Whatcom County Planning Commission

**Commissioner Rud Browne** — Raised the most substantive technical challenges of the evening. Expressed deep concern about wetland layer accuracy, brought three GIS-printed maps to illustrate differences between the 1981-era county layer, a 150-foot-buffer combined layer, and a 225-foot-buffer layer reflecting potential code changes. Argued that under updated rules "almost nothing" in unincorporated areas may be outside critical area buffers. Also offered parcel-level analysis showing 6,300 acres in R5/R10 zoning where the property use description is incompatible with residential development (e.g., an 80-acre religious use parcel, a 92-acre water storage parcel, a 108-acre gravel pit). Made the affordability-focused motion on Goal 4K. Committed to sharing GIS data with Leland and county staff. **Commissioner Nicholas Greif** — Led the most analytically precise questioning on the LCA. Raised the LEED Silver amendment, the Clean Buildings Act scope issue, and questioned why deduction factors were identical across all zones. Drew on prior experience as a financial analyst to frame the risk of assumption-driven models. Asked staff to articulate the consequences of systematic error in either direction. **Commissioner Jim Hansen** — Argued the opposite position from Browne on impact fees: that the absence of impact fees in rural areas subsidizes rural development at the expense of urban taxpayers, conflicts with GMA growth management goals, and should be ended to make urban housing more cost-competitive. Voted against the Goal 4K amendment. Also asked about the port's industrial land capacity study and the status of North Bellingham UGA urban village designation considerations. **Commissioner Daniel Dunne** — Drove the Clean Buildings Act clarification amendment (Policy 4M-3). Was remote/driving for part of the meeting during the minutes vote. Made the motion to adjourn. **Commissioner Dominic Moceri** — Asked procedural and organizational questions: why school/fire districts are split between Goals 4K and 4L; raised the LOS standard question. Requested that commissioners follow hand-raise protocol rather than open dialogue. **Commissioner Julie Jefferson** — Voted against the Goal 4K affordability amendment. Abstained on the LEED Silver "where feasible" amendment. **Commissioner Scott Van Dalen** — Voted with the majority on all items. **Chair Kelvin Barton** — Managed procedural flow. At approximately 8:40 p.m. requested that participants be more brief to allow more ground to be covered. **Mark Personius, PDS Director** — Confirmed scheduling for August. Provided additional context on the concurrency requirement and why unincorporated UGAs have their own set of district capital facilities plans adopted by reference. **Matt Aamot, PDS Senior Planner** — Presented Chapter 4; explained the impact fee ordinance struc…

**Commissioner Jim Hansen, on impact fees and rural development subsidies:** "What I would like to see is that we stop subsidizing rural development. We have a charge to try to discourage additional rural development. And by making it artificially cheaper than urban development, we're exploiting the taxpayers and going against the mandates of the Growth Management Act." **Commissioner Rud Browne, responding to Hansen:** "I mean, if you want to do that, I would argue against just trying to mak…

**Before this meeting:** - Chapter 4 (Capital Facilities) had been drafted but not reviewed by the Planning Commission in this update cycle. - Goal 4K contained no affordability-related language regarding mitigation and impact fees. - Policy 4M-2 mandated LEED Silver standard without the "where feasible" qualifier that already appears in the underlying County Resolution 2005-028. - Policy 4M-3 appeared to require all county-owned buildings to be retrofitted under the Clean Buildings Act standard. - The LCA methodology had been presented at a June virtual meeting with stakeholders but had not been formally presented to or heard by the Planning Commission. **After this meeting:** - Chapter 4 has received preliminary Planning Commission approval (as amended) and is now forwarded to the County Council. - Goal 4K now includes a qualifying statement: *"Notwithstanding the above, recognize that mitigation and impact fees …

--- ### Meeting Overview The Whatcom County Planning Commission held a hybrid public hearing and work session on July 24, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. at 5280 Northwest Drive, Bellingham. The commission took up two major topics as part of the ongoing 2025 Comprehensive Plan Update: Chapter 4 (Capital Facilities) and the draft Land Capacity Analysis (LCA) and Methodologies. The commission made several formal amendments to Chapter 4 and forwarded it to the County Council, while receiving extensive technical input on the land capacity analysis without taking formal action on it. --- ### Key Terms and Concepts **Growth Management Act (GMA):** Washington State law requiring counties and cities of certain sizes to adopt comprehensive plans that guide land use, infrastructure, housing, and other development decisions. Whatcom County is required to update its comprehensive plan in 2025. **Capital Facilities:** Long-lived, costly, non-mobile public assets such as buildings, parks, trails, jails, and government offices. Chapter 4 of the comprehensive plan establishes goals and policies for how the county plans, funds, and maintains these facilities. **Land Capacity Analysis (LCA):** A technical methodology for estimating how many housing units (and jobs) could be built on available land within a jurisdiction, based on zoning, parcel conditions, and various deduction factors. Required by state law to ensure jurisdictions can demonstrate they have enough land to meet projected housing needs. **Level of Service (LOS):** A standard that sets the minimum quantity or quality of a public service per resident. For example, Whatcom County's current LOS for developed parks is 9.6 acres per 1,000 residents and 0.60 miles of trails per 1,000 residents. **Impact Fees:** One-time charges collected from new development to help pay for the infrastructure (schools, parks, fire stations) that new residents or employees will use. The GMA authorizes these fees; the county currently collects no impact fees but has an enabling ordinance for school districts. **Area Median Income (AMI):** A measure used to categorize households by income level. The LCA assigns housing types (single-family, multifamily, middle housing) to income bands expressed as a percentage of AMI — for example, 0–30% AMI, 30–50% AMI, up to 120%+ AMI. **LEED Silver Standard:** A certification level from the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) system, indicating a building meets certain energy efficiency and sustainability benchmarks. County policy 4M-2 references a 2005 county resolution requiring new or renovated facilities over 5,000 square feet to meet this standard where feasible. **Clean Buildings Act:** A Washington State law (enacted around 2022) setting energy intensity standards for larger commercial and public buildings. Buildings over 30,000 square feet are subject to compliance deadlines, with larger buildings facing earlier requirements. **Urban Growth Area (UGA):** A boundary established under the GMA designating where urban-density development should occur over a 20-year planning period. The LCA must demonstrate that each UGA has enough land capacity to accommodate its share of projected population and employment growth. **Middle Housing:** Residential building types that fall between single-family homes and large apartment buildings — including duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, and townhomes. State law (House Bill 1110) requires cities like Bellingham to allow midd…