HomeMy WebLinkAboutPlanning Nov 5 2025Whatcoin 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, November 5, 2025
10:30 AM
Hybrid Meeting - Council Chambers
HYBRID MEETING - MAY BEGIN EARLY - ADJOURNS BY 10:45 A.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 November 5, 2025
Committee
Call To Order
Roll Call
Committee Chair Ben Elenbaas called the meeting to order at 10:33 a.m. in
a hybrid meeting.
Present: 2 - Ben Elenbaas, and Jon Scanlon
Absent: 1 - Todd Donovan
Also Present: Barry Buchanan, Tyler Byrd, Kaylee Galloway, and Mark Stremler
Announcements
Committee Discussion and Recommendation to Council
AB2025-769 Resolution approving recommendation on an application for open space current use
assessment
Alexander Harris, Planning and Development Services Department, read
from a presentation (on file) and briefed the councilmembers on the
application. He stated this came before the Planning Commission on the 9th
of October and had a lower (though high enough) score at that time because
the landowner was not interested at that point in accommodating recreation.
There is a restrictive conservation easement on the property through
Whatcom Land Trust that is protecting sensitive wildlife habitat. On
October 9th, the Planning Commission decided to not recommend approval
unless the landowner were to accommodate public access.
Collin Stevens, landowner, gave a history of the property, regarding open
space, which was not included in the application, and how it should have
been classified as open space years ago. He stated the property scored high
enough without having public access, which is why he submitted in that
fashion (and that was supported by the Whatcom Land Trust). However,
based on the recommendation to deny unless there was public access, he
submitted a memorandum to offer some public access. He answered what
the reasons would be to no allow it and what allowance his memorandum
proposed.
Harris answered what effect a conservation easement has on taxes, and
spoke about how it affected this property.
Councilmembers and the speakers discussed what level of public access the
property should have and that the landowner's proposal of limited access is
what is being presented to the Council, and Harris answered questions.
Whatcom County Page I
Council Planning and Development Committee Minutes - Final November 5, 2025
Committee
Scanlon moved that the Resolution be RECOMMENDED FOR APPROVAL
AS WRITTEN. The motion carried by the following vote:
Aye: 2 - Elenbaas, and Scanlon
Nay: 0
Absent: 1 - Donovan
Items Added by Revision
Other Business
Adjournment
There were no agenda items added by revision.
There was no other business.
The meeting adjourned at 10:58 a.m.
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WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
WHATCOM COUNTY, WA
Ben Elenbaas-via email 11/14/2025
Ben Elenbaas, Committee Chair
Meeting Minutes prepared by Kristi Felbinger
Whatcom County Page 2