POSTED: Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2009

Whatcom County Council rejects Kremen's changes to growth area plans

County Council members declined to make significant changes to their plan for updating urban growth areas countywide, even after the county executive requested that they reconsider the plan for four urban areas.

In a roughly 45-minute work session Tuesday, Nov. 10, the council discussed but made no major changes to the plan. Council member Ward Nelson was absent. A hearing on the draft law and final decision is scheduled to be made in two weeks.

The county is under an order by a state growth board to update urban growth areas countywide (including all seven cities, Birch Bay, Columbia Valley and Cherry Point) to accommodate the next two decades of population and business growth. The county is already more than two years late doing the work.

David Stalheim, the county's planning director, told council members that County Executive Pete Kremen wanted them to reconsider their plans for the next two decades of growth in Lynden, Ferndale, Sumas and Everson. The council declined to make those changes, and with the council scheduled to approve the update Nov. 24, Kremen would be hard-pressed to veto the proposal and not make the county miss its Dec. 1 deadline to approve the plan.

Kremen generally disagreed with the council on each of the four urban areas because he wanted to allow more urban growth in those areas than the council wanted. Following are summaries of the differences:

Lynden: Kremen wanted to expand urban growth in northwest Lynden on the east side of Double Ditch Road and designate land on the west side of the road as urban reserve, which could be opened up for urban growth if certain conditions were met. The council plans to designate land east of the road as urban reserve. The city wanted to grow by 7,414 people over the next two decades, Kremen recommended 4,516 additional people and the council has supported 3,465 more people.

Ferndale: Kremen dramatically reduced the amount of urban growth area around the city and decided to put some land west of town and other land north of town into reserve status. The council also wanted to reduce the urban growth areas, but it plans to eliminate the reserve areas and allow only rural growth there. The city of Ferndale had wanted to grow by 8,687 people over the next two decades, but the executive and council both want it to grow by 8,121 people.

Sumas: Kremen wanted to keep urban growth area south of town and east of Highway 9, turning land east of that land into urban growth area reserve. The council plans to eliminate all of the urban growth area outside city limits. The city, Kremen and council all agree the city should add 793 people over the next 20 years.

Everson: Kremen recommended adding urban growth area north of town and west of Trap Line Road. The council plans to put that land into urban growth area reserve status. The city wanted to grow by 1,948 people, but the executive and council agreed the city should get 1,228 new residents.

ATTEND THE HEARING

What: The County Council will hold a hearing and consider approving an update to urban growth areas countywide to accommodate the next two decades of growth. The council has until Dec. 1 to approve an update.

When: 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 24.

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

More information: Whatcomcounty.us