HomeMy WebLinkAboutPlanning Nov 19 2024Whatcom County
Council Planning and Development Committee
COUNTY COURTHOUSE
311 Grand Avenue, Ste #105
Bellingham, WA 98225-4038
(360)778-5010
Committee Minutes - Final
Tuesday, November 19, 2024
1:35 PM
Hybrid Meeting - Council Chambers
HYBRID MEETING - MAY BEGIN EARLY (PARTICIPATE IN -PERSON, SEE
REMOTE JOIN INSTRUCTIONS AT www.whatcomcounty.us/joinvirtualcouncil, OR
CALL 360.778.5010)
COUNCILMEMBERS
Todd Donovan
Ben Elenbaas
Jon Scanlon
CLERK OF THE COUNCIL
Cathy Halka, AICP, CMC
Council Planning and Development Committee Minutes - Final November 19, 2024
Committee
Call To Order
Roll Call
Committee Chair Ben Elenbaas called the meeting to order at 1:30 p.m. in a
hybrid meeting.
Present: 3 - Todd Donovan, Ben Elenbaas, and Jon Scanlon
Also Present: Tyler Byrd and Mark Stremler
Announcements
Committee Discussion and Recommendation to Council
1. AB2024-785 Discussion of and request for motion on recommendation for 2024 Open Space
applications
Alexander Harris, Planning and Development Services Department, read
from a presentation (on file) and he and the following person answered
questions regarding public access in the Open Space Farm and Agricultural
Conservation Land (OSFAC) and the Bellingham County Club and other
golf courses:
• Christine Larsen, Assessor's Office
Harris reviewed each of the four properties under consideration. He and the
following people answered questions:
• Lauren Templeton, Planning and Development Services Department
• Christine Larsen
They discussed with Councilmembers that the RJ Group property would not
be able to go back to its previous designation if this designation is denied,
that the owners would have to pay seven years of back -taxes if the
application is not approved and they are unenrolled from Open Space
altogether, whether the property could potentially be developed, what
caused that property to not be recommended for approval, and the wish of
some Councilmembers that the back taxes could be waived.
Harris spoke about the remaining applications and answered if a property
being designated forestland means it will be forested at some point. He
stated the owner has to demonstrate that they are planning to commercially
log the forest in the future. He spoke about mapping open space parcels and
stated they are starting to receive feedback on different ways public access
K%atcom County Page 1
Council Planning and Development Committee Minutes - Final November 19, 2024
Committee
can be managed on these properties and they will eventually publish a map
that shows where the properties are and that links to the rules for each one.
Donovan moved that they recommend approval of the two properties that
were recommended by staff and the Planning Commission.
Councilmembers and Council staff discussed that this item is requesting a
motion for approval tonight and Donovan repeated his motion.
Donovan's motion that the Request for Motion that they recommend
approval of the two properties that were recommended by staff and the
Planning Commission carried by the following vote:
Aye: 3 - Donovan, Elenbaas, and Scanlon
Nay: 0
Motion approved that they recommend approval of the two properties that were recommended by staff and the
Planning Commission.
Items Added by Revision
Other Business
Adjournment
There were no agenda items added by revision.
There was no other business.
The meeting ad�q$q�,, at 1:20 p.m.
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WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
WHATCOM COUNTY, WA
Ben Elenbaas-via email 11/27/2024
Ben Elenbaas, Committee Chair
Meeting Minutes prepared by Kristi Felbinger
Whatcom County Page 2