Current Analysis: Whatcom County convened a committee consisting of various elected officials and staff who reviewed population projections and land capacity to determine whether the current UGAs were sufficient. The general consensus was that, generally, the current UGAs were oversized. When brought to the County Council, the Council was not able to finally decide the issue, so Executive Pete Kremen took the task of making a recommendation about what to do with the UGAs. UGA Size: Most people agree that the majority of UGAs in the County are oversized to some degree. While this is true, most people will also agree that current planning staff and regulations make it difficult to utilize land to the fullest extent possible to accommodate development. The result is sprawl into rural lands and property within urban areas develops at less than optimal levels. The County executive has made a proposal that will remove land from the UGAs. Building on this, some of these lands are, concurrently, going to be "downzoned" from their current zoning to a "one home per 10 acres" designation. This will impact properties that, in addition to be removed from the UGA, will now face the added burden of a zoning change. WCAR Analysis: UGAs are planning designations that permit the county and municipalities to ensure that we have sufficient land, with appropriate services, to accommodate the population we will have in the future. Concerning population, there is confusion about what number is best, but we have advocated for a number that accounts for the historical "in-migration" of people to Whatcom County, a number that is at the "high" end of the population projection adopted by the County Council. We also submit that the success in reducing land in the UGAs lies primarily with the efficient utilization of lands in our urban areas. This is not happening. Recent expansions in critical areas ordinances and shorelines alone are removing land from the inventory. Moreover, the zoning maps do not often reflect density that is ultimately permitted through the application process. If the current UGAs are going to perform their function, what is found on the maps must be achievable on the ground. Otherwise, the plan is flawed and the results will be no different from our historical experience. Finally, current zoning must be allowed to remain to avoid the creation of further non-conforming zoning designations. The rate at which the County Planning Department is creating nonconforming properties is absolutely astounding. This, too, must cease. There are better, more effective ways to prohibit urban growth from expanding outside boundary limitations than through the blanket application of the most restrictive zoning designation available to staff. To do otherwise is to simple take the easy way out with no regard for property owners seeking to utilize their property to the fullest extent possible.

This is a complex issue, one that can (and has) been debated over the course of many months by hundreds of individuals. Nonetheless, the impacts on Whatcom County real estate, and your businesses, are immense and should be familiar to all of you. To that end, if you have any questions or want to discuss this issue in even greater detail, please contact me.