Lake Samish Association - Your Helpful Guide to Life on Lake Samish

As many of you know, we have been actively participating in the County's evaluation of LAMIRD's, including the one originally proposed for the Lake Samish area. After several letters and attendance at previous public meetings, the County has changed it's mind and now has proposed Lake Samish as Rural Residential with a minimum building lot size (for new plats) of 1 house per 10 acres within the surrounding area. This means an additional reduction in potential future buildout adjacent to Lake Samish, another great move by the County in protecting the Lake Samish watershed.

Of course, its not over yet! The building and realtor groups in the County are organizing in attempt to reduce these potential restrictions to building and will likely show up in force tomorrow night for the County Planning Commission meeting beginning at 6:30 pm at the County Council chambers. Please come out to the meeting and participate by stating your support for the Rural designation at Lake Samish. You only have to get up and state your support, nothing more.

From Planning & Development

The proposed changes will be discussed at a public hearing of the Planning Commission on July 9. Recognizing that there is considerable material to review, digest and provide comments on, we have determined that the written record will be left open until 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday July 14, 2009. Any testimony received in writing or orally before this time will be able to be included in the record before the Planning Commission. The Planning Commission is scheduled to begin deliberation on this proposal and comments on July 23rd.

Additional documents related to the Rural Element Update process can be accessed from the Public Process page.If you have questions or comments, please contact Planning and Development Services at the contact points listed below.

Whatcom County Planning and Development Services
Attention: Gary Davis, Samya Lutz, Michelle Stiles
Northwest Annex
5280 Northwest Drive
Bellingham, WA 98226-9097
(360) 676-6907
Email: pds@co.whatcom.wa.us

See below documents from Planning & Development for Lake Samish dated June 29, 2009

PROPOSAL #1 PROPOSAL #2

Zoning Changes Around the Lake ????? By Barbara Dykes March 2009

Yes, it seemed like only yesterday that the County was considering zoning changes for our area, but they are doing so again. It is now working on what is known as the “Rural Element” of the Comprehensive Plan, and it is considering identifying Lake Samish as a “Limited Area of More Intensive Rural Development” or that rather inelegant acronym, LAMIRD. The County is doing this in response to a Growth Management Hearings Board
Compliance Order.

What exactly are LAMIRDS? The Growth Management Act at RCW 36.70A.070(5)(d) defines three types of LAMIRDs, but according to the Planning Department, in Whatcom County most LAMIRDs would be Type 1: ”Rural development consisting of the infill, development, or redevelopment of existing commercial, industrial, residential, or mixed-use areas, whether characterized as shoreline development, villages, hamlets, rural activity centers, or crossroads developments.” The GMA requires the county to address the following when determining LAMIRD boundaries:

The need to preserve the character of existing natural neighborhoods and communities
Physical boundaries such as bodies of water, streets and highways, land forms and contours
The prevention of abnormally irregular boundaries, and
The ability to provide public facilities and public services in a manner that does not permit low-density sprawl

MAP
(click above to open map)

Although a county is not required to designate an area of nonconforming zoning as a LAMIRD, the county has decided to consider Lake Samish as one. This proposal does purport to allow significant addition of new area into the RR2 category (1/2 acre zoning) as “infill”. The map shows significant opportunities for subdivision around the lake
(although some may only be for one extra lot). The Council does have three legislative options:
   1) draw the LAMIRD boundaries more closely around the lake,
   2) endorse this map,
   3) have this area to revert to the underlying zoning, which is rural. Rural zoning is R5A or not smaller than R2A (this option would not allow any additional subdivision).

If you would like to be included on the mailing list for the Rural Element Amendments please contact (360) 676-6907 or pds@co.whatcom.wa.us.

Letter from Concerned Neighbors Group

Addendum to original letter

Another addendum

to Whatcom County Planning, dated May 10, 2009

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

County Council Presentation (April 28, 2009)

Planning Commission Policy Direction (April 23, 2009)

Proposed county designation & boundary criteria (March 26, 2009)

Rural Element Update Memo (March 26, 2009)

For additional information see Whatcom County Planning Growth Management website

All Content © 2008 Lake Samish Association Unless Otherwise Noted
Privacy Policy | Site Map
Seattle Website Design by Ryan Scott Designs