HomeMy WebLinkAboutPlanning May 27 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, May 27, 2025
1:30 PM
Hybrid Meeting - Council Chambers
HYBRID MEETING - MAY BEGIN EARLY - ADJOURNS BY 2:00 P.M.
(PARTICIPATE IN -PERSON, SEE REMOTE JOIN INSTRUCTIONS AT
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COUNCILMEMBERS
Todd Donovan
Ben Elenbaas
Jon Scanlon
CLERK OF THE COUNCIL
Cathy Halka, AICP, CMC
Council Planning and Development Committee Minutes - Final May 27, 2025
Committee
Call To Order
Roll Call
Committee member Jon Scanlon called the meeting to order at 1:37 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
1. AB2025-380 Discussion of an ordinance amending Whatcom County Code Chapter 20.82, Public
Utilities, to increase allowable power line voltage to 230 kilovolts in zones currently
limited to 115 kilovolts
Lucas Clark, Planning and Development Services Department, read from a
presentation (on file) on a history of how Whatcom County came to have a
limit on electrical infrastructure greater than 115 kilovolts (W), the current
state of transmission outside of Whatcom County, the proposed code
change, the conditional use criteria, and types of poles that Puget Sound
Energy (PSE) could use if they decide to upgrade the electrical
infrastructure.
Brian Heinrich, Puget Sound Energy (PSE), answered questions about the
width of right of ways compared to what they are now and how often
scheduled maintenance occurs. He stated PSE manages the maintenance on
right-of-way vegetation and it is regular maintenance. He answered where a
230 kV line might be placed, and stated it would be subject to further study.
He answered how other counties' codes in their service area compare in
terms of how lines of this capacity are regulated, and stated 230 is allowed
in the rest of the service territory and subject to conditional use almost
everywhere. He answered whether the proposal for the upgrade is strictly
for local use and not for out of country, and stated he believes it would
accommodate both but the number one purpose is to meet the needs in this
service territory.
Clark answered whether there was an official recommendation on the
ordinance from the Planning Commission and stated it was unanimously
recommended to forward to Council as it is.
Galloway spoke about letters of approval received by other entities.
Whatcom County Page I
Council Planning and Development Committee Minutes - Final
Committee
May 27, 2025
Heinrich answered what voltage would be needed to carry new electricity
generation (such as geothermal) across the county, and stated he is not sure.
This agenda item was DISCUSSED.
Items Added by Revision
Other Business
Adiournment
There were no agenda items added by revision.
There was no other business.
The meeting adjourned at 1:55 p.m.
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WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
WHATCOM COUNTY, WA
Ben Elenbaas-via email 6/20/2025
Ben Elenbaas, Committee Chair
Meeting Minutes prepared by Kristi Felbinger
K%atcom County page 2