HomeMy WebLinkAboutPlanning Mar 11 2025Whatcom County
Council Planning and Development Committee
COUNTY COURTHOUSE
311 Grand Avenue, Ste #105
Bellingham, WA 98225-4038
(360)778-5010
Committee Minutes - Final
Tuesday, March 11, 2025
1PM
Hybrid Meeting - Council Chambers
HYBRID MEETING (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 March 11, 2025
Committee
Call To Order
Roll Call
Committee Chair Ben Elenbaas called the meeting to order at 1:02 p.m. in a
hybrid meeting.
Present: 3 - Todd Donovan, Ben Elenbaas, and Jon Scanlon
Also Present: Barry Buchanan, Tyler Byrd, Kaylee Galloway, and Mark Stremler
Announcements
Committee Discussion and Recommendation to Council
1. AB2025-194 Resolution docketing Comprehensive Plan and Development Regulation amendments
Lucas Clark, Planning and Development Services Department, read from a
presentation (on file), and stated they are asking the Council to approve the
resolution and consider five new items for docketing, three of which
(PLN2025-00001, PLN2025-00002, PLN2025-00003) are privately
initiated amendment applications.
He discussed with Councilmembers that privately -initiating applicants have
to pay to have their applications docketed, how Councilmembers should go
about waiving the fees for the school district application, the maps for the
private applications, that docket applications can be submitted by private
citizens and that they are not part of the Comprehensive Plan process at the
moment, that docketing an item does not mean the Council passes it but that
they go through a public process and get answers to questions before voting
on it.
Matt Aamot, Planning and Development Services Department, spoke about
PLN2025-00003 which is the Impervious Surface Code Amendments
(Bellingham School District Application).
Clark continued his presentation.
Donovan moved to remove the items other than the code scrub and the item
amending the capital facilities element (PLN2025-00004, and
PLN2025-00005) and recommend that those two go forward.
Councilmembers discussed the motion.
The motion carried by the following vote:
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Council Planning and Development Committee Minutes - Final March 11, 2025
Committee
Aye: 3 - Donovan, Elenbaas, and Scanlon
Nay: 0
Elenbaas moved that they add the Birch Bay UGA Expansion - small, the
Birch Bay UGA Expansion - large, and the impervious surface code
amendments (PLN2025-00001, PLN2025-00002, PLN2025-00003) as
well.
Councilmembers discussed the motion.
Michael Kershner, Planning and Development Services Department,
answered why the Bellingham School District request applies to the whole
parcel. He stated they are currently exceeding their impervious surface
allowance, and so any expansion at all would require a variance for even
something small like a path around the field. A school probably needs a
little more flexibility on this than other houses in that area.
The motion carried by the following vote:
Aye: 2 - Elenbaas and Scanlon
Nay: 1 - Donovan
George Roche, Prosecuting Attorney's Office, stated staff is concerned
that there was not a main motion to approve the resolution.
Elenbaas stated their motions did not make any changes to the actual
resolution as written, but Roche stated the exhibit is the same entity as the
resolution.
Scanlon moved to recommend the Resolution to Council for approval.
Elenbaas stated they were out of order. He accepted Scanlon's motion.
The motion carried by the following vote:
Aye: 2 - Elenbaas and Scanlon
Nay: 1- Donovan
Clerk's note: The vote above is referenced again at the end of this agenda
item.
Councilmembers also discussed home based businesses and vacation rental
regulations.
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Council Planning and Development Committee Minutes - Final March 11, 2025
Committee
Aly Pennucci, Executive's Office, stated she has asked Planning and
Development Services to propose what fees would look like (regarding
vacation rentals) in order to achieve cost recovery to support getting a
registration system online as part of the mid -biennium review.
Cathy Halka, Clerk of the Council, asked for clarification on the motions
made and Elenbaas stated he called the first two motions out of order so
they proceeded forward with a motion to approve the resolution as
presented. That passed two to one, so there were no amendments made.
Galloway stated she feels like they need more time on this time and is
tempted to hold it at the main meeting tonight.
Scanlon's motion that the Resolution be RECOMMENDED FOR
APPROVAL carried by the following vote:
Aye: 2 - Elenbaas, and Scanlon
Nay: 1 - Donovan
Items Added by Revision
Other Business
Adjournment
There were no agenda items added by revision.
There was no other business.
The meeting �a plugio,ai 1:39 p.m.
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WHATCOM COUNTY, WA
Ben Elenbaas-via email 3/20/2025
Ben Elenbaas, Committee Chair
Meeting Minutes prepared by Kristi Felbinger
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