City council OKs staff moving ahead on comprehensive plan update

From l.; councilmembers Richard May, Sonia Hurt, mayor Mary Lou Steward, Rhyan Lopez, Mike Hill and Eric Lewis at the October 28 Blaine City Council meeting.

Photo by Grace McCarthy

Posted Wednesday, October 30, 2024 3:53 pm

Other city council news …

Public hearings

The city held two public hearings on the 2025 budget and a proposed property tax increase of one percent, though no one spoke at either. The city will hold another public hearing on the 2025 budget at its next meeting on Tuesday, November 12.

Plover haul bill

City council approved city staff enter an agreement with Marysville-based Associated Boat Transport for $4,123 to haul the Plover ferry to Bellingham to be repaired. The shipwright, Jeff Carson of Landings at Colony Wharf, conducted a preliminary assessment but needed a detailed repair evaluation at his shipyard. Council authorized the city to spend up to $20,000 on the repair and requested city staff come to council for approval if the repairs exceed that limit.

Building height

recommendation

City planning staff briefly presented council with planning commission’s recommendation to increase the building heights on the west side of Peace Portal Drive in the downtown core by one story. Staff requested council set a meeting to discuss and potentially vote on the increase, which council set for its November 12 meeting.

City officials began looking into increasing the westward building heights from 36 to 48 feet, running south of F Street to north of Clark Street, after developers voiced current zoning didn’t provide a good return on investment for buildings on the west side.

By Grace McCarthy

Blaine City Council approved several resolutions during its October 28 council meeting that will allow planning staff to dive into its decennial comprehensive plan update. The city’s comprehensive plan, its planning document for the next 20 years, is due December 31, 2025.

Council held a study session on the upcoming comprehensive plan update before its regular council meeting. Community Development Services director Alex Wenger went over the four projections for population and employment growth numbers.

City and county staff met about eight times this year to formulate the four projections. For population growth, the low growth was 2,513, medium growth was 2,774 and high growth was 4,186. For employment growth, low growth was 433, medium growth was 701 and high growth was 1,092.

The city recommended using the medium population growth projection of 2,774 and the high employment growth projection of 1,092. Wenger said medium population growth was the most reliable estimate and the city didn’t want to overestimate its growth, which would leave current residents paying higher taxes for unneeded infrastructure. Wenger added the city wanted to have a high employment projection for the county to approve the industrial urban growth area in southeast Blaine that the city would like to add.

Councilmembers asked how difficult it would be to change the numbers in the future as the Washington State Growth Management Act allows for small changes to be made to the plan annually. Wenger responded that it would be difficult.

During council’s regular meeting, councilmember Mike Hill made a motion for the population projection to be 3,500, between the medium and high growth projections, and a high employment growth of 1,092. Councilmember Richard May seconded Hill’s motion, saying the city has completed construction projections previously like the Lighthouse Point Water Reclamation Facility to accommodate growth past 20 years. Council approved the motion 5-1, with councilmember Sonia Hurt opposed.

Whatcom County Council will ultimately adopt the numbers in its final comprehensive plan.

City council also approved Resolution 1955-24 approving city staff’s plans for including the public in the comprehensive plan update.

State law requires local governments to have public participation throughout the entire update process and the city can add more public participation than state standards.

The city’s plan puts a focus on open houses, media releases and informational videos. The plan would include public presentations nearly every month of 2025, five open houses from January through September, two city council study sessions in late spring, and a public hearing in September.

Planning commission unanimously recommended the plan during its October 10 meeting.