not parcel -by- parcel basis, according to
GMA.
• Cathy Lehman, Futurewise, stated she supports creating criteria for
agricultural designation.
Harrison submitted a memo on the state of the agricultural program (on file).
OTHER BUSINESS
There was no other business.
ADJOURN
The meeting adjourned at 10:56 a.m.
Please contact the Council Office to obtain an
official, signed copy:
360- 676 -6690 or council&o.whatcom.wa.us
Dana Brown - Davis, Council Clerk
Carl Weimer, Committee Chair
Natural Resources Committee, 7/13/2010, Page 2