HomeMy WebLinkAboutSpecial Council AM Oct 29 2024Whatcom County
Council (Special)
COUNTY COURTHOUSE
311 Grand Avenue, Ste #105
Bellingham, WA 98225-4038
(360)778-5010
Minutes - Final
Tuesday, October 29, 2024
9AM
Hyrbid Meeting - Council Chambers
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CALL 360.778.5010)
COUNCILMEMBERS
Barry Buchanan
Tyler Byrd
Todd Donovan
Ben Elenbaas
Kaylee Galloway
Jon Scanlon
Mark Stremler
CLERK OF THE COUNCIL
Cathy Halka, AICP, CMC
Council (Special) Minutes - Final October 29, 2024
Call To Order
Roll Call
Council Vice Chair Kaylee Galloway called the meeting to order at 9 a.m.
in a hybrid meeting.
Present: 4 - Todd Donovan, Kaylee Galloway, Jon Scanlon, and Mark Stremler
Absent: 3 - Barry Buchanan, Tyler Byrd, and Ben Elenbaas
Announcements
Discussion
AB2024-647 Discussion relating to population and employment projections for the Birch Bay
Urban Growth Area (UGA), Cherry Point UGA, Columbia Valley UGA and areas
outside UGAs (Rural areas and Resource Lands) associated with the 2025 Whatcom
County Comprehensive Plan Update
Mark Personius, Planning and Development Services Department Director,
briefed the Councilmembers on the Staff Memo for this meeting and stated
that Planning is recommending that Council go no lower than 9,000 for the
next 20-year allocation to the rural and resource lands. He spoke about
Comprehensive Plan Policy 2DD-1 and stated it is a policy they hope not to
have to implement. He also spoke about the Housing for All planning tool.
The cities and the County all have to plan for providing very specific
densities and housing types to equate with affordability, and stated that is
new since the last Comprehensive Plan update. It means the cities have
more of a share in looking at county -wide growth rates, so the County
cannot automatically make changes without changing their share of growth
as well. That makes determining the rural growth rate more complicated
than in the past. He answered what would be so bad about just addressing the
discrepancy (Policy 2DD-1) now versus later, and stated they will be
looking at rural study areas and the potential for changing the zoning in
some of those as part of the Comprehensive Plan environmental impact
statement (EIS) and it would be better to get that information first. There
are very serious policy implications for future councils if they choose a
very low number now and then exceed it.
Matt Aamot, Planning and Development Services Department, answered
questions about concerns around making sure they are fully looking at
climate considerations, resiliency, vulnerability, and infrastructure in the
county's WAS, and why Planning is proposing above the high scenario for
employment in those areas.
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Council (Special) Minutes - Final October 29, 2024
Councilmembers and staff discussed what the different scenarios might
look like for people across the county, what it might look like to allocate
9,000 to rural and resource lands as opposed to 10,000, that choosing a
number at this point is just a way of trying to get on the same page with the
cities but does drive policy, whether setting the number to 9,000 includes
the shift of growth to other locations as was specified in the last meeting's
motion, what the definition of resource is as used in the term "resource
lands," and what Ferndale and Lynden are talking about doing to
accommodate growth for scenario two (in the memo).
Councilmembers discussed Planning moving forward with the
recommended allocation number of 9,000 in rural areas. Donovan stated he
would prefer to go lower to drive policy, but he does not think there is an
appetite for going below the 9,000 given staff s recommendation, so he is
happy with the recommendation.
Aly Pennucci, Executive's Office, stated the EIS is studying a higher number
and a lower number and Council will have another opportunity to consider
the number as they get more information.
Aamot stated they will take this, along with city proposals, to the Planning
Commission in November and then they would hopefully bring back the
resolution before the end of the year. Then in the final Comprehensive Plan,
the Council would adopt the final number.
This agenda item was DISCUSSED.
Items Added by Revision
Other Business
Adjournment
There were no agenda items added by revision.
There was no other business.
The meeting adjourned at 9:33 a.m.
The County Council approved these minutes on November 19, 2024.
Whalcom County page 2 Printed on 11/2MO24
Council (Special) Minutes - Final October 29, 2024
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Cathy Halka Council Clerk' *-,anan, Council Chair
Meeting Minutes prepared by Kristi Felbinger
Whatcom County page 3 Printed on 1112112024