Posted: December 7, 2007 12:40:19 PM PST
The City of Bellingham's Planning Director and SEPA Official, Tim Stewart, issued a determination today (Friday, Dec. 7) that the proposed Fairhaven Highlands development would have a significant impact on the environment and would require an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to study those impacts. The determination requests public comment on the scope of the EIS, and sets a public hearing on Wednesday, January 16 at 6:30 p.m. to hear public testimony.
Fairhaven Highlands is a development proposed in April of 2005 by Greenbriar Northwest Associates, LLC, located within Bellingham city limits between Chuckanut Drive, the Interurban Trail, Old Fairhaven Parkway, and Old Samish Highway. This planned development proposal includes 739 units of single and multi-family residential units, a 6,000 square-foot clubhouse, and related public and private infrastructure. Primary access to the development is proposed from Chuckanut Drive, and street improvements would be provided in accordance with State and local requirements.
Last February, Greenbriar requested that the City of Bellingham Planning and Community Development Department initiate the preparation of an EIS for Fairhaven Highlands.
"The purpose of the EIS is to provide fair, objective and factual information about the site and its environment," Stewart said. "Good information, generated in an open and transparent process, will result in higher quality decisions about the proposal, the site and ultimately the land use and development permits that will be required before any development may occur. The EIS process allows us to seek the very best information before any decisions are made about the permits," he added.
The Scoping meeting is the first step in the permitting process. Following the establishment of the scope of the impact statement, a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) will be published in Spring 2008. All interested parties will be able to comment on the DEIS at a public hearing. Those comments will then be incorporated into a Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) which will then be published. It is only after the publication of the FEIS that the review of the actual land use permits will be conducted. During the land use permitting process, additional opportunities for public input will be available.
The expense of the EIS will be borne by Greenbriar, and the City of Bellingham is the designated Lead Agency.
The Scoping Notice issued today includes a description of the development, what development alternatives will be studied (including a "no action" alternative), and the areas that will be studied under the EIS. Agencies, affected tribes, and members of the public are invited to comment on the scope of the EIS, and a public hearing has been scheduled for Wednesday, January 16th at 6:30 p.m. in the Bellingham Municipal Court to hear public testimony.
Additionally, public comment may be directed to the City of Bellingham either in writing or via email to Nicole Oliver, Communication Coordinator, Planning & Community Development, 210 Lottie Street, Bellingham, WA, 98225, noliver@cob.org . Public comments will be accepted through Wednesday, January 23 at 4:30 p.m. For extensive information and background on the proposal, see the city's website at http://www.cob.org/government/departments/pcd/fairhaven-highlands.aspx .
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Media Contact:
Tim Stewart
Planning & Community Development
210 Lottie Street
Bellingham, WA 98225
(360) 676-6982
tstewart@cob.org
