### Meeting Overview This was a special joint meeting between Bellingham City Council and Whatcom County officials held at Ferndale City Hall Annex on January 23, 2025. The main focus was coordinating growth management planning for the 2025 comprehensive plan update, specifically discussing population projections, urban growth areas, and long-range planning strategies for the region. ### Key Terms and Concepts **Urban Growth Area (UGA):** Designated areas around cities where urban development is expected to occur over the next 20 years, as required by the Growth Management Act. **Urban Growth Reserve:** Areas designated for potential future urban development beyond the 20-year planning horizon, typically for 40-50 year planning. **Growth Management Act (GMA):** Washington State law requiring cities and counties to plan for growth and development in a coordinated manner. **Non-binding Interlocal Resolution:** A preliminary agreement between jurisdictions about population and employment growth allocations that is not legally binding but provides planning guidance. **Environmental Impact Statement (EIS):** Required environmental review for comprehensive plan updates that analyzes potential impacts of proposed growth scenarios. **UGA Land Swaps:** Process allowed under state law to exchange existing urban growth areas for different areas, though with difficult requirements to meet. **Annexation:** Process by which cities expand their boundaries to include adjacent areas, typically from urban growth areas. **Comprehensive Plan Update:** Required periodic review and update of long-term planning documents, occurring every 20 years under the Growth Management Act. ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Kim Lund | Mayor, City of Bellingham | | Lisa Anderson | Bellingham City Council Member | | Michael Lilliquist | Bellingham City Council Member | | Council Member Donovan | County Council Member | | Executive Satpal Sidhu | Whatcom County Executive | | Mayor Hansen | Ferndale Mayor | | Mayor Stewart | Blaine Mayor | | Mayor Cortez | Lynden Mayor | | Council Member Scanland | Participating remotely | | Mark Personius | County Planning Staff | ### Background Context The meeting addressed critical regional planning challenges as all jurisdictions work toward 2025 comprehensive plan updates. Cities are struggling with how to accommodate significant population growth (Bellingham expects 30,310 more people by 2045) while managing infrastructure costs and development patterns. The Growth Management Act requires coordinated planning, but cities face different constraints - some are hemmed in by agricultural lands or flood plains, while others have conflicting development pressures. There's particular tension around urban growth areas that remain undeveloped for decades, creating challenges for both annexation and appropriate development density. State housing legislation is also driving changes, with requirements for cities to plan for more diverse housing types and higher densities. This creates pressure to ensure urban growth areas are designed to accommodate the needed housing rather than defaulting to low-density suburban development that doesn't help address housing shortages. ### What Happened — The Short Version Officials generally agreed to move forward with preliminary population projections to avoid further delays in planning processes, with the understanding these numbers might be adjusted slightly. There was extensive discussion about the need to reform how urban growth areas are managed, including potential changes to zoning requirements and development timing. Several cities expressed interest in adjusting their urban growth boundaries - removing areas that are impractical to develop and potentially adding others that make more sense. The group discussed long-range planning beyond the 20-year horizon and the need for better coordination between jurisdictions as they grow toward each other. They agreed to meet again on February 20th to continue these discussions. ### What to Watch Next - County Council meetings on January 28th and February 4th and 11th where city growth scenarios will be presented - Release of the Environmental Impact Statement analyzing growth alternatives - Follow-up meeting scheduled for February 20th to continue growth management discussions - Potential legislative efforts to modify state laws around urban growth area changes ---