Posted: June 05, 2007 14:26:29 PST
Updated regulations affecting all development within 200 feet of significant shorelines in Bellingham are being introduced to the Bellingham City Council today (Monday, June 4). Those shorelines include Bellingham Bay, Chuckanut, Whatcom, Squalicum Creeks and the mouth of Padden Creek, Lake Padden and Lake Whatcom within the city limits.
The update to the Shoreline Master Program (SMP) has been underway since November 2004, and has been the subject of numerous public meetings, work sessions, and extensive public comment. The SMP builds on the planning efforts of the Waterfront Futures Group, the 2005 Comprehensive Plan, the Critical areas Ordinance and the waterfront redevelopment planning effort.
The final draft proposal presented to the City Council includes recommendations from the Planning Commission, as well as alternative staff recommendations. The draft is available at City Hall in the Planning Department for $12.50 per copy, or online at the city's website: http://www.cob.org/pcd/planning/environment.htm Additionally, the 2004 Shoreline Characterization and Inventory (Appendix A) disc is available for $2.50. The public can also view the Public Comment Tracker on the website that follows the course of the extensive comment received to date on the document, and charts how and where that comment was incorporated.
A public hearing on the 2007 draft SMP is scheduled for July 16, 2007 in the City Council Chambers at 7:00 p.m.
###
Media Contact:
Steve Sundin
City of Bellingham Planning & Community Development Department
(360) 676-6982
smpupdate@cob.org
