Whatcom County considers banning 'clustered' development in rural forestry zones

JARED PABEN - THE BELLINGHAM HERALD

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For decades, developers have been able to cluster homes together in rural forestry zones, leaving the rest of the land available for logging, but county leaders may vote to remove that ability.

The County Council on Tuesday, May 12, will consider removing from county law the ability to cluster homes on the 36,700 acres zoned for rural forestry in the county.

Here's how clustering works: If a landowner has 80 acres, rural forestry zoning would allow that person to build one house on each of four 20-acre parcels. Under clustering, the landowners could still build four houses, but they can be pushed together in a tight grouping. That leaves the rest of the land available for logging.

Forestry advocates support the law, saying it keeps large parcels of land available for forestry. But anti-sprawl group Futurewise says it leads to suburban or urban development in places it shouldn't be, and it legally leaves the rest of the land available for future development, not just logging.

The County Council in November 2006 first voted to temporarily ban clustering after landowners proposed building a gated community on top of Squalicum Mountain. The developer said it would have allowed them to move homes outside the Lake Whatcom watershed. But the County Council has renewed the ban four times, and staff and the Planning Commission are now recommending making the ban permanent.

County Planning Director David Stalheim told the Planning Commission that a valid argument could be made that state law prohibits clustering in that zone.

Futurewise supports eliminating it, arguing it doesn't protect rural land, promote compact and livable cities or prevent sprawl.

Some members of the logging industry disagree.

"On the clustering, I always have felt it was a very good land use tool that the planning department came up with years ago," Tom Westergreen, who works at Everson-based Great Western Lumber Co., wrote to county Planning Commission member Ken Mann.

Clustering in forestry zones is supported in Skagit County. David Chamberlain, chairman of the Skagit County Forest Advisory Board and an employee at C&G Timber, said the board even supported recommending allowing landowners to build more houses as a bonus for doing it.

Reach Jared Paben at 715-2289 or jared.paben@bellinghamherald.com.

ATTEND THE MEETING

What: The Whatcom County Council will consider removing the ability to cluster homes together in rural forestry zones.

When: 9:30 a.m. (committee discussion), 7 p.m. (full council consideration).

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