HomeMy WebLinkAboutPlanning Aug 6 2025Whatcom County
Council Planning and Development Committee
COUNTY COURTHOUSE
311 Grand Avenue, Ste #105
Bellingham, WA 98225-4038
(360) 778-5010
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Committee Minutes - Final
Wednesday, August 6, 2025
11:40 AM
Hybrid Meeting - Council Chambers
HYBRID MEETING - MAY BEGIN EARLY - ADJOURNS BY 12:00 P.M.
(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 August 6, 2025
Committee
Call To Order
Roll Call
Committee member Jon Scanlon called the meeting to order at 11:38 a.m.
in a hybrid meeting and acted as chair for the meeting.
Present: 2 - Ben Elenbaas, and Jon Scanlon
Absent: 1 - Todd Donovan
Also Present: Barry Buchanan, Kaylee Galloway, and Mark Stremler
Announcements
Committee Discussion and Recommendation to Council
1. AB2025-533 Resolution approving recommendation on application for open space current use
assessment
Alexander Harris, Planning and Development Services Department, briefed
the councilmembers and read from a presentation (on file) on the process
and the proposed property.
Elenbaas moved that the Resolution be RECOMMENDED FOR
APPROVAL.
Harris answered if an application still goes to the Planning Commission
even if Planning and Development Services does not recommend it for
approval, and stated it does. He answered what the process is for the City of
Sumas and their city council, and stated if it is approved by the County
Council, it goes to the Sumas City Council, and that body has to approve it
before the tax assessor makes adjustments. He answered whether he has
knowledge of City plans in this area, and stated he does not but can reach
out to the City of Sumas. He answered whether the application would not be
approved if the Sumas City Council votes no, and stated that is his
understanding. He spoke about what public access might look like on
property like this and the source of its flooding. He answered whether open
space with public access automatically keeps motorized vehicles off the
property, and stated they give the landowner some discretion on how to
establish their public access rules and it is then up to the landowner to
enforce them.
Elenbaas's motion that the Resolution be RECOMMENDED FOR
APPROVAL carried by the following vote:
Aye: 2 - Elenbaas, and Scanlon
Whalcom County Page I
Council Planning and Development Committee Minutes - Final
Committee
Nay: 0
Absent: 1 - Donovan
Items Added by Revision
There were no agenda items added by revision.
Other Business
Adjournment
There was no other business.
The meeting adjourned at 11:52 a.m.
August 6, 2025
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Meeting Minutes pW64e` by Kristi Felbinger
Whatcom County Page 2
Ben Elenbaas, Committee Chair