Bellingham Planning Commission last night. The PC went over the housing chapter of the Comp Plan. At least one PC member got it right. Steve Crooks told staff that the plan was chuck full of stuff, some of which did not fit with other parts. I agree. 17 pages of just about any housing topic you can think of. I even saw the report of an Elvis sighting in the middle of the chapter. How are they going to maintain neighborhood character by filling in neighborhoods with ADUs [Accessory Dwelling Units] and the Infill Tool Kit? Of course the real estate and building folks were there crying out for “MORE LAND.” Staff reminded the PC (and obliquely the R.E. and builders) that the “more land” train had already left the station. Of course none of the developers and friends argued for less in the way of tax breaks or lower impact fees to keep profit margins high. And there was no characterization of the cost to the citizens of this largesse to the developers. Insomnia? Here is the packet for you to read tonight. 🙂
noisy waters northwest 