Whatcom County to discuss urban growth plan Tuesday

JARED PABEN - THE BELLINGHAM HERALD

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County leaders want to leave Geneva and Hillsdale as urban growth areas so Bellingham can pull them into city limits, but they only want rural levels of growth there because those areas are in the Lake Whatcom watershed.

And the area north of Lake Padden within that lake's watershed shouldn't be immediately available for urban growth or annexation into the city, the County Council said.

The council also likes the concept of "urban growth area reserves," areas where urban growth won't be allowed until certain criteria are met. Some city officials have opposed the concept, saying it won't be clear when the criteria are met, and the designations are confusing and unfair to landowners, who may not know when or if urban growth will be allowed on their land.

Those are just a few of county leaders' early conclusions as they work to update urban growth areas countywide. A state growth board has ordered the county, which is more than two years late doing the work, to finish it by Dec. 1. The work involves updating urban growth areas (including all seven cities, Birch Bay, Columbia Valley and Cherry Point) to accommodate the next two decades of expected growth.

The County Council held a six-hour meeting on the update Tuesday, Nov. 3. After the meeting, several county planners worked the council's preferences into a proposed law with maps showing changes. The information has been posted to the county's Web site. The council will discuss and make changes to the draft law on Tuesday, Nov. 10, before introducing the bill that night. The final decision isn't anticipated until Nov. 24.

The County Council expressed interest in planning for the county to add 54,000 people over the next two decades, with 42 percent of growth going to Bellingham, 15 percent to rural areas and the rest to the small towns, Birch Bay and Columbia Valley.

Following are some of the other early preferences from the County Council:

Bellingham: Retain Geneva and Hillsdale but allow only one house per five acres of new growth there. The UGA status would be maintained only to allow Bellingham to annex the areas, and they'll remain UGA only until December 2012 or until the city says it doesn't want to annex them, whichever is sooner. The area along Yew Street Road in the Lake Padden watershed should be designated as reserve UGA, and only one house per 10 acres should be allowed there.

Blaine: The council agreed with the Planning Commission, which wants to reduce much of the city's urban growth area, including urban-zoned land in West Semiahmoo where Trillium Corp. plans development. The city would retain only a portion of land east of Odell Street and north of Sweet Road. In all, about 2,839 acres would be rezoned from unincorporated urban growth areas to allow only rural growth.

Everson: Designate land north of Everson and west of Trap Line Road as a reserve growth area.

Ferndale: Council agreed with the county Planning Commission, which called for major reductions of the unincorporated growth area north and west of town. City leaders strongly oppose this plan and have vowed to fight it.

Lynden: The council disagreed with the county executive and doesn't want to add any urban growth area to northwest Lynden, near Double Ditch Road. The council supported adding land east of Double Ditch Road as reserve urban growth area, however. The executive recommended adding growth area east of the road and reserve growth area west of it.

Nooksack: The council wanted to add urban growth area east of town and north of Breckenridge Creek, while putting land south of the creek and north of South Pass Road in reserve urban growth area status.

Sumas: The council agreed with the Planning Commission and wants to give the town no unincorporated urban growth area.

Birch Bay: The council supported cutting back the urban growth area in northeast Birch Bay (around Anderson and Blaine roads) and designating other land south of there as reserve growth area.

Columbia Valley: The council wanted to remove 40 acres on the west side of Columbia Valley and designate it as reserve growth area.

Cherry Point: The council, commission and executive all agree to make no change to this urban growth area, where there are no homes but only industrial development.

ATTEND THE MEETING

What: The County Council will consider changes to the proposed urban growth area update. After making changes, the council will introduce the proposed law during the evening meeting.

When: 2 to 5 p.m. (committee discussions and changes), 7 p.m. bill introduced.

Where: County Council Chambers, 311 Grand Ave. in Bellingham.

More information: Click here.