HomeMy WebLinkAboutPlanning Mar 25 2025Whatcom County
Council Planning and Development Committee
COUNTY COURTHOUSE
311 Grand Avenue, Ste #105
Bellingham, WA 98225-4038
(360) 778-5010
Committee Minutes - Draft Minutes
Tuesday, March 25, 2025
12:45 PM
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 - Draft Minutes March 25, 2025
Committee
Call To Order
Roll Call
Committee Chair Ben Elenbaas called the meeting to order at 12:46 p.m. in
a hybrid meeting.
Present: 3 - Todd Donovan, Ben Elenbaas, and Jon Scanlon
Also Present: Kaylee Galloway and Mark Stremler
Announcements
Committee Discussion
1. AB2025-245 Discussion of an ordinance amending Whatcom County Code Title 20 (Zoning)
regarding home -based businesses
The following people spoke and answered questions:
• Mark Personius, Planning and Development Services Department
Director
• Cliff Strong, Planning and Development Services Department
• Rajeev Mujumdar, Hearing Examiner
• Amy Keenan, Planning and Development Services Department
Personius stated that Strong has submitted his intended retirement and he
thanked him for his service.
Strong and Mujumdar briefed the Councilmembers on the proposed code
amendments.
Councilmembers and the speakers discussed that the proposed code is
actually enabling language, why the proposed rules for agritourism activities
in section 20.80.972 (1) (b) are being limited to eight weekends per year
and that most activities might fall under type one which has no such limit,
things that might be allowed with the new code that may have been more
difficult before, that the intent of this code is to remove ambiguity which
will help with and allow for consistent permitting, that this item is slated to
have a public hearing on April 15th, and sending the proposed ordinance out
to the Agricultural Advisory Committee, Food System Committee, and
other farm groups to get their input.
This agenda item was DISCUSSED.
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Council Planning and Development Committee Minutes - Draft Minutes March 25, 2025
Committee
Committee Discussion and Recommendation to Council
AB2025-194 Resolution docketing Comprehensive Plan and Development Regulation amendments
Lucas Clark, Planning and Development Services Department, briefed the
Councilmembers and stated that after the March 11 meeting, they revised
Exhibit A (the docket) to show that the fee was waived for the Bellingham
School District application.
Scanlon moved that the SUBSTITUTE Resolution be RECOMMENDED
FOR APPROVAL.
Councilmembers discussed the motion and that the docket may come back
to Council if councilmembers propose land -use related policy and code
amendments through their councilmember priorities.
Matt Aamot, Planning and Development Services Department, answered
whether the planning they are doing through the Comprehensive Plan is
assuming that the land that is already there is sufficient to accommodate the
requests, and about the application maps (on file).
Scanlon's motion that the SUBSTITUTE Resolution be RECOMMENDED
FOR APPROVAL carried by the following vote:
Aye: 2 - Elenbaas, and Scanlon
Nay: 0
Abstain: 1 - Donovan
Items Added by Revision
Other Business
Ad iou rn ment
There were no agenda items added by revision.
There was no other business.
The meeting adjourned at 1:16 p.m.
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."y Ralka, Council Clerk
Ben Elenbaas-via email 4/2/2025
Ben Elenbaas, Committee Chair
Meeting Minutes prepared by Kristi Felbinger
Whatcom County page 3