Planning Commission

Planning Commission Minutes City of Bellingham, Washington Thursday 6:00 PM September 25, 2025 City Council Chambers Video Recorded https://meetings.cob.org Call to Order The Planning Commission meeting was called to order by the Chair at 6:00 PM. Roll Call Present: Mike Estes (Chair), Dan Bloemker, Jed Ballew, Jerry Richmond, Rose Lathrop and Russ Whidbee Absent: Lisa Marx Approval of Minutes Public Comment Period During this time, citizens may take up to three (3) minutes to address the members about any topic not on the agenda. Citizens wishing to speak during this time will be recognized by the Chair for comment. One citizen addressed the Commission about middle housing. Agenda Items Work Session 1. The Bellingham Plan: Bellingham's Comprehensive Plan for Growth p. 2 Chris Behee provided an overview of the written comments that were submitted and highlighted some of the related topics. He spoke about the process the City follows with relation to Urban Growth Area Planning, as well as what some of the opportunity and cost considerations are. He also shared a comparison regarding the capacity opportunities between the North Bellingham UGA Reserve and the South Bellingham UGA Reserve. There was a conversation about the South Yew Street area and the rationale for leaving it in the UGA Reserve, as well as the anticipated city resources available to plan for this area. There was also a discussion about the process for bringing in land from the UGA and how the costs are determined for that effort. There was a brief explanation given to how infrastructure planning and development work together and what might be realized if the land in the UGA / UGA Reserves get developed without the infrastructure planning completed or already in place. Staff also shared what the City's responsibility is to the land in the UGA versus the UGA Reserves Area. There was a conversation about the Middle Housing mandate and how it might be realized in the City. MOTION: MIKE ESTES/ROSE LATHROP MOVED TO ACCEPT STAFF’S MODIFIED LANGUAGE RELATED TO H- 11. VOTE: ALL AYES (Motion passes 6-0)  MOTION: DAN BLOEMKER/JERRY RICHMOND MOVED TO ACCEPT THE FINDINGS OF FACT, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS CONTAINED IN THE SEPTEMBER 25, 2025 STAFF REPORT, INCLUDING THE MODIFIED LANGUAGE TO H-11, AND FORWARD A RECOMMENDATION OF APPROVAL OF THE 2025 BELLINGHAM PLAN TO CITY COUNCIL. Other Business 1. Staff Updates Adjournment Minutes prepared by: ____________________________________________ Heather Aven, Recording Secretary Minutes edited by both staff and Planning Commission members.