The City of Ferndale has received application(s) from the applicant referenced below for a proposed amendment to the Ferndale Comprehensive Plan. The City has received and reviewed a SEPA checklist for probable adverse environmental impacts associated with the proposed project and expects to issue a Determination of Non-Significance (DNS) for this project.
Pursuant to Title14 of the Ferndale Municipal Code the following notice is provided to inform the community of the city’s receipt of the applications to amend the Comprehensive Plan. This Notice of Application initiates the review process, which will include at least two public hearings. Notice of the public hearing will be issued separately. The public and affected agencies are invited to comment on the proposed amendment and receive copies of the subsequent Threshold Determination (the DNS), if requested. This may be the only opportunity to comment on the environmental impacts of the proposal.
DATE OF NOTICE OF APPLICATION: February 24, 2016
APPLICANT: City of Ferndale
DATE OF APPLICATION: February 22, 2016
PROJECT LOCATION: Citywide
PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The proposal is a non-project action to update the City of Ferndale’s existing comprehensive plan (adopted 1997, updated 2005, with additional annual amendments to certain elements) in accordance with Washington State requirements and in coordination with Whatcom County. One change to the Official Land Use Map is included, modifying the Land Use designation and zoning for approximately one acre of land at Legoe Avenue from Medium Density Residential to High Density Residential, rezoning the property to Residential Multi-Family.
Overall, the Comprehensive Plan update plans for 6,833 new residents and 4,000 new employees within the City limits. The plan is intended to modify the existing plan by making it more visual, adding a companion multi-media presentation to each element, converting the document based on the expectation that it will be read primarily online or on a screen, adding breakout sections, infographics, hyperlinks and similar elements, and generally reducing the text within the document.
The City also plans to more closely link the various elements together to ensure that they refer to one another in terms of both referencing Growth Management Act requirements as well as enabling decision makers to easily consider multiple projects at one time through a consolidated master capital project map. In some cases, the City has studied growth in certain areas that may exceed the basic allocations provided by Whatcom County. The purpose of these modeling exercises is to ensure that capital projects can either be expanded over time, or are built with sufficient capacity to support projects that are more intensive than could be anticipated by the basic allocations.
The plan includes the conversion of approximately 100 acres at the northeast quadrant of Slater Road and Interstate Five from Urban Growth Area Reserve to Urban Growth Area in anticipation of rapid growth in this area – generally the result of planned development on lands controlled by the Lummi Nation as well as current development within the City of Bellingham at Bakerview Road. No additional UGA expansions are planned as part of the current update.
This strategy is intended to protect existing neighborhoods while allowing for (and describing) a variety of infill development approaches and a gradual increase in overall residential density. Subsequent changes to plan and codes will conform to and implement this Comprehensive Plan.
REQUESTED ACTION(S): Adoption of the 2016 Ferndale Comprehensive Plan
AS LEAD AGENCY THE CITY INTENDS TO ISSUE A: Determination of Non-Significance (DNS)
PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD: February 24, 2016-March 9, 2016
CONTACT: Jori Burnett, Community Development Director
P.O. Box 936
Ferndale, WA 98248
(360) 384-4006
Required permits and approvals include, but may not be limited to: SEPA Threshold Determination, City of Ferndale
Washington State Department of Commerce Review
City Council Approval
Published February 24, 2016
