Posted: July 01, 2009 09:44:30 PST
The 2009 draft of the City's Shoreline Master Program (SMP) has been scheduled for a public hearing before the Bellingham City Council at 7 p.m. Monday, July 27 in City Council Chambers at City Hall. The SMP is the regulatory and policy document that guides development in the City of Bellingham's significant shoreline areas, including Lake Whatcom, major creeks and the waterfront.
"The intent of the hearing is twofold: to provide a final opportunity to receive public comment on the draft SMP, and to receive City Council direction to forward the draft SMP to the Department of Ecology for review and final decision," said Tim Stewart, Planning & Community Development Director. Ecology's review process is anticipated to take approximately one year from the date of submittal.
The draft SMP has been through numerous Planning Commission public hearings and work sessions during 2006 and 2007. These were followed by a public hearing and five work sessions before the City Council during 2007 and 2008.
The City has coordinated with and involved the Port of Bellingham, Department of Ecology, Department of Natural Resources, Bellingham Bay Action Team, Waterfront Advisory Group, Building Industry Association, Whatcom County Realtors and countless citizen inquiries in the creation of this regulatory document.
Since the initial public hearing on this draft in July 2007, there have been five council work sessions on topics such as the Waterfront District, nonconforming uses, public access, signage and restoration. In addition, staff has retained outside legal counsel for review of the document and for recommendations on the interface between the City’s Critical Area Ordinance (CAO) and the SMP. This final draft includes revisions recommended during those worksessions, and incorporates recommendations regarding the CAO interface with the SMP.
Additionally, an alternative proposal sponsored by the Port of Bellingham for shorelines within the Waterfront District has been proposed and is posted online and attached inside hard copies of the SMP document. This alternative proposal is supported by the City Administration. It has not yet had City Council review. The Port’s proposal differs in two distinct ways from the policies and regulations contained in the draft SMP. First, the Port’s proposal includes a new shoreline designation called “Recreational Shoreline.” There are four new sub-areas that have this new designation; the marina, the Georgia-Pacific Log Pond, the foot of Cornwall Avenue and the southern half of the Cornwall landfill. Second, the buffers and setbacks for the Waterfront District would be specified rather than leaving those issues to be determined in the adoption of a Master Plan.
Copies of the document are available at the Planning & Community Development office in City Hall at 210 Lottie Street for a fee of $12. The document is also available to view online at http://www.cob.org/services/neighborhoods/community-planning/environmental/shoreline-program.aspx. Comments on the document should be sent to smpupdate@cob.org.
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Media Contact:
Steve Sundin, Planner
Planning & Community Development Department
360.778.8359
ssundin@cob.org
