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City of Bellingham Planning Commission

BEL-PLN-2025-02-06 February 06, 2025 Planning Commission Meeting City of Bellingham
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The Bellingham Planning Commission kicked off the legislative review phase of the city's comprehensive plan update, known as "The Bellingham Plan," with an overview presentation of what lies ahead through summer 2025. This first meeting of the year launched Phase 4 of the comprehensive plan process, transitioning from public engagement into detailed chapter-by-chapter review and eventual adoption by year's end. Staff outlined an ambitious schedule where the Planning Commission will review all 11 plan chapters organized into four thematic packages over the next several months, with the first substantive discussions beginning February 20. The updated plan must address significant state housing legislation, climate requirements, and local priorities while planning for 30,000 new residents and 18,000 new housing units by 2045. Three entirely new chapters will be added covering climate, community wellbeing, and civic practices. Perhaps most significantly, staff announced they will not be adopting the city's 25 existing neighborhood plans as part of the new comprehensive plan, citing incompatibility with new state housing requirements and inequitable regulatory approaches. Instead, the city will move toward a simplified zoning structure with four residential categories applying citywide. This represents a fundamental shift in how Bellingham approaches neighborhood-level planning and development regulation. The presentation emphasized that interim ordinances are moving forward in parallel to address urgent housing needs, including recent parking requirement elimination and upcoming middle housing allowances, while the comprehensive plan process establishes the long-term policy framework. Public comment highlighted community interest in new urban villages and concerns about development fees and parking requirements.

No formal votes were taken at this overview meeting. This was an information and discussion session to prepare commissioners for the detailed chapter reviews beginning February 20, 2025. **Key Planning Decisions Outlined:** - **Neighborhood Plans:** Staff announced they will NOT be adopting the 25 existing neighborhood plans by reference in the new comprehensive plan, representing a major policy shift t…

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**State Housing Legislation Implementation** Staff detailed how multiple state bills will reshape Bellingham's approach to housing. House Bill 1110 requires allowing up to four housing units on every residential lot and mandates middle housing types throughout the city. HB 1220 changes how the city plans for housing at all income levels. HB 1988 enables co-living housing, and HB 1293 streamlines design review processes. These requirements make the existing neighborhood plans incompatible with new regulations. **Neighborhood Plans Elimination** Anya Gedrath explained the rationale for not adopting neighborhood plans: they prioritize single-family housing over middle housing and multifamily options, creating inequitable policies for households unable to afford detached homes. The current system includes 25 separate zoning tables and over 450 sub-areas that staff say are impossible to administer equitably. The new approach will create appro…
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**Dan Bloemker (Birchwood neighborhood):** Advocated for creating a new urban village at the Birchwood/Northwest intersection, citing it as a "parking crater" well-served by transit, bike routes, and utilities. Quoted draft plan language supporting transit-oriented development and mixed-use redevelopment to argue this location fits the city's stated goals. **Brian Gass (Real estate broker, Guide Meridian):** Criticized government as a "bottleneck" limiting construction and called for reducing development fees and permitting costs. Argued the city focuses too heavily on apartments rath…
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**Chris Behee, on growth planning:** "Growth is something that if we don't anticipate and plan for that growth, then we risk losing some of our quality of life amenities, getting behind on infrastructure. And it's our job to keep ahead of those things and to make sure that Bellingham keeps growing in a way that is intentional and makes sense." **Anya Gedrath, on neighborhood plans:** "The neighborhood plans include housing policies that prioritize detached single family housing forms over mid…
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- **February 20, 2025:** First substantive chapter discussions begin with Land Use and Housing overview - **February 20 - March 26:** Planning Commission reviews Land Use, Housing, and Community Design chapters - **April 3:** Climate and Environment chapter review - **April 17 - May 1:** Civic Practices, Community Wellbeing, and Economic Development chapters - **May 15 - May 29:** Capital Facilities, Transportation, and Parks chapters - **…

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- **Neighborhood Plans Eliminated:** The 25 existing neighborhood plans will no longer be adopted by reference, fundamentally changing Bellingham's approach to local land use regulation - **New Chapter Structure:** Three new chapters (Climate, Community Wellbeing, Civic Practices) added to the eight existing chapters - **Simplified Zoning Proposed:** Movement from 25 separate zoning tables and 450+ sub-areas to approximately four citywide residential zones - **Growth Allocation Set:** Preliminary proposal for 30,310 new resid…
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## Meeting Overview On a crisp February evening, Bellingham's Planning Commission convened for what would prove to be a pivotal moment in the city's growth trajectory. Chair Mike Estes called the February 6th, 2025 meeting to order at 6:00 PM, with six commissioners present and only Russell Whidbee excused. The chamber buzzed with anticipation as staff prepared to unveil the next phase of what they've branded "The Bellingham Plan" — the city's most significant comprehensive planning update in nearly a decade. This wasn't just another routine planning meeting. After a year and a half of community engagement, surveys reaching nearly 9,000 residents, and extensive policy development, the city was ready to transition into what staff called "Phase 4" — the formal legislative process that would shape Bellingham's growth through 2045. The agenda was streamlined but weighty: a single presentation that would outline how the next six months of intensive deliberation would unfold, setting the stage for decisions affecting everything from housing affordability to climate resilience. The room held an air of significance as staff prepared to present a comprehensive planning framework that would guide the accommodation of 30,000 new residents, nearly 19,000 new jobs, and over 18,000 housing units over the next two decades. This meeting would serve as the launching pad for what promises to be one of the most consequential planning processes in Bellingham's recent history. ## Public Comment: Visions for Northwest Bellingham Before diving into staff presentations, two residents stepped forward during the public comment period, each offering distinct perspectives on Bellingham's development future. Their comments would prove prescient, touching on themes that would echo throughout the comprehensive plan discussions to come. Dan Bloemker, a Birchwood neighborhood resident, made an impassioned case for creating a new urban village centered at the intersection of Birchwood Avenue and Northwest Avenue. Armed with specific data and recently drafted policy language, Bloemker painted a picture of untapped potential: "Currently, the area is surrounded by mostly strip malls, with the largest being Park Manor, which currently has less than 50% retail occupancy and six acres of parking that has at most been 15% occupied in the time I've lived there." His argument was methodical and data-driven. The location sits at the convergence of three major bus routes — the 4, 50, and Go Ro…
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### Meeting Overview The City of Bellingham Planning Commission met on February 6, 2025, to begin Phase 4 of the Bellingham Plan comprehensive plan update. This meeting provided an overview of how the next several months will proceed as the commission reviews 11 chapters organized into four thematic packages before making a recommendation to City Council. ### Key Terms and Concepts **Comprehensive Plan:** A 20-year planning document required by state law that sets high-level goals and policies for how a community wants to grow, covering topics like land use, housing, transportation, and infrastructure. **Growth Management Act (GMA):** State law that requires cities like Bellingham to plan for anticipated growth and update their comprehensive plans every 10 years. **Middle Housing:** Housing types between single-family homes and large apartment buildings, including duplexes, triplexes, townhomes, and small apartment buildings. **Urban Growth Area (UGA):** Areas designated for urban development where cities can accommodate new growth with urban services like water, sewer, and transit. **Type VI Process:** A legislative process requiring formal public hearings and recommendations from the Planning Commission to City Council for major planning decisions. **Transit-Oriented Development (TOD):** Development patterns that concentrate housing, jobs, and services near high-frequency transit routes to reduce car dependence. **House Bill 1110:** State legislation requiring cities to allow up to four housing units on every residential lot and permit middle housing types in all residential zones. ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Mike Estes | Planning Commission Chair | | Chris Behee | Long Range Division Manager, City Planning Staff | | Elizabeth Erickson | Senior Planner, Project Manager for Bellingham Plan | | Anya Gedrath | Planner II, City Planning Staff | | Dan Bloemker | Birchwood neighborhood resident, public commenter | | Brian Gass | Real estate broker, public commenter | ### Background Context The Bellingham Plan repre…
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Housing Land Use & Planning Government Operations HB 1110 HB 1181 HB 1220 HB 1293 HB 1988 Bellingham Planning Commission City Council Office Of Financial Management Washington State Department Of Commerce Western Washington University Whatcom County Whatcom Transportation Authority Anya Gedrath Barbara Plaskett Brian Gass Chris Behee Dan Bloemker Elizabeth Erickson Jed Ballew Jerry Richmond Kim Lund Mike Estes Rose Lathrop Scott Jones Accessory Dwelling Units Affordable Housing Climate Action Comprehensive Plan Design Review Growth Management Act Housing Policy Infill Development Land Use Policy Middle Housing Neighborhood Plans Transit Oriented Development Urban Villages Zoning