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Whatcom County · WC-CP-2021 · Pages 1-111

Land Use

Chapter 2 is the Land Use element of the Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan, establishing the overarching policy framework for where and how growth occurs across the county's urban, rural, and resource lands over a 20-year planning horizon. It designates Urban Growth Areas for all cities and unincorporated communities, defines rural land classifications including LAMIRDs, Rural Communities, and Rural Neighborhoods, and sets policies for open space corridors, essential public facilities siting, resort communities, and historic/cultural resources. The chapter implements GMA requirements to concentrate urban growth in designated areas, protect rural character, and coordinate land use with capital facility planning and interlocal agreements.

Land Use Economy Housing Environment Governance Social

“Only 22 of 235 Land Use policies (9%) include a concrete, measurable commitment.” Real Record SAY vs DO analysis · Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan

About this analysis

Real Record applies the SAY vs DO accountability framework to every chapter of every Washington comprehensive plan we publish. Each policy in the chapter is read individually and scored into one of four buckets:

  • Measurable — the policy names a specific target, deadline, dollar amount, or action that can be verified later.
  • Strong — binding action language (“shall,” “will adopt,” “require”) without a measurable threshold.
  • Aspirational — encouraging or supportive language (“encourage,” “support,” “consider”) with no enforcement.
  • Monitor only — policies that commit to tracking or reporting but not to action.

The accountability score shown in the sidebar is the share of policies in the chapter that landed in the “Measurable” bucket. A score of 0–19 (red) indicates most policies use aspirational language without concrete accountability; 20–49 (orange) is mixed; 50 or higher (green) means the chapter is dominated by measurable commitments.

The underlying text comes from the official adopted comprehensive plan published by the Whatcom County planning department. Scoring is performed by Real Record analysts using a structured rubric; the raw policy text and bucket assignments are archived in the Real Record civic data warehouse.

Read the full methodology, sources, and rubric at Real Record · About.

What the Plan Promises
Formal targets adopted in the Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan.
Review UGAs at least every 8 years per GMA; Bellingham UGA densities 6-24 units/net acre; Ferndale/Lynden UGA densities 6-10 units/net acre; Blaine/Everson/Nooksack/Sumas UGA densities 4-6 units/net acre; Birch Bay 5-10 units/net acre; Columbia Valley 4-6 units/net acre; Birch Bay small lot single family 10-20 dwelling units/acre; minimum 10-acre lot sizes in unserved UGAs; Cherry Point limited to existing 3 industrial piers; adult businesses not within 1,000 feet of sensitive uses; monitor incentive programs on 5-year basis; annually monitor population growth with report by November 1 each year; 119,907 acres in open space program as of 2014
Goals (45 total)
  • Goal 2A: Ensure designation of sufficient land and densities to accommodate growth needs and protect local economy, rural lifestyle, habitat, fish, and wildlife
  • Goal 2B: Encourage continued viability of existing resort communities and allow development of new Master Planned Resorts
  • Goal 2C: Channel growth to areas where adequate services can be provided
  • Goal 2D: Refine the regulatory system to ensure accomplishment of desired land use goals in a fair and equitable manner
  • Goal 2E: Encourage stewardship ethic and respect for cultural resources and natural systems
  • Goal 2F: Make use of incentive programs that can effectively encourage achievement of land use goals
  • Goal 2G: Encourage citizen participation in the decision making process
  • Goal 2H: Preserve private property rights while recognizing the importance of community rights
  • Goal 2J: Encourage individuals to honor and respect cultural diversity in our community
  • Goal 2K: Discourage development in areas prone to flooding
  • Goal 2L: Recognize the important regional differences within Whatcom County
  • Goal 2M: Protect and encourage restoration of habitat for fish and wildlife populations including adequate instream flows
  • Goal 2N: Within Urban Growth Areas, outside present city limits, the County will maintain jurisdiction until annexation or incorporation
  • Goal 2P: Support and encourage cities to increase residential densities within their jurisdictions
  • Goal 2Q: Ensure development in Birch Bay and Columbia Valley UGAs is of urban level and proceeds logically
  • Goal 2R: Establish interlocal agreements with each city for revenue sharing, services, growth management, annexation
  • Goal 2S: Ensure adequate land supply to accommodate twenty years of growth within urban growth areas
  • Goal 2T: Establish Urban Growth Areas within which annexations and urban levels of development can occur
  • Goal 2U: Evaluate every eight years Bellingham's Urban Growth Area to accommodate twenty year growth projections
  • Goal 2V: Provide a sufficient Urban Growth Area for Blaine to accommodate future growth needs
  • Goal 2W: Provide an Urban Growth Area for Everson accommodating future growth needs and flood constraints
  • Goal 2X: Provide a sufficient Urban Growth Area for Ferndale to accommodate future growth needs
  • Goal 2Y: Provide an Urban Growth Area for Lynden of sufficient size to accommodate future growth
  • Goal 2Z: Provide an Urban Growth Area for Nooksack accommodating future growth needs and flood constraints
  • Goal 2AA: Provide an Urban Growth Area for Sumas accommodating future growth needs and flood constraints
  • Goal 2BB: Recognize Birch Bay and Columbia Valley area as county urban growth areas not associated with existing cities
  • Goal 2CC: Maintain Cherry Point as an unincorporated urban growth area based on its unique location and characteristics
  • Goal 2DD: Retain the character and lifestyle of rural Whatcom County
  • Goal 2EE: Ensure rural areas are provided with services consistent with rural character
  • Goal 2FF: Provide employment opportunities in the rural parts of Whatcom County
  • Goal 2GG: Designate Rural areas to contain a variety of uses and densities while retaining traditional rural character
  • Goal 2HH: Establish LAMIRD Designation Criteria
  • Goal 2JJ: Designate areas of more intensive rural development that existed on July 1, 1990 as Rural Communities
  • Goal 2KK: Provide opportunities for small-scale recreational or tourist uses in rural areas
  • Goal 2LL: Designate Rural Business areas to limit and contain nonresidential uses
  • Goal 2MM: Designate Rural Neighborhoods to recognize and contain rural areas with higher densities than surrounding rural areas
  • Goal 2NN: Recognize Sudden Valley as a Rural Community (Type 1 LAMIRD) with unique challenges
  • Goal 2PP: Continue to recognize private parcels surrounded by National Park or National Forest as part of Whatcom County's jurisdiction
  • Goal 2QQ: Seek solutions satisfying requirements of Growth Management, needs of non-tribal residents, and goals of Lummi Nation
  • Goal 2QQ (Open Space): Conserve or enhance important natural, cultural, and scenic resources
  • Goal SS: Identify and protect open space corridors within and between urban growth areas
  • Goal 2TT: Promote coordination among county, cities, Port of Bellingham to protect linked greenbelts, parks, and open spaces
  • Goal 2UU: Ensure equity between public benefit and private burden while encouraging open space retention
  • Goal 2VV: Utilize the established process for siting essential public facilities
  • Goal 2WW: Utilize the established siting criteria for essential public facilities
  • Goal 2XX: Provide for broad participation in the siting process by affected agencies, citizens and interested parties
  • Goal 2YY: Utilize the established review or appeal procedure to resolve differences regarding facility site selection
  • Goal 2ZZ: Utilize the established criteria for the location of adult businesses
  • Goal 2AAA: Recognize Whatcom County's historical and archeological attributes and encourage preservation of significant lands, sites, and structures
Stronger Policy Language (126 policies in this chapter)
  • Policy 2A-1: Concentrate urban levels of development within designated urban growth areas.
  • Policy 2C-3: Preclude urban development within a UGA until public services and facilities are available.
  • Policy 2EE-4: Prohibit extension or expansion of municipal public sewer systems outside urban growth areas or LAMIRDs except where it is necessary to protect public health, safety and the environment...
  • Policy 2S-5: Annually monitor population growth and publish a report no later than November 1 of each year that analyzes population growth trends over five years in comparison with adopted projections.
  • Policy 2T-1: Land within a UGA that is not served by public water and sewer will have the following limitations on development which shall be included in the County development regulations...
  • Policy 2CC-11: It is the policy of Whatcom County to limit the number of industrial piers at Cherry Point to the existing three piers...
  • Policy 2MM-1: Areas zoned for densities greater than one dwelling per five acres shall be contained within Rural Neighborhood boundaries. Rural Neighborhood boundaries shall not be expanded beyond those established in 2012.
  • Policy 2ZZ-3: Adult businesses will not be allowed within 1,000 feet of a school, day care, church, park, library, residential zoning district, rural zoning district, Interstate-5, or state highway.
Show all 126 stronger policies
The four examples above are a representative sample. The remaining 122 stronger policies are catalogued in the Real Record civic data warehouse and indexed by policy number against the adopted plan text. See how policies are scored →
Aspirational / Monitoring Language (87 policies in this chapter)
  • Policy 2A-10: Recognize the importance of tourism and its influence on the need for land for various types of development.
  • Policy 2A-15: Strive to improve predictability to property owners regarding the connection between legal water use, and land use and development by: Supporting completion of groundwater studies...
  • Policy 2B-3: Work with property owners in the resort communities to develop an understanding of the unique needs of these areas and evaluate land use regulations for their responsiveness...
  • Policy 2DD-3: Encourage property owners to conserve forested areas, agricultural land, and open space by utilizing current-use taxation provisions (RCW 84.34).
  • Policy 2FF-1: Support small businesses, cottage industries, home occupations, resource-based, tourist, recreational, and other appropriate industries in the rural areas of Whatcom County.
  • Policy 2UU-5: Augment land use regulations by engaging in a proactive program of public investment, landowner incentives, and other actions aimed at preserving open space.
  • Policy 2CC-3: Encourage that future developments or expansions within the Cherry Point UGA are consistent with the following: Clean and reduced carbon emitting technology; Avoidance of estuaries...
  • Policy 2TT-1: Encourage all jurisdictions to provide adequate neighborhood parks and play areas within safe walking and bicycling distances of residential neighborhoods.
Show all 87 aspirational / monitoring policies
The four examples above are a representative sample. The remaining 83 policies in this bucket use language like “encourage,” “support,” “consider,” or “monitor” — phrasing that does not create an enforceable commitment. See how policies are scored →

SAY vs DISCUSS: Did this come up in meetings?

Real Record has not yet indexed any Whatcom County briefings tagged to this chapter’s topics. Browse all Whatcom County council and planning briefings to see related discussions in context.

View Whatcom County Briefings →

SAY vs DO: Where the Money Goes

Departments related to Land Use in Whatcom County — what the city actually funds, year over year.

Budget analysis for this chapter is in progress. Real Record has mapped 1 Whatcom County department to this chapter, but the FY2006 / FY2025 line-item totals are not yet loaded into our civic data warehouse. In the meantime, browse the city-wide budget comparison on the index page.