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Committee of the Whole

BEL-CTW-2024-12-16 December 16, 2024 Committee of the Whole City of Bellingham
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The Bellingham City Council's Committee of the Whole held a pivotal meeting on December 16, 2024, addressing Mayor Kim Lund's Executive Order 2024-02 for expanding housing options. The committee's most significant action was advancing an interim ordinance eliminating parking minimums citywide by a narrow 5-1-1 vote, with Council Member Lisa Anderson opposed and Michael Lilliquist abstaining. The ordinance, responding to years of discussion about Bellingham's housing crisis, removes requirements for minimum off-street parking for all land uses across the city while establishing citywide bicycle parking standards. The lengthy discussion revealed deep philosophical divisions about housing policy, market economics, and the role of government regulation. Planning Director Blake Lyon opened with a comprehensive presentation emphasizing the complexity versus complication framework from the "Strong Towns" movement, arguing that current parking regulations, largely unchanged since 1969, have become counterproductive obstacles to housing development. The ordinance is designed as a 12-month interim measure to provide immediate relief while staff conducts comprehensive analysis. Council Member Cotton moved approval, arguing the interim ordinance represents "a huge step forward to address the housing crisis" and citing successful precedents in other cities. However, the discussion exposed significant concerns about implementation details, particularly around ADA compliance and the intersection with Mayor Lund's broader housing strategy.

**AB 24375 - Interim Ordinance Eliminating Parking Minimums:** - **Action:** Approved 5-1-1 (Anderson opposed, Lilliquist abstained) - **Staff Recommendation:** Pass ordinance - **Key Specifics:** Eliminates minimum parking requirements citywide for all land uses; establishes bicycle parking standards; includes ADA parking requirements for most new construction except IRC projects, developments with 6 or fewer units, and existing buildings constructed before January 31, 2025 - **Practical Impact:** Allows developers to determine parking needs based on market demand rather than municipal mandates; public hearing scheduled for January 13, 2025 **AB…

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The parking elimination debate centered on fundamental questions about housing affordability, market mechanisms, and regulatory philosophy. Lyon presented the policy through a "complexity versus complication" lens, arguing that current regulations written in 1969 have become unnecessarily complicated barriers to adaptive development. He emphasized that nationwide data shows six parking spaces per vehicle, indicating significant oversupply. Council Member Lilliquist delivered an extensive critique grounding his concerns in economic theory, particularly around market failures and externalization of costs. He distinguished between housing production and housing affordability, arguing that across-the-board elimination won't address affordability gaps in the crucial 80-150% Area Median Income range. Lilliquist presen…
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**Council Member Jace Cotton:** Strong supporter, emphasized housing crisis urgency and cited successful precedents in other cities. Argued against tying parking reform to affordability mandates, comparing to ineffective MFT program outcomes. **Council Member Hannah Stone:** Supportive, emphasized interim nature allows adjustments. Cited Minneapolis data showing 12% housing stock increase, 1% rent change, and 12% homelessness decline. Referenced Stateside Apartments downtown where 50% of residents don't own cars. **Council Member Lisa Anderson:** Opposed, advocated for affordability requirements tied to parking reductions. Concerned about missing opportunities for public benefit. Specifically worried about de…
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**Blake Lyon, on regulatory philosophy:** "We want to get back to understanding how we can eliminate parking minimums, make the system less complicated. We're asking for an interim ordinance so that we can take an immediate action." **Dr. Hollins, quoted by Lyon:** "What you want to happen has to be greater than what you fear may happen." **Council Member Cotton, on housing crisis urgency:** "We've underbuilt for decades. And as a renter on the first of every month, I personally pay a very …
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- **January 13, 2025:** Public hearing on parking elimination interim ordinance - **January 31, 2025:** Implementation date cutoff for existing building exemptions (15 days after anticipated January 13 passage) - **2025:** Comprehensive Type VI legislative process for permanent parking regulations - **Coming months:** Middle …

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After this meeting, Bellingham is positioned to become one of approximately 50 communities nationwide that have eliminated parking minimums. The interim ordinance creates immediate regulatory flexibility for developers while establishing a one-year study period for permanent policy development. The narrow vote (5-1-1) signals ongoing council division about implementation approach, particularly regarding affordability mandates. The GRACE program secured continued funding through 2026 wi…
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# A City at a Crossroads: Bellingham Tackles Parking, Housing, and the Question of Market Wisdom The cold December afternoon carried both the weight of winter and the urgency of a housing crisis as Bellingham's City Council convened as a Committee of the Whole on December 16, 2024. Council President Pro Tempore Hollie Huthman called the meeting to order at 1:16 PM, stepping in to chair as Council President Dan Hamill attended virtually from home, battling illness. What unfolded over the next several hours was a masterclass in municipal complexity—a debate about parking minimums that revealed fundamental questions about how cities should grow, who they should serve, and whether markets can be trusted to deliver public good. ## Meeting Overview The afternoon's agenda carried three substantial items, but it was the first—an interim ordinance eliminating parking minimums citywide—that would dominate discussion and reveal the philosophical fractures within the council. Present were Council Members Hannah Stone, Hollie Huthman, Edwin "Skip" Williams, Lisa Anderson, Michael Lilliquist, and Jace Cotton, with President Hamill joining remotely. The meeting would stretch well past its anticipated conclusion, reflecting the depth of consideration such consequential policy deserves. The backdrop was inescapable: Bellingham faces a profound housing shortage. As Planning Director Blake Lyon would note in his presentation, the city permitted only 516 housing units through November 2024, far below the estimated 825 units needed annually. Against this crisis, Mayor Kim Lund had issued Executive Order 2024-02 in November, calling for administrative and legislative actions to expand housing options. The parking ordinance before council was the legislative centerpiece of that order. ## The Case for Simplicity: Director Lyon's Complex Argument Planning and Community Development Director Blake Lyon opened with an unusual approach—not diving immediately into technical details, but wrestling with philosophical questions about governance itself. Drawing from the urban planning organization Strong Towns, Lyon distinguished between complicated systems and complex ones, arguing that Bellingham's current parking regulations had become counterproductively complicated. He held up two documents that told the story in stark visual terms: the city's original 1947 zoning ordinance, a mere 15 pages, and today's parking regulations, which would require a three-ring binder. "We have made…
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### Meeting Overview The City of Bellingham's Committee of the Whole met on December 16, 2024, with the primary focus on an interim ordinance to eliminate parking minimums citywide in response to Mayor Lund's Executive Order 2024-02. The committee also renewed agreements for the GRACE program and discussed tenant protection ordinances. ### Key Terms and Concepts **Parking Minimums:** City regulations that require new developments to provide a specific number of parking spaces based on building type and size, often leading to oversupply and increased construction costs. **Interim Ordinance:** A temporary law that allows the city to test new policies for up to 12 months while gathering data and preparing permanent regulations. **Area Median Income (AMI):** The midpoint of income levels in a specific area, used to determine housing affordability targets. For Bellingham, 100% AMI for a household of four is approximately $106,000 annually. **Strong Towns:** An organization advocating for financially responsible city planning and governance, emphasizing the difference between complicated and complex systems. **Type VI Legislative Process:** A formal public review process for major municipal code changes that includes extensive community input and environmental review. **GRACE Program:** Ground Level Response and Coordinated Engagement program that provides intensive care coordination for frequent users of emergency response services. **Executive Session:** A closed meeting portion where council discusses sensitive legal, personnel, or real estate matters not open to public observation. **Middle Housing:** Housing types between single-family homes and large apartment buildings, such as duplexes, triplexes, and small apartment buildings. ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Hollie Huthman | Council President Pro Tempore, chairing the meeting | | Daniel Hammill | Council President, attending virtually | | Blake Lyon | Planning and Community Development Direct…
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Housing Transportation & Infrastructure Land Use & Planning Government Operations AB 24253 AB 24254 AB 24375 AB 24376 Eco Northwest Minneapolis Spokane Strong Towns Whatcom County Whatcom Transportation Authority Meeting Committee Of The Whole Blake Lyon Chris Cook Daniel Hammill Forrest Longman Hannah Stone Hollie Huthman Jace Cotton Kim Lund Kurt Nabbefeld Lisa Anderson Michael Lilliquist Skip Williams Ada Compliance Ada Parking Affordable Housing Bicycle Parking Comprehensive Plan Executive Order Grace Program Housing Crisis Housing Production Infill Development Middle Housing Parking Minimums Rental Protections Transportation Policy Urban Villages Zoning