Planning Commission

The Commission engaged in extensive debate over balancing housing affordability with environmental protection. Commissioner Hansen consistently advocated for stronger environmental protections, proposing restrictions on development in watersheds and rural areas. He argued against directing more population to areas already "oversaturated to the extent that polluting its watershed," specifically targeting South Yew Street urban growth area reserves. Commissioner Dunne countered with a focus on regulatory streamlining, successfully proposing Policy 2D-11 to codify Charter Commission requirements for measuring regulatory impacts on housing costs. This reflects growing concern that regulations, while well-intentioned, may contribute to housing affordability challenges. Dunne argued for "chipping away" at various cost factors affecting housing. The tree canopy preservation debate highlighted the tension between development needs and enviro…

**Brian Gass (Real Estate Agent/Property Owner):** Criticized government planning as creating barriers to housing development. Argued that Bellingham's buildable land claims are misleading due to critical area restrictions. Called for honest assessment of truly buildable land and warned against "squeezing" development into small areas through upzoning. **Dwayne Engelsman (Property Owner, Birch Bay):** Advocated for including three Birch Bay properties in the urban growth area. Claims all three have completed wetland reports and offer "real housing solutions." Highlighted recent Whisper Lake development that sold 36 homes within 18 months, demonstrating housing demand. **Bill Geyer (Geyer Associates):** Argued that the land use element is deficient in meeting GMA mandates for affordable housing. Called for specific policies to reduce barriers to affordable housing through "permissive land use and na…

**Brian Gass, on planning departments:** "You guys in planning and government, there's only one place that controls, there's only one entity that controls what gets built, who gets to build it, how much it's going to cost, and where it's going to go. And that is our government and our planning departments." **Brian Gass, on housing affordability:** "I was able to buy a house four times the median income in Bellingham and now it's like eight times. That's unacceptable." **Dwayne Engelsman, on…

The Chapter 2: Land Use element now includes Policy 2D-11 requiring assessment of regulatory impacts on housing costs, implementing Charter Commission mandates for fiscal analysis of new regulations affecting housing. Tree canopy protection expands beyond riparian areas through new Policy 2RR-4, promoting preservation through incentives rather than additional regulations. The Lummi Island Ferry and landings are now designated as Essential Public Facilities, providing future siting criteria and recognition of their critical transportation role. Tribal land ownership descriptions on the Lummi Reservation are corrected to accurately reflect that parcels can be…

--- ### Meeting Overview The Whatcom County Planning Commission held a Special Meeting on December 16, 2025, combining a public hearing and work session focused on Chapter 2: Land Use of the 2025 Comprehensive Plan Update. Six of nine commissioners attended, with the meeting taking place against the backdrop of an active countywide flood event that had staff deployed for damage assessments and recovery operations. --- ### Key Terms and Concepts **Comprehensive Plan:** A long-range policy document required by Washington State's Growth Management Act that guides land use, housing, transportation, and other development decisions for a 20-year planning period. Whatcom County is updating its plan in 2025 as required by state law. **Growth Management Act (GMA):** Washington State law (RCW 36.70A) that requires counties and cities to plan for growth in a coordinated way, concentrating urban development inside designated urban growth areas while protecting rural lands, resource lands, and critical areas. **Urban Growth Area (UGA):** A boundary drawn around cities and urban areas within which urban levels of development and services are allowed. Land inside the UGA is expected to be served by urban infrastructure (water, sewer, roads). The GMA requires population growth to be allocated to UGAs. **Urban Growth Area Reserve (UGAR or UGR):** A Whatcom County-specific designation (not required by state law) that signals where a city intends to grow in a future planning period, beyond its current UGA. UGRs do not receive a population allocation in the current planning cycle. **Limited Area of More Intensive Rural Development (LAMIRD):** A GMA term for small pockets of more intensive development that may exist in rural areas and are treated differently from general rural zoning. LAMIRDs have specific criteria under state law. **Essential Public Facilities (EPF):** Facilities that are difficult to site but necessary for public welfare — such as airports, ferry terminals, and utility infrastructure — for which local governments must develop locational criteria under the GMA. **Fee Simple Status (vs. Trust Status):** Two forms of land ownership relevant to tribal lands. Trust land is held by the federal government for a tribe or tribal member and has restrictions on sale. Fee simple land has been converted to standard private ownership, can be held by tribal members or non-Indians, and is subject to state and county regulations. **Naturally Occurring Asbestos (NOA):** Asbestos that occurs naturally in certain rock formations. In Whatcom County, NOA has been documented near Swift Creek and on the west side of Sumas Mountain. Public commenter Kathleen Greenbaum urged the county to acknowledge, map, and educate the public about NOA as a health hazard. **Capital Improvement Plan (CIP):** A multi-year financial plan for major infrastructure investments. In this meeting, a revenue projection graph tied to the CIP — assuming a 4.6% real estate excise tax turnover rate — was questioned by a commissioner for appearing to show unrealistically high exponential growth. **Washington Department of Commerce Intermediate Climate Guidance:** State guidance that provides definitions and direction for local jurisdictions preparing the new Climate Change and Resilience chapter of their comprehensive plans. The commission voted to align climate-related glossary definitions precisely with this source document. --- ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role …