HomeMy WebLinkAboutNatural Resources September 13 2016WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
Natural Resources Committee
September 13, 2016
CALL TO ORDER
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
Present: Carl Weimer, Satpal Sidhu and Todd Donovan
Absent: None
Also Present: Ken Mann, Barbara Brenner, Barry Buchanan, and Rud Browne
COMMITTEE DISCUSSION
1. DISCUSSION OF A DRAFT ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTERS 20.51, 20.71,
20.80, 20.85, 20.97 AND TITLE 21 OF THE WHATCOM COUNTY CODE TO
MAKE LOW IMPACT DEVELOPMENT (LID) A STORMWATER AND LAND USE
STRATEGY THAT STRIVES TO MIMIC NATURAL HYDROLOGIC PROCESSES,
THE PREFERRED APPROACH TO SITE DEVELOPMENT BY MINIMIZING
IMPERVIOUS SURFACES, NATIVE VEGETATION LOSS, AND STORMWATER
RUNOFF (AB2016 -257)
Cliff Strong, Planning and Development Services, gave an overview and introduced a
presentation. There is an error in the memo on Council packet page nine in the "Low" and
"Medium" sections. The parcel size will be half an acre instead of one acre.
Wayne Carlson and Brittany Port, AHBL consultants, submitted and gave a
presentation (on file).
Port and Strong answered questions about the stakeholder advisory committee
members, what the proposed changes were from the Stakeholder Advisory Committee
meeting held at the Building Industry Association of Whatcom County, where the thresholds
came from, at what level would a single family homeowner have to hire an architect or
consultant, at what point tree removal would require a site sketch, how this would change
the ability to build agricultural buildings, why a small house should be penalized if it is set
back and required to have a long driveway, and how a landowner is protected if the County
or State wants to widen a road and has to remove his /her vegetation.
Mike Kershner, Planning and Development Services, answered a question about what
provisions are made for removal of a tree that poses a fire danger.
Port and Kershner continued answering questions about slopes of impervious
surfaces, whether a gravel driveway would be treated as pervious or impervious, how a
landowner is protected if the County wants to widen a road and has to remove his /her
vegetation in the right -of -way that counts toward stormwater management, whether the
placement of a house makes a difference and is addressed in the plan, thresholds for new
Natural Resources Committee, 9/13/2016, Page 1
1 developments as it pertains to tree removal in the watershed, and why rules for impervious
2 surfaces are limited to only low impact development.
3
4 Carlson and Strong answered a question about fire department buffer requirements
5 for agricultural buildings and how they contribute to stormwater runoff and tree removal
6 mentioned on page 19, number 5 of the Council packet, and Whatcom County Code
7 20.51.430(5).
8
9 Cathy Craver, Public Works Department, answered a question about landowners
10 having to give access to their land and the cost of the program and who would answer
11 questions about the code.
12
13 Port continued to answer questions about tree removal permits and what triggers
14 development activity, why species specification is not included in the thinning of trees, and
15 where does the drain field for septic overlap with drain water.
16
17 Mark Personius, Planning and Development Services, stated he does not foresee a
18 significant increase in staff cost to the County at this time if they adopt the new stormwater
19 manual, because of the proposed threshold and applicability levels.
20
21 Strong, Port and Kershner answered questions about tree canopy, how the new code
22 would address removing trees and planting new ones in a different place to retain the
23 threshold, how that would affect runoff, and whether the City of Bellingham has adopted the
24 new stormwater manual.
25
26 Port and Carlson answered a question about how stormwater management would be
27 affected if land was converted from timberland to agricultural land.
28
29 Strong asked if the Council approves the proposed timeframe and direction the staff
30 is going.
31
32 Weimer stated schedule another committee meeting in two weeks to continue
33 discussion and introduce it at the first meeting in October.
3n
35 Browne stated address potential conflicts between stormwater rules and the septic
36 drain field rules.
37
38 Councilmembers stated they would like information on the cost to landowners, if
39 planting blueberries in place of trees is acceptable.
40
41
42 COMMITTEE DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL
43
44 1. REQUEST AUTHORIZATION FOR THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE TO ENTER INTO AN
45 INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN WHATCOM COUNTY, LUMMI NATION,
46 NOOKSACK INDIAN TRIBE, WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF FISH &
47 WILDLIFE, THE CITIES OF BELLINGHAM, BLAINE, EVERSON, FERNDALE,
48 LYNDEN, NOOKSACK, AND SUMAS AND PUBLIC UTILITY DISTRICT NO. 1 OF
49 WHATCOM COUNTY REGARDING COORDINATED WATER AND NATURAL
50 RESOURCES MANAGEMENT (AB2016 -258)
51
52 This item was withdrawn from the agenda.
53
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OTHER BUSINESS
There was no other business.
ADJOURN
The ta,eeting adjourned at 10:59 a.m.
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Dana Brown - Davis, Counc�kberk
Jill Nixon, Minutes Transcrip ion
WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON
Carl Weimer, Committee Chair
Natural Resources Committee, 9/13/2016, Page 3