Whatcom County Planning Commission

The commission's deliberations were heavily shaped by competing pressures between flood safety and housing affordability mandates. Director Mark Personius explained that House Bill 1220 requires jurisdictions to plan for homeless populations and "overburdened" households (those paying more than 30% of income for housing) for the first time, creating excess capacity demands beyond traditional population growth projections. Paula Harris from River and Flood Engineering provided technical expertise on new FEMA flood mapping, explaining that updated maps are based on 2015 data versus 1977-era information for current effective maps. The new maps show 100-year flood peaks increasing from 53,000 cubic feet per second to 75,000 cfs. Harris emphasized that 1.2 and 1.75 multiplier scenarios for climate change impacts represent 20% and 75% increases in flood volumes respectively. The Department of Ecology's letter strongly discouraging UGA expansion into flood plains created tension with cities' need to a…

**Richard May (Blaine City Council):** Provided preview of upcoming proposal to expand Blaine UGA westward toward Birch Bay Village. Argued that development would improve stormwater management through proper channeling and natural treatment systems. Noted Blaine voters approved de-annexation of East Blaine's aquifer recharge area, returning to quality infill approach. **Bill Guyire (Certified Planner, representing Julie Carney):** Advocated for including 20-acre property at 4610 Lincoln Road in Birch Bay UGA for affordable housing (0-80% AMI income band). Noted property was removed from UGA in 2009, has water/sewer access, and could provide 200-300 affordable units. Requested materials be included in December 4 packet. **John Perry (Everson Mayor):** Defended city's flood analysis showing propose…

**Paula Harris, on updated flood mapping:** "The currently effective maps are based on like a model built in like 1977 from cross-sections that were surveyed the year I was born. So um and I'm getting ready to retire here. So they're really old." **Commissioner Browne, on development capacity constraints:** "I think we might be lucky to get to 900 to be perfectly honest." **Commissioner Hansen, on LAMIRD development:** "I don't know a single jurisdiction in Whatcom County or frankly anywhere…

**UGA Boundaries:** Five jurisdictions received preliminary approval for boundary modifications, with Everson, Nooksack, and Sumas gaining net acreage while removing flood-prone areas. Cherry Point UGA contracted through wetland mitigation site removal. **Rural Housing Policy:** Three LAMIRDs (Custer, Pole & Guide, Hinotes Corner) gained approval for middle housing types and upzoning from RR2 to RR3, representing first regional approach to rural affordable housing under HB 1220 mandates. **Flood Risk Integration:** New FEMA mapping formally incorporated into UGA decision-making, with multiple cities redesigning proposals to avoid expanded flood zon…

--- ### Meeting Overview The Whatcom County Planning Commission held a special meeting on November 20, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. at 5280 Northwest Drive in Bellingham. The commission reviewed and voted on Urban Growth Area (UGA) proposals for five cities — Lynden, Everson, Nooksack, Sumas, and Cherry Point — as well as the Rural and Resource Lands proposal, then worked through a series of pending amendments to Chapter 10 (Environment) of the county's comprehensive plan update. --- ### Key Terms and Concepts **Urban Growth Area (UGA):** A boundary designated under Washington's Growth Management Act (GMA) within which urban development is encouraged. Cities and counties must plan for population, housing, and employment growth within these areas. **Growth Management Act (GMA):** Washington State law (RCW 36.70A) that requires counties and cities to plan for growth, protect farmland and critical areas, and accommodate housing for all income levels. The current update is the first to implement House Bill 1220. **House Bill 1220 (HB 1220):** A 2021 Washington State law that strengthened requirements for cities and counties to plan for housing across all income levels — low, moderate, and higher — as part of their GMA comprehensive plan updates. **Housing Affordability Planning Tool (HAP / HAPT):** A model developed by the Washington State Department of Commerce that calculates how many housing units each jurisdiction needs to plan for across different income bands (0–80% AMI, 80–120% AMI, and 120%+ AMI). **Area Median Income (AMI):** A measure used to define income categories for housing. "0–80% AMI" refers to low-income households; "80–120% AMI" refers to moderate-income households; "120%+ AMI" refers to higher-income households. **Land Capacity Analysis (LCA):** A technical study that estimates how many housing units or residents a proposed UGA can physically accommodate, given its zoning, parcel sizes, and development constraints. **LAMIARD (Limited Area of More Intensive Rural Development):** Small, unincorporated communities located outside of UGAs where some higher-density development — such as duplexes and small commercial uses — is permitted because of existing settlement patterns. **Effective vs. Draft FEMA Flood Maps:** The "effective" maps are the currently adopted FEMA flood maps (modeled using 1977-era data). The "draft" maps, published September 30, 2025, reflect updated 2021 hydrology and show significantly larger flood zones. The county is using the draft maps as best available science. **1.2× and 1.75× Flood Factors:** Climate change multipliers developed by the University of Washington and Western Washington University. Applying 1.2× to a 100-year flood event represents mid-century conditions (20% greater water volume); 1.75× represents end-of-century (approximately 2080s) conditions. **Wetland Bank:** A conservation mechanism in which wetland habitat is restored or enhanced at one location so that developers can purchase "credits" to offset wetland impacts elsewhere. Washington State is one of the harder places in the country to establish a wetland bank (typically a 10-year process). **NPDES Permit:** A federal National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit regulating stormwater discharges. Local governments in Whatcom County are required to adopt tree canopy goals and policies by December 31, 2028, to comply with permit requirements. --- ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|-…