February 24th, 7pm,
Whatcom County Council Chambers,
311 Grand Avenue, Bellingham
PUBLIC HEARING:
Amendments to the
Whatcom County Shoreline Management Program.
PROTECT OUR SHORELINES:
Tell the County Council that our shorelines need oversight, NOT weakened regulation!
Homeowners and developers have the right to develop their property, but they should not do so at the expense of our marine waters and habitat!!
Ask for the oversight of building in shoreline buffers.
* Conditional use permits and variances are important to ensure that the Department of Ecology has oversight in building in sensitive shoreline buffer areas.
These procedures can be streamlined to be "administrative" so that the public can provide comment, the Department of Ecology can provide oversight, and the developer or homeowner need not go through a hearing process.
* Ask that conditional use permits and variances be required for expansions, enlargements, and new buildings in the shoreline jurisdiction.
[New Amendment, Section J, will do away with the requirement of a conditional use permit or variance for some enlargements and expansions and Section N (not an amendment) allows the building of a single family residence in shoreline buffers without the requirement of a conditional use permit or variance.]
Correct the misinformation from the Realtors Political Action Committee (PAC)
* The Realtors PAC states that conditional use permits and variances are "virtually impossible" to obtain. This is untrue.
The reality is that Whatcom County staff work with developers and homeowners so that variances and conditional use permits are not needed. When they are needed, they are seldom denied. Whatcom County staff estimate that only 2 variances and 2 conditional use permits were denied in the past 2 ВЅ to 3 years!
* The Realtors PAC states that homes will be limited to only 2,500 feet if they are built within the shoreline jurisdiction. Again, this is untrue.
These homes will need a variance or conditional use permit, however.
Review the changes:
http://www.co.whatcom.wa.us/council/meetings/smphearing.pdf
