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  WHATCOM COUNTY
Planning & Development Services
David Stalheim
Director
J.E. “Sam” Ryan
Assistant Director
M E M O R A N D U M
TO: Whatcom County Planning Commission
THROUGH: David Stalheim, Director
FROM: Wain Harrison, Long Range Planning Supervisor
Gary Davis, AICP, Senior Planner
DATE: September 2, 2009
SUBJECT: Rural Element – LAMIRD proposal changes
On August 13, 2009, Planning Commission held a work session to discuss a revised draft of amendments prepared by PDS staff in response to direction given by the Commission at the July 23, 2009 meeting.
Staff made additional modifications to the draft discussed at the August 13, 2009 meeting prior to posting on the County website on August 21, 2009. The changes stem from discussions at the August 13 meeting or are corrections or clarifications. No further changes were made after August 21. The changes are outlined below:
Comprehensive Plan Chapter 2
Policy 2HH-1(A)(1)

Replaced “more intensive development” with “development more intensive than surrounding rural areas” to better define more intensive
Text – paragraph above Goal 2LL

Corrected names of affected areas in Type I Rural Business and Type III Rural Business designations.
Title 20
Chapter 20.59 Rural General Commercial (RGC) district

20.59.065(3) – ADDED phrase after comma “or lots created according to 20.59.257.” This change effectively allows newly created lots to also have the single family or duplex allowable use, if they are at least five acres in size.

20.59.082 – DELETED “Intermediate passenger intermodal terminals.” This was duplicative of 20.59.057.

20.59.201 – ADDED “Rental Storage Establishments.” This was a permitted use in GC and was inadvertently left out of the initial RGC draft as a conditional use.
Rural Element Update – Staff Memorandum September 2, 2009
I:\Planning Division\Long Range Planning\LAMIRD\PC September 2009\20090831-plncom-staffmemo_changes-2p.doc 2

20.59.550 – CHANGED open space requirement to 15% to be consistent with RIM, GM, NC.

20.59.600 – CHANGED wording slightly for clarity from “...setbacks of adjoining area shall be...” to “...setbacks from property lines adjoining these districts shall be...”
Chapter 20.60 Neighborhood Commercial (NC) district

20.60.553 – ADDED this section requiring 50’ buffers with AG adjacency (consistent w/RIM, GM, and commercial zones in LAMIRDs).
Chapter 20.61 Small Town Commercial (STC) district

20.61.602 – ADDED this section requiring 50’ buffers with AG adjacency (consistent w/RIM, GM, and commercial zones in LAMIRDs).
Chapter 20.63 Tourist Commercial (TC) district

20.63.552 – ADDED this section requiring 50’ buffers with AG adjacency (consistent w/RIM, GM, and commercial zones in LAMIRDs).
Chapter 20.64 Resort Commercial (RC) district

20.64.552 – ADDED this section requiring 50’ buffers with AG adjacency (consistent w/RIM, GM, and commercial zones in LAMIRDs).
Chapter 20.67 General Manufacturing (GM) district

20.67.500 – ADDED 15% open space to be consistent with RGC, RIM, NC.
Chapter 20.69 Rural Industrial – Manufacturing (RIM) district

20.69.159 – CHANGED to add word “intermediate” before “passenger intermodal terminal.”
Chapter 20.80 Supplementary Requirements

20.80.210 – ADDED to setback tables in the following zones clarity & consistency for 50’ AG adjacency buffer: STC, RC, NC, RIM.
A revised version of the Title 20 amendments is attached, along with the revised RGC-GC and RIM-LII comparison sheets. Because the revisions to the Comprehensive Plan Chapter 2 draft amendments are minor (and are explained above), a new copy is not included. Fourteen revised zoning/LAMIRD maps were in the materials for the August 13 meeting; none have changed since then and no maps are attached. Staff is attaching a draft Proposed Findings, Conclusions, and Recommendations, for consideration at the September 10 meeting.
If you have questions regarding these materials, please call Samya Lutz at ext. 51072 or Gary Davis at ext. 50246.
Attachments:
Proposed Findings, Conclusions, and Recommendations
Revised draft Title 20 amendments

Find below What has been changed since August 21st in the "LAMIRD" Proposals.

Click Here for more info on most recent drafts for changes.
Click here for rules on Commission meeting and other information
Thanks to Robert Thomas for the Enclosed Photos.
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