News - Local News

POSTED: Monday, Nov. 02, 2009

County Council to review growth areas; one month left before state deadline expires

Whatcom County leaders are in the final stretch of their effort to update urban-growth areas countywide, a project a state growth board has ordered finished by Dec. 1.

In the last month before the deadline, the County Council is scheduled to work on the proposal three times, with a public hearing set for Nov. 24. If the county misses the deadline, the growth board could ask the governor to punish the county by withholding money.

In the meantime, until the county is back in compliance with state growth law, it's ineligible for certain state grants and loans.

Through the update, the county and its seven cities looked at how much land is available for development in urban areas, and how many people and businesses are expected to move to those areas. The size of unincorporated urban-growth areas is then expanded or shrunk to make sure they're appropriate.

It sounds simple, but disputes over how to estimate available land and incoming new residents have pitted groups and governments against each other, with some small cities now vehemently opposing the county's proposed plan, saying they were ignored in the process.

The county's Web site has about 80 comments posted, and those were just those received between June 24 and Sept. 17.

County Executive Pete Kremen proposed an update that trimmed the small cities' requests to grow, and reduced the urban-growth areas for the cities by about 7,800 acres. It also called for about 15.1 percent of new growth to go into rural areas, while the current comprehensive plan calls for only 6.3 percent of growth for those areas.

The county Planning Commission finished reviewing the growth update on Oct. 22 and made several changes to the executive's proposal, including putting the Geneva and Hillsdale growth areas back into Bellingham's growth area, and allowing no expansion of Lynden's growth area.

The County Council has held work sessions to discuss the update, and held a question-and-answer session Oct. 27 with city officials, some of whom have already pledged to legally challenge the county's decision at the growth board.

ATTEND THE MEETING

What: The County Council will review urban-growth areas countywide. County planners want the council to finalize recommendations, so they can draft an ordinance for consideration. Some timed public comment might be allowed at the meeting.

When: 9 a.m. to noon and then 1:30 to 4:30, Tuesday, Nov. 3

Where: County Council chambers, 311 Grand Ave.