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HomeMy WebLinkAboutNatural Resources March 31 20091 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 March 31, 2009 Committee Chair Carl Weimer called the meeting to order at 9:36 a.m. in the Council Chambers, 311 Grand Avenue, Bellingham, Washington. Present: Absent: Carl Weimer None Seth Fleetwood Bob Kelly Also Present: Sam Crawford L. Ward Nelson Barbara Brenner COMMITTEE DISCUSSION 1. PRESENTATION BY WENDY STEFFENSEN FROM RE SOURCES REGARDING THE FINDINGS OF CITIZEN MONITORING OF STORMWATER DISCHARGES AND HOW THESE FINDINGS RELATE TO PHASE II NPDES PERMITS (AB2009- 158) Wendy Steffensen, RESources, submitted and read from a presentation (on file). The following person spoke: • Chip Anderson, Public Works Department, described the phase II boundary. Discussion included the process that occurs once RESources files a complaint to the jurisdiction; the qualifications of RESources new field assessment personnel; how field assessments are initiated; repeat violators; including the option of incentives to enforcement measures; the cleanup effort throughout Puget Sound; applying phase II requirements countywide, and; current and future regulations for grandfathered permit holders. COMMITTEE DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL 1. RESOLUTION INITIATING COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND ZONING AMENDMENTS FOR 2009 (AB2009 -178) David Stalheim, Planning and Development Services Department Director, gave a staff report to describe the application process; criteria for amendments as shown on Council packet page three; the Planning Commission schedule, and; the three docket items on today's committee schedule. Docket # 2009 -C: Agriculture to Rural (60 acres on Paradise Road) Natural Resources Committee, 3/31/2009, Page 1 1 The following people spoke: 2 3 • Larry Stoner, 4751 Birch Bay - Lynden Road #259. 4 • Gordon Gerard, 1371 Paradise Road. 5 6 Discussion included the history of the parcel; soils; a buffer between a sand pit and 7 residential properties; reclamation requirements; the depth of the water table; using the 60 8 acres for five -acre lots; staff time that would be assigned to this item, and; forestry 9 resources. 10 11 Fleetwood moved to recommend docketing this item. 12 13 Motion failed 0 -3. 14 15 Docket # 2009 -E: Mineral Resource Overlay Removal (4.41 acres near Maple FallsZ 16 17 The following people spoke: 18 19 . Bill Velacich, 7624 Kachina Road, submitted and read from a handout (on 20 file). 21 • Doug Goldthorp, Planning and Development Services Departme.nt.:. 22 . Lesa Starkenburg - Kroontje, attorney 23 24 Discussion included who owns the mineral rights on Mr. Velacich's property; whether 25 someone can mine Mr. Velacich's property without his permission; whether taking away the 26 mineral resource land (MRL) designation would diminish the ease of obtaining the minerals; 27 whether removing the MRL would affect the bridge across the land, and; whether they are 28 removing needed mineral resource land. 29 30 Fleetwood moved to recommend docketing this item. 31 32 Nelson stated he would like to know who owns the minerals rights. 33 34 Motion carried 3 -0. 35 36 Docket # 2009 -F: Forestry to Mineral Resource Lands (280 acres near Wickersham), 37 38 The following people spoke: 39 40 . Lesa Starkenburg - Kroontje, attorney representing the applicant 41 . Doug Goldthorp, Planning and Development Services Department 42 43 Discussion included what docketing actually allows; a description of the property; the 44 total amount of MRL- designated land in the county; necessary studies before an MRL is 45 granted; the presence of active forestry; the reason for the staff's recommendation, and; 46 the purpose of MRL status. 47 48 Weimer moved to recommend approval of docketing. 49 50 Motion failed 1 -2 with Weimer in favor. 51 52 53 Natural Resources Committee, 3/31/2009, Page 2 1 OTHER BUSINESS 2 3 There was no other business. 4 5 6 ADJOURN 7 8 The meeting adjourned at 11:06 a.m. 9 10 11 12 Jill Nixon, Minutes Transcription 13 14 `011111111111JI 15 AT�`fY �` 0 O U� 16 .••••. 18 19 = ; 20 — = 21 �an.%B*W-tTavie, jou4il Clerk SHIN ` ••••••• WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON Carl Weimer, Committee Chair Natural Resources Committee, 3/31/2009, Page 3 TA, 'Y'n • . r