Whatcom County Planning Commission

**Commissioner Daniel Dunne** — The most prolific motion-maker of the evening. Dunne consistently argued for higher LOS standards, safety-oriented metrics, more explicit multimodal language, and updated planning for commercial freight. He was willing to withdraw motions when persuaded by consultant or staff input but pushed back forcefully on the transit LOS ruling. He expressed frustration that some of his submitted written comments were not incorporated into the staff's consolidated sheet. **Commissioner Rud Browne** — Focused primarily on policy mechanisms to enable development in UGAs, including ULID financing, high-density zoning tied to transit, and environmental mitigation banking. Browne drew on direct experience in real estate development and prior council service. He consistently argued that regulatory uncertainty and absence of infrastructure financing tools are blocking housing production, and that the comprehensive plan should proactively address these barriers. **Commissioner Nick Greif** — Frequently served as a broker between Dunne's motions and staff's concerns, offering restated or modified versions that achieved similar intent within the county's legal authority. His Motion 12 (tiered transit LOS with landing pads) was the key compromise on the most contentious issue. He seconded Dunne's initial MMLOS motion and the WTA recommendations motion. **Commissioner Jim Hansen** — Consistently urged focus and brevity. Opposed several motions on grounds of redundancy (the density/regulatory clarity policy) and disagreed with the framing that the county is at fault for regulatory barriers. Voted no on the ULID policy and the density policy, and abstained on several others. Supported the wetlands mitigation banking policy. **Commissioner Dominic Moceri** — Raised practical concerns about where policies belong in the comprehensive plan (questioning whether ULID and density language fits in the transportation chapter) and about the cost implications of higher LOS standards. Voted yes on most motions but abstained on the transit wait-time LOS challenge. **Commissioner Suneeta Eisenberg** — Frequently abstained. Seconded the…

**Chris Comeau, on the growth management act and the comprehensive plan's purpose:** "The county comprehensive plan is an aspirational document that basically creates a framework that everybody acknowledges that growth is going to happen. And the key is manage, not control the growth. You're trying to acknowledge something's going to happen. How can we kind of shift it so it benefits the county?" **Chris Comeau, on why LOS D is not as alarming as it sounds:** "If it's level of service D, you'r…

**After this meeting, the following is different from before:** 1. **Chapter 6 Transportation Element has been preliminarily transmitted to County Council.** The Planning Commission's work is now on record as a preliminary approval; Council will review and return comments, and the chapter will come back to the commission for final action. 2. **The transit LOS standard (Policy 6A-9) has been expanded.** The existing ADA-compliant pedestrian connection standard has been retained and expanded with a new Gold tier (requiring both ADA connection AND a landing pad) and a renamed Orange tier (replacing Yellow), with explicit language clarifying "non-ADA compliant" rather than "non-compliant." The LOS standard now explicitly includes "site readiness for installation of stop amenities" in its definition. 3. **MMLOS is now explicitly defined to include motor vehicles.** Staff is directed to rewrite the MMLOS section to make clear that vehicle LOS is encompassed within the multimodal framework, not separate from it. 4. **The implementation priority sequence before Goal 6B has changed.** The new language prioritizes: (1) safety and roadway preservation; (2) maintaining or improving LOS for all modes; (3) active transportation network projects. The prior language prioritized active transportation over LOS maintenance. 5. **Two new policies have been added to Goal 6D:** A new 6D-7 (density and regulatory clarity to sup…

--- ## Meeting Overview The Whatcom County Planning Commission met on June 26, 2025, for a regular meeting and work session at 5280 Northwest Drive, Bellingham. The primary focus was a continued work session on Chapter 6: Transportation Element of the 2025 Comprehensive Plan Update, led by consultant Chris Comeau of Transpo Group. Commissioners worked through a series of motions to amend goals, policies, and level of service standards in the draft chapter before voting to preliminarily advance it to County Council. --- ## Key Terms and Concepts **Comprehensive Plan:** A long-range planning document required by Washington State's Growth Management Act (GMA) that guides how a county will manage growth over the next 20 years. It is aspirational — it sets goals and policies but is not itself a detailed regulation like a zoning code or speed limit. **Growth Management Act (GMA):** Washington State law that requires cities and counties to plan for future population growth. It directs local governments to adopt transportation elements, level of service standards, and land use policies. **Level of Service (LOS):** A letter grade (A through F) used to measure how well a transportation facility — most commonly a road — is operating relative to its capacity. LOS A is free-flowing; LOS F is severely congested. The county's standard for most arterials is LOS D or better. **Multimodal Level of Service (MMLOS):** A GMA-required standard that measures performance across all transportation modes — vehicles, pedestrians, bicycles, and transit — rather than only motor vehicles. HB 1181 (2023) significantly expanded MMLOS requirements. **Concurrency:** A GMA requirement that adequate transportation infrastructure must be in place (or committed) at the same time new development occurs. If a development would cause an arterial to fall below the adopted LOS standard, the county must deny it or require mitigation. **Six-Year Transportation Improvement Program (TIP):** An annually updated list of transportation projects Whatcom County plans to fund over the next six years. Projects must typically be on the TIP to be eligible for state or federal grant funding. **Whatcom Transportation Authority (WTA):** The independent public transit agency serving Whatcom County. WTA is not a county government entity; the county cannot direct how WTA runs its buses, sets schedules, or determines frequency. **ADA Transition Plan:** A federally required plan identifying how public agencies will bring their facilities into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Any transportation improvement the county makes must now be ADA-compliant. **Utility Local Improvement District (ULID):** A state-authorized funding mechanism that assesses property owners for infrastructure improvements (roads, utilities, etc.). Assessments are repaid over time and are prioritized in foreclosure proceedings, making them an attractive financing tool for development. **Wetlands Mitigation Bank:** A pre-established site where wetlands have been restored or created in advance, generating "credits" that developers or agencies can purchase to offset unavoidable wetland impacts from construction projects. Credits gain value over time. --- ## Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Kelvin Barton | Chair, Whatcom County Planning Commission | | Rud Browne | Commissioner, Planning Commission | | Daniel Dunne | Commissioner, Planning Commission | | Suneeta E…