HomeMy WebLinkAboutPlanning December 4 20061
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3 WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
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5 Special Joint Meeting
6 Whatcom County Council Planning & Development Committee
7 Blaine City Council
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9 December 4, 2006
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11 Blaine City Council Member Bonnie Onyon called the meeting to order at
12 approximately 5:30 p.m. in the Blaine City Council Chambers, 344 H Street, Blaine,
13 Washington.
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15 Present: Absent:
16 Barbara Brenner, Whatcom County Council None
17 Dan McShane, Whatcom County Council
18 Seth Fleetwood, Whatcom County Council
19 Jason Overstreet, Blaine City Council
20 Mike Myers, Blaine City Council /Mayor
21
22 1. APPLICATION SUBMITTED BY AMWEST PROPERTIES INC. TO TRANSFER
23 APPROXIMATELY 69.01 ACRES TO THE CURRENT USE TAXATION
24 DESIGNATION OF OPEN SPACE TIMBER (AB2006 -325)
25
26 (Clerk's Note: Council Office staff did not attend to take notes or audiotape this
27 meeting. The minutes are transcribed from the audiotape supplied by Blaine City Council
28 staff.)
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30 Elizabeth Olsen, Whatcom County Planning and Development Services Department,
31 gave a staff report. She indicated the location on a map.
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33 Brenner asked if any of the Blaine City Council Members are opposed to the
34 application.
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36 Onyon stated she doesn't know of anyone having plans for this area. A residential
37 development is planned east of Harvey Road, halfway between Harvey Road and Valley
38 View Road.
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40 Myers stated that development is a reason to approve the application.
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42 Brenner stated that in the end, Open Space Timber is for harvesting. Her concern is
43 whether neighbors will protest any timber harvest.
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45 Onyon stated up to a thousand homes are planned in the development.
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47 Olsen stated the management plan and timetable are included in the information.
48 They are thinking about selectively harvesting in 35 to 40 years.
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50 Overstreet asked the timeframe that this has to remain in Open Space Timber.
51 Olsen stated it has to stay designated for at least seven years. If they opt out before that,
52 the owner has to pay back taxes for prior years.
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Whatcom County Council, 12/4/2006, Page 1
1 Brenner stated that penalties are levied before ten years. Olsen stated that is
2 correct.
3
4 Onyon asked if they take out stumps when they forest the land. Olsen stated they
5 can or don't have to. In many cases, stumps can be good for the wildlife and a new stand
6 of trees.
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8 Onyon stated she doesn't know what would be better for this watershed, removing or
9 leaving the stumps. Olsen stated it's already replanted.
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11 Brenner stated that if the foresters don't continue to replant after harvesting, they
12 can't stay in Open Space Timber. Olsen stated the State Department of Natural Resources
13 (DNR) oversee any harvesting.
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15 Onyon stated she wants to deny the use of pesticides.
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17 Brenner stated they are allowed, however there are restrictions in watersheds on the
18 type of pesticide and application.
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20 Onyon stated delete the allowance for aerial spraying of pesticides. Olsen stated the
21 DNR would oversee that activity.
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23 McShane stated the DNR doesn't change the rules for watersheds. The foresters
24 only need to follow the Forest Practice rules, which allow aerial spraying. State law has
25 specific language that don't give cities any right to demand extra protection on forestlands
26 within municipal watershed boundaries. He doesn't know if they can condition this request.
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28 Brenner stated it's only 69 acres. They don't have to aerial spray.
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30 Fleetwood asked if the applicant has specifically said they will spray the area.
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32 Brenner stated they have not. This is boilerplate language.
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34 Olsen stated that for this particular situation, aerial spraying would be more
35 expensive than hand spraying.
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37 _Brenner stated she agreed. She doesn't think they would be opposed to such a
38 condition.
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40 Brenner moved to condition approval that there be no aerial spraying of pesticides.
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42 The Councils concurred.
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44 Onyon stated the condition will send a message to DNR and this applicant.
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46 Fleetwood moved to approve the application, with the one condition.
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48 The motion was seconded.
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50 Olsen explained the public benefit rating system for the Open Space /Open Space
51 designation.
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53 The motion carried unanimously,
Whatcom County Council, 12/4/2006, Page 2
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2
3 ADJOURN
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5 e me adjourned at approximately 6:05 p.m.
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8
9 Jill Nixon, Minutes Transcription
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WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON
h Fleetw ' d, Planning Committee Chair
Whatcom County Council, 12/4/2006, Page 3