HomeMy WebLinkAboutSpecial Council October 13 1988MHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
SPECIAL MEETING
MINUTES
October 13, 1988
The meeting was called to order at 7 p.m. by Council Chairman Will
Roehl, with members Dan Warner, Mary Vanderpol, Don Hansey and Emily Jackson
present. Tom Burton and Corky Johnson were absent. Following the flag
salute, business began.
EXECUTIVE ITEM
Discussion of minimum siting criteria for locating a new landfill (Ron Owes,
guest speaker)
Owes talked about the minimum siting criteria delivered to the Council
at its October 6 meeting (on file). Van Zanten said she hopes the criteria
will enable the County to soon buy land for the landfill. Owes said the goal
should be to purchase the land, rather than condemn it. Would like at least
80 acres for the site. Jackson asked if the minimum size could be a goal
rather than a requirement, so locations of 75 acres, for example, won't be
ruled out. C
WARNER MOVED TO ACCEPT THE MINIMUM SITE CRITERIA.
JACKSON MOVED TO AMEND THE CRITERIA, MAKING THE SITE SIZE OF 80 ACRES A
GOAL, NOT A REQUIREMENT.
Motion to amend passed.
Original motion passed.
Vanderpol asked why it had taken Owes so long to reach this point, since
most criteria are blatantly common sense items, such as not locating within
the boundaries of cities or in the flood plains. Roehl agreed.
Owes said the process had been slowed by the Solid Waste Advisory
Committee. The next step is to advertise (will happen next week). Cutoff
time for response will be less than one month, hopes to have two to three
sites for consideration by the first of January or February. Maps of the
area, for use in selecting sites, are being prepared by Ray Weden's office, he
said. They will be in Jurica's office.
PUBLIC HEARING
Ordinance adopting the text and maps of the Foothills Subarea comprehensive
plan. adopting Title 20 zoning for the Foothills Subarea, and adopting text
into the official Whatcom County Zoning Ordinance, Title 20, to create a
definition for "cottage industries "; to revise the rural, rural residential.
rural residential island, and agrlculture zones to conditionally ep rmit
cottgge industries; and to allow limited residential development in the resort
commercial zone where public sewer and water services are not available (full
Roehl said there would be no final action taken this evening on the
issue. The public record will be kept open until 5 p.m. Thursday, October 20,
for further written comments.
Carl Batchelor of Planning explained
have been meetings on the process since the
The public hearing was opened.
Minutes, 10/13/88, Page 2
the Foothills Subarea, said there
summer of 1987.
Stafford Smith, attorney
P.O. Box 6064, Bellingham
Representing Chuck Gable of Tomyhoi Associates. 'Explained
circumstances. Said Would like 18 acres to be designated as UR4 instead of
rural five acre. Would be a maximum of 45 units on the property, he said.
Chuck Gable
1032 14th Bellingham
Said if allowed to develop the land as he wishes, there is a demand out
there to fill up the 45 units. Said would promise not to develop to the
potential number of 72; will only go to 45.
Jack Swanson, attorney
Representing George and Ann Savage
Said he'd delivered a letter to Council that afternoon. His clients and
their property were not included in the public hearing advertisement.
However, he asked for a rural five acre type of zone. Said planning was
unaware of existing developments in the area when they zoned his client's land
as forestry.
Phil Serka, attorney
Representing Glacier Land Co.
Said Glacier may be largest land owner in Foothills area, yet also
claims the owner did not know about the many meetings on this subject. All but
80 acres has been zoned forestry, with the 80 acres as resort commercial.
Wants 1,700 acres as a rural zone, in two, five, and 10 acre lots.
Ron Jepsom
Engineer for Glacier
Distributed copy of ownership statistics.
Fraser Madill
90 McLaughlin Road, Yakima
President of Glacier Land Co. Said there is no timber of consequence on
this property, that it has all been logged off by G -P. He doesn't think it
has been reforested.
George Raper
6800 Enterprise, Ferndale
Address property on Deming Truck Road, which also was not advertised in
the public hearing notice. Has 86 acres, 1/3 cleared, 1/3 timber. Would like
it to be five acre tracts for 30 acres outside of flood plain. Proposed 20
acre forestry, which is okay within flood plain, he said.
Minutes, 10/13/88, Page 3
Larry Harris
Sumas /Deming
Worried about cottage industry text, afraid it will result in strip
development.
Warner said he would like to have the Planning Department's opinion on
the requests made at the hearing. Roehl agreed, and noted that some proposals
had not been covered in the public hearing advertisement; they would need to
be readvertised in order to consider the requests. Taylor said he would write
to Roehl. Vanderpol commended planning staff on a "phenomenal" job.
Roehl closed the public hearing at 8 :55 p.m., but left the record open
to receive written comment until 5 p.m. next Thursday (Oct. 20). (Note: By
that date, only one letter, from Stafford Smith, had been submitted).
The meeting was adjourned at 9 p.m.
ATTEST:
Ramona Reeves,
Clerk of the Council
WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON
William P. oehl, Chairman