HomeMy WebLinkAboutPlanning and Development June 26 1990PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
June 26, 1990
The meeting was called to order at 1:05 p.m. by Committee
Chair Marge Laidlaw with members Emily Jackson and Don Hansey
present.
1. ORDINANCE ADOPTING AMENDMENTS TO COUNTY DEVELOPMENT
STANDARDS RELATING TO INTERIM SEDIMENTATION AND
EROSION CONTROLS FOR CLEARING OF NON - FORESTED LANDS
IN LAKE WHATCOM AND SAMISH RIVER WATERSHEDS & OTHER
CRITICAL WATERSHEDS IN WHATCOM COUNTY (AB90 -156)
(INTRO'D 4/24)
Diane Harper of Planning noted that the early action
watersheds were added to the listing.
JACKSON MOVED THIS ITEM BE ADOPTED WITH THE AMENDMENTS
SUGGESTED BY THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
Motion carried unanimously.
2. REQUEST TO AMEND THE OFFICIAL URBAN FRINGE COMP
PLAN MAP FROM TOURIST COMMERCIAL TO URBAN RESERVE
MEDIUM DENSITY AND AMENDMENT OF THE OFFICIAL ZONING
MAP ... FOR APPROXIMATELY 2.8 ACRES SOUTH OF
AIRPORT DR. ON WEST MAPLEWOOD (AB90 -224)
Harper stated there are 130 acres of Tourist Commercial in
that area, most of which is not developed. There is a need for
additional housing and that would also generate traffic. The
Planning Commission wanted this reviewed because of the urban
fringe study. The Planning Department and Planning Commission
recommended denial of this issue.
Jackson asked if Bakerview people made a similar request
what would be the difference and wondered if this would create a
precedent. Harper said the difference is that this would be a
downzone and would provide less impacts; it also took very
little staff time and was basically done by an intern.
JACKSON MOVED CONFIRMATION OF THE DENIAL OF THIS ITEM.
Hansey asked why the owner was not at the hearing. Harper
said the owner has a realtor and developer from Seattle and the
developer did not get the notice.
Rick Gilbert, agent for rezone request, said he had been
given the date 19th but when he called on the 12th he found it
had been denied that day. He found the one person who spoke
against it was a neighbor. Harper said she did not think the
decision to deny was influenced to a great extent by the person
against it but it may have been. Jackson asked if the vote count
could be given from now on so the Council would know if the vote
Planning & Development Committee, 6/26/90, Page 2
was unanimous or split. Laidlaw said sometimes government does
get in the way of people and the City had informed her they would
get in touch with her before this meeting if they had a problem
with the downzone; the City did not contact her. Laidlaw said
she is inclined to support the rezone.
Jackson and Laidlaw discussed the City and County's
jurisdiction. Jackson said she thought it was decided the
County do as little as possible in the urban fringe area.
Jackson withdrew her motion.
HANSEY MOVED THE COUNTY COUNCIL HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING ON
THIS ISSUE.
The motion carried 2 -0 with Jackson abstaining.
Planning Department update: Harper said she was speaking
for Dan Taylor who said "he is having nightmares, sleepless
nights and it is a bloody mess." It is very difficult to try to
work on Bakerview before the urban fringe and simultaneously
coordinate the overall transportation study. We have been asked
to give set boundaries, anchors, locations and land -use by mid -
September. The City is dealing with this by delaying the
transportation study but the department does not want to do that.
Taylor will be back on July 9. Jackson asked if the County would
miss out on grants if it postponed the transportation study.
Henken said we had a joint application with the city but it did
not rate high enough to get funding. Harper said Planning will
ba cominq back with a oupplazontal budget fox` anothor plennor but
that will take time to make a difference.
Harper said working in so many directions at once is
causing difficulties for the Planning office.
3. PRESENTATION OF COUNTY -WIDE ADDRESS GRID SYSTEM, BY
DEPUTY PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR JOHN TYLER (AB90 -201)
Tyler said the County is on a quarter mile grid which
limits the number of house numbers that can be assigned in that
area. This is creating problems for emergency vehicles in
providing services in the County. Tyler said his department
started working on this last July; he conferred with other
counties and found that only Whatcom and Skagit are not on the
16th of a mile grid, except for the City of Renton and they are
experiencing problems.
Tyler suggests dividing the County in four quadrants using
the Slater -Kelly Road going east -west and Guide Meridian going
north - south. Road in cul de sac would be a court; roads that go
into a loop project would be a loop or circle; a way is a roads
Planning & Development Committee, 6/26/90, Page 3
that meanders across; and boulevards and parkways would be roads
that go through (such as Lake Whatcom Boulevard). The County has
run out of numbers and are using crest, drive, place and avenue
for north -south and vista, terrace, lane and street for east -west
streets for now to get enough addresses for the new construction.
These would have to be re- addressed when the new system comes in.
Tyler said it would take two to three years to effect the
complete changeover so this system was necessary in the interim.
There were about three hundred new roads last year so it is very
hard for police, 911 and fire districts when there is no logical
road to get to a given address. Snohomish started in the less
populated areas and are now in the busy areas. We have learned a
lot about the mistakes they made.
Our first step is to make the decision to go on the grid
system. Then it would go to engineering for an overlay;
engineering has already done some of the work on this. All east -
west road would be streets and all north -south would be avenues
but traditional names for well known streets would also be on the
sign. It would be much easier to find places with the numbering
system. Tyler said the small cities are having the same problem.
Ferndale and the staff of Lynden and Everson have agreed with
this. Tyler said Public Works could go through on the computer
and do the addressing for small cities. Bellingham does not want
to participate at this point. Tyler has had information from as
far as Texas. The Post Office has been very supportive.
Jackson said she would prefer to go directly to the
finished system rather than to an interim then on to the final
system if at all possible.
The estimated cost (based on Snohomish County's figures)
of this changeover will be $96,000 per year until this is
completed for people, computer work, signs, etc. Tyler said we
have to do something quickly and can't do the final that fast and
that was why they suggested an interim.
Tyler introduced Gina Devries who does the addressing.
Devries said the County map is presently many blocks off in
places. Many numbers are used up; short plats could be divided
and there will be no new numbers to assign. Devries mentioned
some of the problem areas: Marine Drive and Bennett Avenue;
Smith Road to Axton Road; Tweed Twenty; Lake Whatcom Boulevard
around Strawberry Point and Echo Point where the people decided
to address themselves. On North Shore Road there are problems
where the City meets the County. In Cordata it will be a
nightmare when Horton Road breaks through. 911 is paranoid about
finding places in the county.
Jackson asked if there was no way of getting Bellingham to
go along with this. Tyler said he thinks eventually they will
Planning & Development Committee, 6/26/90, Page 4
have to upgrade their system as Bellingham has no orderly pattern
of addressing. It may take a death to get some action, said
Tyler.
Gary Crawford of the fire department said they used to
know every road in the district but that is no longer the case;
they have had delayed response because of the horrible addressing
problem. Mount said he feels strongly there has to be a better
and more consistent system. It must be mandatory to have
addresses on the end of the lane because they are being hampered.
He is all for this system.
Henken said the current grid system was there when he
arrived. Tyler solved their problem when he authorized
engineering to start numbering roads. He would like to have an
indication whether they should try to fix the 400 grid system or
should they start working on the 1600 grid system.
Jackson said she would like to recommend to the Council
they have a meeting with all the small cities and the emergency
services.
Tyler said if the Council agrees with staff we need to
devise a system, he needs to know what additional information he
should get. The determination whether to go to a 1600 grid
considering that when higher densities come the 400 does not have
the flexibility to address. He said he feels a healthy majority
is in favor of this other than the city of Bellingham. If
someone dies because emergency vehicles can't find them, we will
have it on our conscience.
Laidlaw would like to know how this will affect other
agencies. Tyler said the transition has not been as painful as
they had expected. When Snohomish did their readdressing, they
did it by townships. When it started there was a lot of flak but
now people are asking when their area will be done.
Tyler said small towns would be presented with the grid
showing their new numbering will be and communities will be
involved. Postmasters are very much in favor of this.
Bellingham fire department and 911 are also having trouble.
Laidlaw and Hansey asked that Tyler come back in a month
with questions and answers from the other small cities etc. Are
they experiencing similar problems, and would they endorse the
concept.
Hansey asked if there would be cost savings entering into
this if there were a series of interlocal agreements to do this
for the other cities with centralized staffing and cost sharing.
Hansey said he would rather go directly to the 16 system rather
than an interim system.
Planning & Development Committee, 6/26/90, Page 5
4. OTHER BUSINESS
Hansey asked if this committee would consider meeting at
1:30 p.m instead of 1. Laidlaw and Jackson agreed this would be
f ine .
Jackson said she had met on the open space issue with
Willnauer, Sarah Bussard of Planning and the city representative
and they will come back with some information.
ATTEST:
WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON
z � y
Barb ra Maher, Coun '1 Clerk M rge L dlaw, Member