Whatcom County Planning Commission

**Affordable Housing vs. Infrastructure Planning** The most substantive policy debate centered on balancing affordable housing needs against Growth Management Act requirements for capital facilities planning. Bill Geyer argued that Whatcom County has identified a need for 702 affordable housing units in the Birch Bay UGA but has no designated sites to meet this need. He emphasized that Julie Carney represents the first property owner willing to covenant 100% of development for 80% AMI housing. Staff countered that the Growth Management Hearings Board has previously ruled against the county for lacking adopted capital facility plans covering the full 20-year planning period. Matt Aamot explained that both Birch Bay Water and Sewer District and North Whatcom Fire and Rescue have not updated their plans through 2045, creating legal vulnerability if the county approves UGA expansions without proper infrastructure planning. **Infrastructure Capacity and Regional Coordination** Sandy McMillan from Birch Bay Water and Sewer District provided technical details about serving the Lincoln Road property, estimating $633,000 in capital infrastructu…

**Julie Carney (Property Owner):** Advocated strongly for including her 20-acre Lincoln Road property in the Birch Bay UGA, committing to develop 200-300 affordable housing units at 80% AMI. Emphasized urgent need, citing recent rental to a woman living in her car with children for a year. **Bill Geyer (AICP, representing Carney):** Argued the county has no identified sites for required affordable housing despite documented need for 702 units. Challenged staff's capital facilities concerns, stating engineering drawings are 98% complete and $140,000 has been invested in planning. **Sandy McMillan (Birch Bay Water and Sewer District):** Expressed cautious neutrality, explaining district's policy against speculating on development. Estimated $633,000 infrastructure cost for Lincoln Road property but emphasized need for formal planning processes before commitment. **Charmin Burnam (Birch Bay resident):** Supported responsible growth with infrastructure, opposing development without adequate transportation, drainage, and evacuation planning. Praised Blaine for stepping back fro…

**Julie Carney, on affordable housing need:** "I just rented an apartment actually yesterday to a lady that has been living in her car for a year with her two children and it's very sad but she is now going to have a roof over her head and but what we need is affordable housing for low-income families." **Bill Geyer, on county planning priorities:** "The question is, do we as taxpayers, residents of Latin County have the fortitude to say yes, we're going to step forward and do everything we c…

**Blaine UGA Boundaries:** Approved reduction of 610 acres from Blaine's Urban Growth Area, with 573 acres in East Blaine to be de-annexed and 37 acres at Dakota Creek removed, representing a shift from accommodating ~2,000 potential homes to ~50 under rural zoning. **Affordable Housing Pathway:** Created formal recommendation for three properties (4464 Arnie Road, 4486 Arnie Road, 4610 Lincoln Road) to be considered for UGA Reserve designation in 2026, providing a future mechanism for affordable housing development. **Planning Process Timeline:** Confirmed December 16 public hearing for Chapter 2: Land Use and December 18 for Chapter 3: Housing, with potential final comprehensive plan h…

--- ## Meeting Overview The Whatcom County Planning Commission held a special meeting on December 4, 2025, covering three major agenda items: a public hearing and work session on the City of Blaine's Urban Growth Area (UGA) proposal, a work session on the Birch Bay UGA proposal, and a preliminary work session on Chapter 2 (Land Use) of the 2025 Comprehensive Plan Update. The meeting drew substantial public participation focused on growth, infrastructure, affordable housing, and environmental concerns in the Blaine and Birch Bay areas. Two formal votes were taken, both resulting in approval. --- ## Key Terms and Concepts **Urban Growth Area (UGA):** A boundary designated under Washington's Growth Management Act (GMA) within which urban-scale development is encouraged. Land outside a UGA is generally limited to lower-density rural uses. Cities and counties jointly determine these boundaries during comprehensive plan updates. **Growth Management Act (GMA):** Washington State law (RCW 36.70A) requiring counties and cities to plan for population and employment growth, designate UGAs, protect resource lands and critical areas, and ensure capital facilities are available to serve growth. The Growth Management Hearings Board can find jurisdictions out of compliance, which can restrict grant funding and permit activity. **De-annexation:** The process by which a city removes territory from its incorporated city limits, returning that land to unincorporated county jurisdiction. The City of Blaine voters approved de-annexation of approximately 573 acres in East Blaine by more than 64% — a supermajority required by the ballot measure. **Capital Facilities Plan (CFP):** A government document that identifies infrastructure needs (water, sewer, fire protection, roads) for a defined planning period — in this case, through 2045 — along with funding sources. Under GMA, urban growth area expansions generally require adopted capital facility plans from all relevant service providers before the Growth Management Hearings Board will find them compliant. **Area Median Income (AMI):** A measure of household income used to set affordability thresholds for housing programs. "0–80% AMI" refers to housing affordable to households earning less than 80% of the area's median income — typically the most difficult category to fund and build without subsidies. **UGA Reserve:** Land designated as a potential future area for urban growth but not yet included in the active UGA. Reserve areas are intended to be activated in a future planning cycle when additional capacity is needed and capital facilities can be demonstrated. **Land Capacity Analysis (LCA):** A technical assessment of how many housing units and jobs can be accommodated within existing zoned land, accounting for wetlands, critical areas, and other development constraints. Used to determine whether a UGA needs to be expanded. **Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT):** A measure of how far vehicles travel, used to assess transportation and climate impacts of land-use decisions. House Bill 1181 added requirements for local governments to plan for VMT reductions per capita as part of climate change mitigation. **House Bill 1181:** Washington State legislation requiring local jurisdictions to add new climate-related elements to their comprehensive plans, including designating urban and community forests, planning for VMT reductions, addressing wildfire risk, and incorporating environmental justice goals. **Lig…