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Whatcom County Council (Joint with Planning Commission)

WHA-CON-SPC-2025-09-16 September 16, 2025 Committee of the Whole Whatcom County
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The Whatcom County Council and Planning Commission held a marathon 3.5-hour special meeting focused on two critical aspects of the 2025 Comprehensive Plan update: industrial land development and urban growth area (UGA) expansions. The session began with an extensive presentation by the Port of Bellingham on their industrial lands study, followed by detailed discussions of UGA proposals for seven jurisdictions. The industrial lands report revealed a concerning disconnect between employment projections and developable land availability. While there appears to be sufficient total industrial land to meet projected demand through 2045, the quality and readiness of that land presents significant challenges. Only 485 acres of the needed 782-917 acres are fully served with utilities and freight access, creating a substantial infrastructure deficit. The UGA discussions exposed the complex trade-offs counties face under the Growth Management Act. Several cities are proposing expansions into prime agricultural lands, driven partly by new floodplain mapping following devastating 2021 floods and partly by state requirements to accommodate affordable housing. Everson, Nooksack, and Sumas are all looking to expand westward out of floodplains, while Ferndale seeks significant growth capacity in areas currently used for dairy farming. The meeting highlighted fundamental tensions between environmental protection, agricultural preservation, economic development, and housing affordability. Council members and commissioners grappled with how to balance these competing priorities while meeting state growth management requirements and preparing for climate impacts.

No formal votes were taken, as this was an informational and discussion session. However, several significant policy directions emerged: **Industrial Lands Strategy**: The Port's report was received and will inform comprehensive plan policies. Key recommendations include prioritizing wetland mitigation banking, coordinating infrastructure investments between jurisdictions, and establishing freight corridor improvements as economic development priorities. **UGA Review Process**: The Planning Commission will continue public hearings on remaining UGAs September 25th, with …

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**Industrial Development Capacity**: Tyler Schroeder's presentation sparked extensive discussion about the gap between industrial land availability and development readiness. The county has 19 distinct industrial areas, but many suffer from parcelization, infrastructure deficits, and critical area constraints. Council Member Donovan pressed on consolidation strategies, while Council Member Scanlon questioned where displaced commercial uses would relocate if moved out of industrial zones. **Agriculture vs. Growth Pressures**: The most contentious discussions centered on cities proposing UGA expansions into prime agricultural lands. Council Member Elenbaas, representing a rural district, expressed concern about the cumulative impact on the agricultural economy. Planning Commissioner Hansen emphasized the need for careful utility planning to support proposed industrial growth. The Growth …
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**Port of Bellingham (Tyler Schroeder)**: Advocated for coordinated infrastructure investment, wetland mitigation banking reform, and regulatory consistency across jurisdictions. Emphasized need to support existing business expansion rather than just recruitment. Noted that 85% of job growth comes from existing businesses. **Cities of Ferndale (Mike Cerbone)**: Presented aggressive UGA expansion proposals including areas currently used for dairy farming. Emphasized active infrastructure management and willingness to work with affected farmers. Acknowledged economic pressures that urbanization creates for agricultural operations. **City of Everson (Alex Putnam)**: Defended UGA expansion as necessary to move growth out of floodplains while noting they're returning more agricultural land than they're …
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**Tyler Schroeder, on industrial land quality:** "Total industrial land supply meets the projected demand under scenario two. The quality of those industrial zone lands, from a perspective of the user, is the greater challenge." **Council Member Elenbaas, on regulatory barriers:** "I found your presentation to be refreshingly truthful in the presentation because you dared to speak about things that we all know exist but don't get presented to us." **Council Member Donovan, on infrastructure …
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**September 25, 2025**: Planning Commission public hearings on Bellingham, Ferndale, Lynden, Cherry Point, and Rural/Resource Lands UGA proposals. **September 30, 2025**: Planning Commission meeting (1-4 PM) to review Climate element and any UGA follow-up discussions. **October 9, 2025**: Planning Commission meeting including rescheduled Blaine UGA proposal and Utilities chapter review. **October 23, 2025**: Planning Commission public heari…

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The industrial lands study fundamentally reframed economic development discussions from land availability to land readiness. The county now has detailed parcel-by-parcel analysis showing that infrastructure deficits, not zoning, are the primary constraint on industrial growth. UGA discussions revealed that post-2021 flood impacts are driving more aggressive growth proposals than originally anticipated. Cities are now balancing flood risk management against agricultur…
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# Building Tomorrow — Industrial Lands, Urban Growth, and the Future of Whatcom County ## Meeting Overview The rain-soaked autumn afternoon of September 16, 2025, brought together Whatcom County Council members and Planning Commissioners in a joint session that would prove to be one of the most substantive discussions of the comprehensive planning update process. Meeting in a hybrid format that connected chambers with participants across the county, this special session focused on two critical elements shaping the region's future: industrial development capacity and urban growth area boundaries. Five Council members gathered physically in chambers — Barry Buchanan, Todd Donovan, Ben Elenbaas, Kaylee Galloway, and Jon Scanlon — with Mark Stremler joining later. Tyler Byrd was notably absent. The Planning Commission mustered four members: Dan Dunne, Jim Hansen, Dominic Moceri, and Kelvin Barton, with several commissioners unable to attend. What made this meeting particularly significant was its dual focus on economic development strategy and growth management policy — the twin engines that will drive Whatcom County's trajectory through 2045. The afternoon's discussions would reveal both opportunities and constraints that have profound implications for jobs, housing, and the county's economic future. ## The Port's Vision — Industrial Lands in the Spotlight Tyler Schroeder returned to his old stomping grounds at the county courthouse, now serving as Economic Development Director for the Port of Bellingham. His presentation of the Industrial Lands Report marked the first comprehensive analysis of the county's industrial development capacity in years — a study that Council Member Ben Elenbaas would later praise for its "refreshing truthfulness" in addressing realities often left unspoken in public forums. Schroeder's central finding was sobering yet optimistic: while Whatcom County has sufficient industrially-zoned land to meet projected demand through 2045, the quality and developability of that land presents significant challenges. "We need to get ourselves to 400,000 square feet of new industrial building per year to meet those employment projections," Schroeder explained, noting that the county currently averages only 250,000 square feet annually — a level that has dropped from the 400,000 square foot average of the 1990s. The study examined 19 distinct industrial areas across the county, from the massive Cherry Point complex to smaller nodes in rura…
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### Meeting Overview A joint meeting between Whatcom County Council and the Planning Commission took place on September 16, 2025, from 1:05 p.m. to 4:31 p.m. The meeting focused on industrial land development and urban growth area (UGA) planning as part of the 2025 Comprehensive Plan update process. ### Key Terms and Concepts **Industrial Development Districts (IDD):** Special financing districts the Port of Bellingham can create to fund infrastructure for industrial development through property assessments. **Urban Growth Areas (UGAs):** Designated areas where cities plan to accommodate future growth and development over a 20-year period. **Light Impact Industrial (LII):** Zoning designation for industrial uses that have minimal environmental or operational impacts on surrounding areas. **Critical Areas:** Environmentally sensitive lands including wetlands, steep slopes, and floodplains that have development restrictions. **Freight Corridors:** Transportation routes designed to handle heavy truck traffic and goods movement, including roads like I-5 and Guide Meridian. **Wetland Mitigation Banking:** Programs that allow developers to pay fees or purchase credits to offset unavoidable wetland impacts from development projects. **Land Capacity Analysis:** A technical study that determines how much development can realistically occur on available land considering zoning, infrastructure, and environmental constraints. **Agricultural Mitigation:** Compensation required when urban development converts farmland to other uses, often through fees or protecting other agricultural areas. ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Tyler Schroeder | Economic Development Director, Port of Bellingham | | Kaylee Galloway | Council Chair | | Todd Donovan | Council Member | | Ben Elenbaas | Council Member | | Jon Scanlon | Council Member | | Mark Stremler | Council Member | | Mark Personius | Director, Planning and Development Services | | Jim Hansen | Planning Commissioner | | Dan Dunne | Planning Commissioner | | Dominic Moceri | Planning Commissioner | ### Background Context This meeting was part of Whatcom County's 2025 Comprehensive Plan update, a mandatory 20-year planning process required by state law. The comprehensive plan guides h…
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Land Use & Planning Economic Development Housing Government Operations City Of Blaine City Of Everson City Of Ferndale City Of Lynden City Of Nooksack City Of Sumas Port Of Bellingham Whatcom County Council Whatcom County Planning Commission Alex Putnam Ben Elenbaas Carson Cortez Dan Dunne Dominic Moceri Jim Hansen Jon Scanlon Kaylee Galloway Mark Personius Mark Stremler Mike Cerbone Todd Donovan Tyler Schroeder Agricultural Preservation Comprehensive Planning Economic Development Flood Management Housing Affordability Industrial Development Infrastructure Land Use Policy Transportation Policy Urban Growth Areas Utilities Wetland Mitigation