Whatcom County Council Adopted May 24, 2011 Updated January 2014
Acknowledgements
May 2011
Whatcom County Executive Pete Kremen
Whatcom County Council (2011) Barbara Brenner Sam Crawford Kathy Kershner Bill Knutzen Tony Larson Kenn Mann Carl Weimer
Whatcom County Planning Commission (2010) John Belisle Michelle Luke Rabel Burdge Jean Melious Rod Erickson Jeff Rainey Gary Honcoop Mary Beth Teigrob John Lesow
Foothills Subarea Plan Advisory Committee Richard Banel Business Community Phil Cloward, Vice Chair Forestry William (Bill)Coleman Nooksack Tribe Jan Eskola At Large Gary Gehling, Chair Rural Gerald Kern Columbia Valley UGA/Kendall Beth Morgan Columbia Valley UGA/Kendall Amy Mower Maple Falls area Norma Otto Columbia Valley UGA/Kendall Lou Piotrowski Glacier area Cynthia Purdy Deming area Former Members: Alan Seid Sean Wilson
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Whatcom County Planning and Development Services Staff J.E. “Sam” Ryan, Director David Stalheim, Former Director Roxanne Michael, Long Range Planning Manager Hal Hart, Former Director
Matt Aamot, Senior Planner/Project Manager Dennis Rhodes, Former Assistant Director Sarah Watts, GIS Specialist III Linda Peterson, Former Planning Division Manager John Everett, Former Senior Becky Boxx, Coordinator Planner/Transportation Pam Brown, Division Secretary Sharon Digby, Former Extra Help Penny Harrison, Former Extra Help
Washington State Department of Transportation Todd Carlson, Planning and Engineering Services Tim Hostetler, Former Assistant Planning Manager Manager Roland Storme, Development Services Manager Elizabeth Sjostrom, Highway System Planner Michael Koidal, Transportation Data Engineer
Consultants Studio Cascade, Inc. ECONorthwest
ii Table of Contents
1 Introduction and Population Projections 1-1 Background 1-1 Existing Land Uses 1-4 Population Forecast 1-4 2 Land Use 2-1 Land Use History 2-1 Essential Public Facilities 2-1 Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan Goals and Policies 2-2 Future Demand and Supply 2-2 Planning Context 2-3 Vision 2-4 Land Use Planning Issues 2-6 Planning Concept 2-7 Land Use Scenarios 2-8 Adopted Land Use Scenario 2-8 Lands for Public Purpose 2-16 Foothills Subarea Plan Goals and Policies 2-17 3 Housing 3-1 Existing Conditions 3-1 Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan Goals and Policies 3-2 Housing Issues 3-2 Planning Concept 3-4 Foothills Subarea Plan Goals and Policies 3-5 4 County Capital Facilities 4-1 Existing Facilities 4-1 Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan Goals and Policies 4-2 Capital Facilities Issues 4-2 Future Needs 4-2 Foothills Subarea Plan Goals and Policies 4-5 5 Utilities 5-1 Existing Conditions 5-1 Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan Goals and Policies 5-4 Utilities Issues 5-4 Foothills Subarea Plan Goals and Policies 5-5 6 Transportation 6-1 Movement 6-1 Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan Goals and Policies 6-3 Level-of-Service Standards 6-3 Planning Issues 6-3 Planning Concept 6-3 Proposed New Roads and Facilities 6-5 Foothills Subarea Plan Goals and Policies 6-6 7 Economics 7-1 Background 7-1 Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan Goals and Policies 7-6 Planning Issues 7-6 Planning Concept 7-6 Foothills Subarea Plan Goals and Policies 7-7 8 Resource Lands 8-1 Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan Goals and Policies 8-1 Planning Issues 8-2 Planning Concept 8-2 Foothills Subarea Plan Goals and Policies 8-2
iii 9 Recreation 9-1 Existing Facilities 9-1 Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan Goals and Policies 9-2 Planning Issues 9-3 Planning Concept 9-3 Foothills Subarea Plan Goals and Policies 9-3 10 Community Facilities, Schools, Sheriff, Fire Protections, Emergency Medical Services and 10-1 Solid Waste Management Existing Facilities 10-1 Proposed Facilities 10-2 Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan Goals and Policies 10-3 Foothills Subarea Plan Goals and Policies 10-4 11 Environment 11-1 Surface Water 11-1 Ground Water 11-4 Plants and Wildlife 11-5 Geologic Hazards 11-7 Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan Goals and Policies 11-8 Planning Concept 11-8 Foothills Subarea Plan Goals and Policies 11-9 12 Columbia Valley Urban Growth Area (UGA) 12-1 Issues 12-1 Community Workshops 12-1 Planning Concept 12-2 Goals and Policies 12-9 13 Kendall Rural Community Master Plan 13-1 Kendall Workshop 13-1 Vision Assessment – Today, Tomorrow, Means 13-2 Assessment of Opportunities and Constraints 13-3 Design Objectives – Prioritized 13-5 Columbia Valley UGA Workshop 13-7 Subarea Plan Directives 13-9 Existing Conditions 13-9 Master Plan Design Program Objectives 13-10 Master Plan 13-11 Policy References 13-13 14 Public Participation Program 14-1 Workshops 14-1 Draft Plan Rollout 14-2 Foothills Subarea Plan Advisory Committee 14-2 Questionnaire 14-2 Environmental Review 14-3 10-Year UGA Review 14-3 Planning Commission 14-3 Website 14-3 Policies 14-3 15 Implementation 15-1 Projects 15-1 Implementation Tasks 15-6 Implementation Committees 15-7 Appendix A – Bibliography A-1
iv Index of Tables
Table 1.1 – 2006 Foothills Population Estimate 1-2 Table 1.2 – Occupancy by Location, 2006 1-3 Table 1.3 – Acres and Percentage of Foothills Subarea by Land Use, 2007 1-4 Table 1.4 – ECONorthwest Proposed Population Forecasts 1-5 Table 1.5 – Foothills Subarea Plan adopted population forecast 1-5 Table 3.1 – Dwelling Unit Analysis, Foothills Subarea and Whatcom County 3-3 Table 3.2 – 2006 Dwelling Unit Estimates 3-3 Table 3.3 – Projected Subarea Dwelling Units by Location, 2006-2029 3-4 Table 4.1 – Existing County Facilities 4-1 Table 4.2 – Proposed County Capital Facilities 4-4 Table 5.1 – Additional water connections to serve the UGA 5-2 Table 7.1 – Covered employment in the Foothills Subarea by sector and industry, 2005 7-2 Table 7.2 – Employment forecast by land use type, Foothills Subarea 7-4 Table 8.1 – Resource lands in the Foothills Subarea, 8-1 Table 9.1 – Existing Park Facilities 9-1 Table 11.1 – 303(d), Category 5 listed water bodies in the subarea and associated nonpoint 11-3 pollution source Table 12.1 – Relevant policies for the Columbia Valley UGA from other chapters 12-9 Table 13.1 – Vision Assessment 13-2 Table 13.2 – Opportunities and Constraints 13-3 Table 13.3 – Relevant policies for the Kendall Rural Community from other chapters 13-13 Table 14.1 – Relevant policies for public participation from other chapters 14-3 Table 15.1 – Implementation Projects (Candidates for County Funding) 15-2 Table 15.2 – Implementation Projects (Candidates for non-County Funding) 15-4
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Index of Figures
Figure 13.1 – Photo from Kendall workshop field exercises 13-4 Figure 13.2 – Design concepts generated by Kendall workshop participants 13-6 Figure 13.3 – Conceptual connectivity between Kendall and the Columbia Valley town 13-7 center Figure 13.4 – Oblique aerial illustrating Kendall’s relationship to the Columbia Valley 13-8 Figure 13.5 – Aerial photograph of Kendall 13-9 Figure 13.6 – Existing building footprints in Kendall 13-11 Figure 13.7 – Kendall Master Plan Concept 13-12
Index of Maps
Map 2.1: Deming 2-10 Map 2.2: Welcome 2-11 Map 2.3: Columbia Valley 2-12 Map 2.4: Maple Falls 2-13 Map 2.5: Glacier 2-14 Map 3.1: Housing – Housing Types 3-6 Map 4.1: County Capital Facilities 4-6 Map 6.1: Transportation – State/County Road Functional Class 6-10 Map 6.2: Whatcom Transportation Authority (WTA) Transit Route 6-11 Map 8.1: Designated Resource Lands 8-4 Map 10.1: Community Facilities 10-6 Map 11.1: Critical Areas Article III – Geologically Hazardous Areas (GHA 11-11 Map 11.2: Critical Areas Article III – Seismic Hazard Areas (GHA2) – Liquefaction 11-12 Map 11.3: Critical Areas Article III – Seismic Hazard Areas (GHA2) – Potential for Enhanced 11-13 Ground Shaking Map 11.4: Critical Areas Article III – Volcanic Hazards (GHA4) 11-14 Map 11.5: Critical Areas Article IV – Frequently Flooded Areas 11-15 Map 11.6: Critical Areas Article V – Critical Aquifer Recharge Areas 11-16 Map 11.7: Critical Areas Article VI – Wetlands 11-17 Map 11.8: Critical Areas Article VII – Wildlife Habitat Conservation Areas (HCA) 11-18 Map 11.9: Critical Areas Article VII – Fish Habitat Conservation Areas 11-19
vi Foothills Subarea Plan, Chapter 1 – May 2011
1 Introduction and Population Projections
This subarea plan updates and replaces the November 1988 Foothills Subarea component of the Whatcom County Comprehensive Land Use Plan. That 1988 plan was prepared before the 1990 adoption of the Growth Management Act (GMA), and is now more than 20 years old. While the plan has been an appropriate tool for the direction and regulation of development in the Foothills area, it is now out of date and must be replaced with a new subarea plan to address shifts in population and changes in the regulatory context over the past 20 years.
The current comprehensive plan for Whatcom County was updated in 2009. It directs the County to review and update its subarea plans to ensure they are compliant with the new comprehensive plan. The comprehensive plan is intended to guide growth in unincorporated areas for the next 20 years and it contains descriptions of existing conditions related to land use, the physical environment, transportation, and capital facilities and utilities. The Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan addresses the requirements of the Growth Management Act (GMA), the planning goals of the GMA (RCW 36.70A.020), mandatory plan elements (RCW 36.70A.070), and the current County Wide Planning Policies. The GMA authorizes adoption of subarea plans that are consistent with the county-wide comprehensive plan, but does not require such subarea plans. Whatcom County has chosen to meet GMA requirements primarily through the Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan and associated development regulations. Subarea Plans are intended to provide local perspective and address issues of a particular community, but are not intended to address every requirement of the GMA.
Whatcom County established the Foothills Subarea Plan as one of the most important plans for updating. The County allocated funds for the update in its 2006 budget, hired a consultant to prepare the plan and appointed a Foothills Subarea Plan Advisory Committee (FSPAC) to provide input and direction to the process. The update included four Vision Week workshops (June 5-8, 2006), a Kendall Small Town workshop (September 15-16, 2006), a Columbia Valley Urban Growth Area workshop (October 14, 2006), a Foothills Subarea Plan Policy workshop (November 16, 2006), a questionnaire (October-December 2006) and a number of Foothills Subarea Plan Advisory Committee meetings, ultimately resulting in a preferred alternative subarea plan submitted to the County’s planning commission.
The subarea plan’s structure generally conforms to the structure of the County’s comprehensive plan, simplifying comparisons between the two documents. Chapters of the subarea plan contain sections contained in the comprehensive plan, addressing those items that are relevant to the subarea and differentiating the subarea from the county as a whole.
Background The Foothills Subarea consists of approximately 133,000 acres (208 square miles) in the northeast portion of Western Whatcom County. The northern boundary is the Canadian border and the Vedder Mountain ridge. The Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest bounds the subarea on the east. The southern boundary generally follows the drainage divide between the Middle Fork and the South Fork of the Nooksack River, and the ridges of Sumas Mountain and Van Zandt Dike define the western boundary. The subarea boundary was modified in this subarea plan update to include the Deming area. Access to the subarea consists of Mount Baker Highway (SR542) from Bellingham, Reese Hill Rd. and South Pass Rd. from the west, Highway 9 and Mosquito Lake Road from the south, and Highway 9 from the north. The Sumas border crossing into British Columbia is just to the
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northwest. Unincorporated communities within the subarea include Deming, Welcome, Kendall, Maple Falls, and Glacier. There is also an urban growth area designated in the Columbia Valley that includes the Peaceful Valley and Paradise Lakes developments and adjacent lands.
The Foothills communities of Deming, Kendall, Maple Falls and Glacier are nestled along the Nooksack River and Mount Baker Highway, among the foothills of Mount Baker. Deming is the most westerly town and is home to one of two libraries in the area. Mount Baker Junior High and Mount Baker High School, also located in Deming, provide secondary education to Foothills children and teens. The most populated communities are the subdivisions of Paradise Lakes and Peaceful Valley along Kendall Road near Kendall and within the Columbia Valley Urban Growth Area. Kendall houses the second library in the Foothills. Maple Falls serves as one of the gateways to Silver Lake. Glacier is the easternmost town before the Mount Baker ski area.
These communities have deep roots in the Foothills, extending back into the early pioneer days. When settlers first arrived in the area, the Foothills were covered with dense blankets of giant evergreen trees. Places like Kendall and Deming were alive with resource-based economies. The primary resource, trees, kept the saw and shingle mills in business.
Today, the communities of the Foothills still have some remnants of a resource-based economy, but more jobs are in education (employment at Kendall School, Mt. Baker Junior High, or Mt. Baker High School) or retail. Jobs are scarce in the Foothills, and residents often have to commute to Bellingham, Lynden, Everson, Sumas or Ferndale to find work.
Population The Foothills Subarea 2006 population is estimated at 6,722 distributed throughout the subarea as shown in table 1.1.
Table 1.1 – 2006 Foothills Population Estimate Area Population Columbia Valley Urban Growth Area 3,853 Glacier area 284 Maple Falls area 213 Deming 220 Remaining Subarea 2,152 Total: 6,722 Source: Record of Decisions and Recommendations of the Foothills Subarea Plan Advisory Committee, December 6, 2006
In coordination with ECONorthwest, the Foothills Subarea Plan Advisory Committee established recommended population estimates for the various population centers in the Foothills. About 29 percent of the total dwellings in the subarea are classified as “seasonal, recreational, occasional dwellings.” This suggests that the total number of units is greater than the number of households, resulting in a different set of demand characteristics than what might be expected where seasonal units do not represent such a high percentage of total units. Analysis by the Foothills Subarea Plan Advisory Committee indicates that seasonal use is especially high in the Glacier area. Additionally, the percentage of homes in the Columbia Valley Urban Growth Area that are for seasonal use has declined, suggesting that these units have been converted from seasonal use to year-round use. It also makes it tricky to estimate and forecast resident
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population based on the number of households, especially when the proportion of seasonal units fluctuates.
Table 1.2 – Occupancy by Location, 2006 Seasonal, Vacant Year Round Recreational, Total Area (unoccupied) Dwellings Occasional Dwellings Dwellings Dwellings Columbia Valley Urban Growth 1,239 126 16 1,381 Area Glacier 22 10 5 37 Glacier area – Mt. Baker Rim 40 239 22 301 Glacier area – Snowline Subdivision 35 191 6 232 Glacier area – Snowater & Snowline 3 210 11 224 Condos Glacier area – Glacier 28 68 5 101 Springs/Glacier Greene Maple Falls 29 0 2 31 Maple Falls area – Cascades 47 3 5 55 West/Rivendell Estates Deming 76 3 5 84 Remaining Subarea 739 133 76 948 Foothills Subarea Total: 2,258 983 153 3,394 Source: Foothills Subarea Plan Advisory Committee Recommendations and Decisions, attachment. December 6, 2006
Additionally, Camper’s Paradise, The Glen at Maple Falls, and Black Mountain Ranch accommodate approximately 2,500 recreational units (RVs and park models).
According to Washington State estimates, unincorporated areas throughout Whatcom County grew 37 percent between 2000 and 2006. The Columbia Valley was the fastest growing area, in terms of average annual growth rates, in Whatcom County during the 1990s.
As of the beginning of the 2012 school year, the Mount Baker School District had experienced a drop in school enrollment over the last ten years.
Demographics The culturally diverse demographic makeup of the county’s population has an effect on land use and demand for public services. Variations in household size, resident ages, and household incomes throughout the Foothills make this a diverse community. The cyclical influx of seasonal residents, many from Canada and who maintain recreational homes in parts of the county, also adds to the diversity mix.
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Existing Land Uses
Table 1.3 details how existing land uses are allocated within the Foothills, indicating the acres devoted to each land use type and the percentage of the subarea each land use occupies.
Table 1.3 – Acres and Percentage of Foothills Subarea by Land Use, 2007 Land Use Total Acres Percent of Subarea Forestry 114,652 86.21 Agriculture 3,003 2.26 Residential 5,569 4.19 Vacant 4,102 3.08 Mining/Fishing/Related Uses 655 0.49 Public & Utilities 1,647 1.24 Industrial & Manufacturing 17 0.01 Commercial & Services 108 0.08 Nooksack Tribal Ownership 88 0.07 Property with no code (water bodies, streams, 3,147 2.37 Nooksack River meander, roads, etc.) Total 132,988 100.00 Source: Whatcom County Assessor, 2007
Population Forecast The purpose of population forecasting, as it relates to land use planning, is to accommodate the long-term spatial requirements of various land uses such as residences, commerce, industry, recreation, and public facilities. Population forecasting also helps land use decision making for related matters, such as determining the appropriate scale and location of public works facilities and land development activities. Population forecasts are subject to revision which may be accomplished in the comprehensive plan update process.
ECONorthwest prepared a range of proposed forecasts for this subarea plan (Table 1.4). The Foothills Subarea Plan Advisory Committee took these numbers and other considerations into account and established a recommended population forecast, which was modified for the Columbia Valley UGA and “remaining subarea” (rural and resource lands). The adopted forecast for the Foothills Subarea is shown below (Table 1.5).
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Table 1.4 – ECONorthwest Proposed Population Forecasts Columbia Maple Remaining Total Valley Glacier Deming Falls Subarea Population UGA Low Growth Assumption 2006 3,853 284 213 220 2,152 6,722 2017 4,602 300 225 233 2,274 7,633 2027 5,270 314 236 244 2,381 8,445 Baseline Growth Assumption 2006 3,853 284 213 220 2,152 6,722 2017 5,248 313 235 243 2,372 8,411 2027 6,483 338 254 262 2,563 9,900 High Growth Assumption 2006 3,853 284 213 220 2,152 6,722 2017 6,382 340 255 263 2,575 9,815 2027 9,084 397 297 307 3,004 13,090 Source: December 2006, Foothills Subarea Population Forecast, ECONorthwest.
Table 1.5 – Foothills Subarea Plan adopted population forecast Population ECONorthwest Growth 2029 Population Increase from Assumption Projection 2006-2029 Columbia Valley 5,000 1,147 Below the low growth UGA assumption
Glacier 397 113 High Maple Falls 254 41 Baseline Deming 262 42 Baseline Remaining 2,563 411 Baseline Subarea Total Population 8,476 1,754
Source: For the Columbia Valley UGA, County Council motion of March 17, 2009 and adoption of Ordinance 2009-071 on November 24, 2009. For Glacier, Maple Falls and Deming, Record of Decisions and Recommendations of the Foothills Subarea Plan Advisory Committee, December 20, 2006. For the Remaining Subarea, ECONorthwest baseline projection from the Foothills Subarea Population Forecast, December 2006.
The ECONorthwest Population forecast report of December 1, 2006, page 11, suggested that the Baseline Growth Assumption be used in the Foothills Subarea Plan.
Forecasting is usually better, and better received, if it is based on a model of how the world works. In the context of housing and economic development, that understanding must certainly include how households and businesses make decisions about where to locate and what types of buildings to occupy. In the context of land use and growth management, the main variables that must be forecast are population and employment. The demand for built space creates a derived demand for land upon which to build that space.
Small area forecasts, such as those for the Foothills subarea, are difficult, and there are several limitations associated with forecasts like these:
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• Projections for population in most cities and counties are simple projections of past growth rates into the future. They have no quantitative connection to the underlying factors that explain why and how much growth will occur.
• Even if planners had a sophisticated model that links all these important variables together, they would still face the problem of having to reforecast the future of the variables that they are using to forecast growth. All forecasting requires making assumptions about the future.
• Comparisons of past population projections to subsequent population counts have revealed that even much more sophisticated methods than the ones used in this study are often inaccurate. The smaller the area and the longer the period of time covered, the greater the inaccuracy will be for any statistical method.
• Small areas start from a small base. An influx of 500 people in a city of 200,000 would have an overall impact on total population of 0.25 percent. An in migration of 500 people in a community of 10,000 would increase the community’s population by more than 5 percent and dramatically increase the need for housing.
• Small communities near metropolitan areas have high growth potential, however a sustained growth rate over 10 to 20 years is less likely.
• Public policy makes a difference. Jurisdictions can affect the rate of growth through infrastructure, land supply, incentives and other policies. Such policies generally do not have an impact on regional growth rates, but may cause shifts of population and employment within a region.
The longer the forecast, the greater the potential is that actual population growth will vary from the forecast. This implies that jurisdictions should closely monitor actual population growth so that either plans can be modified to account for variations, or that policies can be implemented that increase the likelihood of achieving target populations.
Conclusion This subarea plan integrates the population forecasts, community vision, land use plans, and a range of public policy direction into a single, comprehensive guide for the Foothills’ future. It is based on a blend of technical assessment, extensive community input, and professional judgment, adopted through an open, public process. It is a compendium of the community’s voice, detailing a vision for the Foothills and the steps and actions designed to move in that direction.
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2 Land Use
Land Use History In the 1970s and 1980s forestry was the prevalent land use, comprising 118,000 acres out of the approximately 133,000 acres in the Foothills Subarea, or 92.6 percent of the land area. Forest lands included large and small parcels owned and maintained by private interests, and nearly 54,000 acres were owned by the State of Washington and were managed by the Department of Natural Resources. Beef, hay, and Christmas tree farms were the second largest use, occupying 4,231 acres or 3.3 percent of the subarea. Residential uses, including single-family residences, vacation homes and cabins, and multi- family recreational developments, occupied 1,745 acres or 1.4 percent of the subarea. Private recreational facilities consisted of recreational vehicle and camping parks, church conference centers and a Boy Scout camp at Silver Lake. They occupied about 882 acres or 0.7 percent of the subarea.
Commercial activities occupied about 0.04 percent (45 acres) of the subarea (which did not include Deming at that time). Commercial uses were concentrated in the unincorporated communities of Welcome, Kendall, Maple Falls, and Glacier and, with the exception of Glacier, primarily served the needs of the surrounding area. Approximately 1.3 percent of the subarea (1,690 acres) was vacant land. Light impact industrial uses included a 10-acre hydroelectric turbine and steel boat manufacturer, two small lumber mills, and a coil winding facility. Limestone, sand and gravel mining occupied 0.2 percent (248 acres) of the subarea. The remaining uses included aquaculture (the Kendall fish hatchery), communications, utilities, and transportation (Foothills Component of the Whatcom County Comprehensive Land Use Plan, 1988, p. 17).
Essential Public Facilities Essential public facilities are defined by the Growth Management Act (GMA) as:
Those facilities that are typically difficult to site, such as airports, state education facilities, state or regional transportation facilities as defined in RCW 47.06.140, state and local correctional facilities, solid waste handling facilities, and in-patient facilities including substance abuse facilities, mental health facilities, group homes, and secure community transition facilities as defined in RCW 71.09.020.
Additionally, Whatcom County has designated telecommunication towers, water treatment plants, water storage facilities, and sewer treatment plants as essential public facilities.
Essential public facilities in the Foothills Subarea include, but are not limited to:
• Water treatment and/or storage facilities operated by the Deming Water Association, Whatcom County Water District 13, Columbia Valley Water District, Maple Falls Water Coop, Glacier Water District, and Glacier Springs Water Association;
• A sewage treatment facility operated by Water District 13; • Communication towers; and
• The Burlington Northern Sante Fe railroad tracks, which run through the southwestern corner of the Foothills Subarea.
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Other essential public facilities may need to locate in the subarea in response to subarea growth, threat from volcanic activity, and an increasing need to provide social services for the region’s population.
Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan Goals and Policies The Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan identified and addressed many issues that concern the Foothills subarea. The County-wide plan recognizes the Columbia Valley Urban Growth Area and the Rural Communities in the subarea. It also contains provisions to protect rural, forestry, and agricultural lands.
Future Demand and Supply The Growth Management Act requires jurisdictions to base their comprehensive plans on population growth forecasts. Chapter 1 of this plan provides the estimated 2006 and forecast 2029 populations in the subarea, dividing those figures up among the Rural Communities, the Columbia Valley UGA and the rest of the Foothills Subarea. An important part of the land use planning process is in understanding how much land is available to accommodate new growth given current levels of development and current land use designations.
Residential Land Demand and Capacity According to a study performed by Whatcom County Planning and Development Services, approximately 784 additional dwellings to house about 1,745 new residents can be accommodated in the Columbia Valley UGA.
Since the 2029 population growth allocation for the UGA is 1,147 additional people, enough land is available within the UGA to accommodate forecast growth.
Similar assessments for Deming, Maple Falls, and Glacier indicate that sufficient land exists to accommodate forecasted residential growth. Glacier, however, represents an interesting and unique situation. Its proximity to Mt Baker generated a proliferation of seasonal housing developments in the late 1960s and the 1970s. Many of those seasonal units are forecast to become full-time residences, continuing a trend that has been developing in recent years.
Commercial/Industrial Land Demand and Capacity The Columbia Valley UGA contains a Planned Town Center that is zoned General Commercial. Deming, Welcome, Kendall, Maple Falls and Glacier also have commercial zoning districts.
Currently, no land zoned specifically for industry exists in the Foothills. As the UGA intensifies, however, there may be increased demand for development of job-providing facilities. Many current Foothills residents commute outside the subarea on a daily basis, traveling ½ to 1 hour each way. If there is a future market for light impact industrial land in the subarea, land will need to be rezoned to accommodate it.
The county’s comprehensive plan and the continuing subarea planning discussions indicate that industrial uses are desirable to help provide for more local employment in the Foothills. The Foothills Subarea Plan adopts a Planned Light Impact Industrial designation and policies that call for consideration of industrial zoning within the Columbia Valley UGA, introducing a new light impact industrial land use type in the UGA.
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Additionally, an important distinction must be made between the types of commercial development now seen in the Foothills versus what will likely be seen for commercial development as the Columbia Valley UGA becomes more urban. The patterns and types of the subarea’s commercial land uses have been formed to support a rural lifestyle in the Foothills and later, a vacation lifestyle, predominately in the Columbia Valley. While the rural lifestyle in the Foothills will continue, the Columbia Valley’s lifestyle has become more urban. Columbia Valley residents may choose to shop locally, depending on the retail, office and institutional services provided within the UGA.
According to a study performed by Whatcom County Planning and Development Services, approximately 359 additional commercial and industrial employees can be accommodated in the Columbia Valley UGA’s General Commercial zone and Planned Light Impact Industrial designation (which will have to be rezoned to accommodate industrial uses). The 2029 employment allocation for the UGA matches the land capacity available to accommodate these jobs.
The Rural Communities in Deming, Kendall, Maple Falls and Glacier can accommodate a variety of commercial, community and public uses and future employees. Additionally, the Rural zoning district allows home occupations, cottage industries, bed and breakfast inns and a number of other non- residential land uses that could accommodate employees. The Rural Forestry and Commercial Forestry zones allow resource related land uses and workers. Taken together, the zoning can accommodate the employment growth anticipated to occur outside of the Columbia Valley UGA (the medium forecast indicates there would be about 315 new jobs outside the UGA over the 20-year planning period).
The subarea planning process has also identified the importance of medical facilities and other services in the Foothills. The zoning districts in the Foothills Subarea allow a variety of medical, governmental, educational and institutional land uses.
Planning Context The Foothills subarea is a complex place. It is topographically extreme, with narrow valleys defined by steep and wooded mountains. It is socially diverse, with a blending of full-time and seasonal residents, a robust Slavic-language community, a small Native American tribe, and there is a mix of relative newcomers and families who have lived on the land for generations.
It is also a rural place, with the exception of the Columbia Valley. Small concentrations of population are located within the towns of Deming, Kendall, Maple Falls and Glacier. These Rural Communities provide a few services to local and outlying residents like gas, some groceries, restaurants, and other consumer services.
Deming is home to Mount Baker Junior and Senior High Schools and many associated athletic facilities. Additionally, it serves as the town with the most consumer services along Mount Baker Highway. The Deming Rural Community was estimated to have a population of 220 in 2006.
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Kendall is less service-rich than Deming, but the town is near the largest population concentration in the subarea — the Columbia Valley Urban Growth Area (UGA). Kendall is also home to the Kendall Elementary School.
The Columbia Valley UGA contained a 2006 population of approximately 3,853, mostly within the Paradise Lakes and Peaceful Valley subdivisions.
The Columbia Valley area, like many other areas in Whatcom County, was originally developed to serve a seasonal population, primarily Canadians who are allowed to spend up to six months per year in the United States. 2000 U.S. Census data indicate that approximately 32 percent of the existing housing was either seasonal or vacant. However, the Columbia Valley UGA has been transitioning to more permanent residents, and only about 10 percent of the dwellings in the UGA were for seasonal use or vacant in 2006. The lots are affordable, though prices generally increase over time.
The Columbia Valley UGA contains two large subdivisions, Paradise Lakes and Peaceful Valley, which are located along both sides of Kendall Road (SR547). Kendall Lake, Sprague Lake, a wetland complex along Kendall Creek, some undeveloped land, and an area that used to be a golf course are also located in the UGA. There are approximately 2,000 platted lots, with dwelling units consisting of recreational cabins, manufactured homes, and permanent residences. A General Commercial zone was established in a central location within the UGA in 2009 (see Ordinance 2009-071).
Paradise Lakes has public roads and continues to utilize septic systems for sewage disposal. The Columbia Valley Water District, formerly known as Evergreen Water-Sewer District, provides public water service (formerly provided by the Paradise Lakes Country Club) to residential and camper lots within the Paradise Lakes divisions. Peaceful Valley has private roads and a water and sewer system managed by Water District 13.
Public transit service is provided to Deming and the Columbia Valley/Kendall area by the Whatcom Transportation Authority (WTA), line 72X. Local east-county law enforcement is provided by a full time resident Sheriff’s Deputy that is based out of Kendall. The Rural Community of Kendall has a commercial district, fire station, and an elementary school.
The Maple Falls area (including the Rural Community, Cascades West and Rivendell Estates) had a population of 213 in 2006. The town is the second to last on the way to Mount Baker. Most of the residents in Maple Falls live there year-round and access the beautiful natural areas frequently.
Glacier is the final populated area in the subarea and houses the highest seasonal population. In 2006, the year round population of Glacier (including the Rural Community and surrounding developments) was 284. About 85 percent of the housing units are considered “seasonal, recreational, or occasional use.” The Rural Community supports some restaurants, small shops and a convenience store. Seasonal residents of the community arrive for the skiing, snowboarding, and snowshoeing in the winter months and hiking and mountaineering during mild weather in the summer months.
Vision On June 5 through 8 of 2006, Whatcom County hosted a series of four Vision Week workshops. The workshops, attended by about 175 members of the public, resulted in the following findings (more discussion can be found in the Vision Week Evaluative Summary, Studio Cascade, July 2006):
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Overall - Most of Vision Week’s participants favored a continuation of the area’s rural character, preservation of open spaces and habitat, and a resistance to population growth. Interestingly, participants also asked for transportation improvements, increased communications capabilities, increased activities for youth, and increased local employment opportunities. The two positions appear to be contradictory, but not entirely unexpected in an area whose appeal is its beauty, slow-paced quality of life, and community values on social interconnectedness.
People who reside or own property in the Foothills subarea, at least as represented in Vision Week, appreciate what the physical setting has to offer, even though they are not entirely satisfied with the lack of services and amenities that accompany rural isolation.
Community – Participants identified the transportation system and a “sense of community” as important issues facing the subarea. They also identified the area’s relative isolation, growth rate, public safety, recreation facilities, and challenges for providing public services as important issues. Given the thread of discussions during the work sessions, this is not surprising. What is surprising, however, is the relative unimportance given to employment and issues surrounding seasonal residents. Groups discussing other topics related to economy and growth saw these two issues as extremely important determinants and limiters of community and community success. While some may believe that local jobs and the presence of full-time residents are important to the subarea’s success, they did not appear to be issues related to the overall sense of community.
Economy – Those groups discussing the area’s economy focused on local job creation and the enhancement of local businesses. They also considered access to local services important, attempting to create an economic environment of increased diversity and self-sufficiency. The primary focus appeared to be enhancing the primary industrial sector, which in this case would predominantly be in resource- based industry, and then developing a robust service sector to enable money to circulate within the local area before leaving the Foothills. Groups also cited improvements to the communications and utility infrastructure as important to improve the economic environment. Interestingly, there was a sentiment that governmental regulation, mostly through zoning, was an impediment to economic growth. Neither public transportation nor the reliance on commuting to Bellingham was considered terribly important by participants, but they were mentioned by some groups.
Growth and Change – Groups discussing growth and change believed that transportation and public safety will be the most important issues for the community to address. Their comments indicated a general belief that the worst aspects of the transportation system and the most pernicious aspects of crime and drug use will project into the future uncorrected. This indicates a high level of awareness of certain current problems and a lack of confidence that the County can respond adequately to the challenges of growth ahead. Participants also recognized the potential for increased encroachment on natural resources and the resulting impact on domestic water supplies, access to recreational lands, and the conversion of agricultural and forest lands to other uses. Some believed that a more “sustainable” approach to growth management will be important, requiring some degree of regional collaboration in the face of increased resource scarcity. Many participants also foresee improvements to the communications infrastructure, enabling increased mobile telephone access and increased access to the Internet.
Identity – The most prolific issue mentioned was the retention of the subarea’s rural character. Participants overwhelmingly believed that rural character and the environment are fundamental components of the Foothill’s identity. Public safety and the area’s relative isolation also were important 2-5 Foothills Subarea Plan, Chapter 2 – May 2011
components, indicating the groups’ awareness that there are drawbacks to the subarea’s valued remoteness…drawbacks they are willing to accept to a degree.
Land Use – Participants most frequently mentioned development density and design, rural character, and the prominence of small-town commercial centers during their discussion of land use issues. They were concerned with the subarea’s changing character with the influx of new residents, hoping that new development will respect the low-density nature of the majority of the subarea and act to enhance the individuality and commercial vitality of the four commercial centers. There was little mention of the proposed development in Columbia Valley and its proposed addition of a fifth commercial center to the subarea. However, some did identify it by name, and other comments indicated that commercial centers and areas of higher development intensity should locate near population centers. Some participants also noted that enforcement of existing regulations has been lax, leading to concerns that implementation of the subarea’s policies and ensuing development regulations may be problematic.
Transportation – Participants tended to focus on several repeated issues, concentrating on non- automotive facilities, transportation safety, public transportation, and the improvement of roads in and through the subarea. Comments sometimes directly contradicted each other, with some advocating for narrower roads, with facilities for non-motorized travel. Others desired increased rights of way and increased automobile capacity to facilitate movement by car in the face of coming growth. Most agreed that existing facilities for those who choose to walk or ride a bike are either unsafe or inconvenient, creating a hazardous and unattractive environment for non-automotive travel. Some participants acknowledged that the County’s growth management and land use policies may not be consistent with its transportation policies, stating that road improvements and highway capacity increases will lead to increased development pressure. Some participants noted that bus service to the farthest reaches of the subarea is non-existent, and that the construction of a park-and-ride facility may increase transit ridership.
Foothills Vision 2029 The Vision Statement adopted in this Subarea Plan for the 2029 planning horizon year is as follows:
Whatcom County’s foothills are and will continue to be rural in character, preserving open spaces and natural habitat. Foothills’ residents value river and stream corridors, lakes, wetlands, hillsides, forest, fields, wildlife corridors, and clean air and water. Subarea residents value the Foothills’ beauty, slow-paced quality of life and the sense that they know their neighbors. The Columbia Valley will become a fully-served urban area set within this rural context, providing a range of shopping, housing, and employment opportunities and accommodating the majority of new Foothills residents. The rural communities of Deming, Kendall, Maple Falls, and Glacier will continue to thrive without expanding, serving nearby residents and tourists alike, and securing their positions as civic, cultural and activity centers for the rural community. The rural communities will become increasingly complementary as well, working together to meet resident needs. The Foothills will continue to rely on other areas in Whatcom County for those services not provided in the subarea, and transportation and communication linkages to those areas will be improved as a result. In order to build a robust, sustainable local economy, traditional resource- based industry will continue, supplemented by value-added and cottage industries, and home-based businesses that will provide local employment and a population of diverse productive residents who live in the Foothills by choice.
Land Use Planning Issues Much of the planning process focused on land use and the issues associated with the way in which the subarea develops. Land use conversations tended to focus on the following issues, in no particular order here:
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• Many Foothills residents are actually employed outside the subarea, resulting in long morning and evening commutes along SR 542 and SR 547.
• Foothills residents believe the urban-style development occurring in the Columbia Valley should be restricted to the UGA, with the balance of the subarea remaining rural in character.
• The four Rural Communities each have created their own identities and add to the character and richness of the subarea.
• The access and proximity to natural open spaces are vitally important to Foothills residents.
• The Foothills population is surprisingly diverse given its relatively small number. • The Nooksack Tribe has acquired more property in Deming, enlarging its holdings and reducing the amount of land available for housing. The Mt. Baker School District has also acquired additional property in Deming. Deming residents wish to encourage more people to live in town, making land availability an issue.
• Water and sewer districts may not have adequate sanitary sewer capacity or systems now in place to serve projected urban development in the Columbia Valley UGA. However, an update to the Water District 13 sewer plan is underway.
• The Growth Management Act imposes requirements on “limited areas of more intense rural development” (LAMIRDs) that will impact how the four Rural Communities may develop in the future.
• Forecast population growth will put more pressure on the Columbia Valley, and the four Rural Communities to a lesser degree, to accommodate additional housing.
• Land supply and population forecast studies indicate that sufficient land exists to support forecast population. The arrangement and density of land uses impact the feasibility of providing adequate services with scattered or less dense development generally being more expensive to serve. This is especially important in the Columbia Valley, where provision of sanitary sewer will be necessary as population increases.
Planning Concept “Rural character” is the most widely-cherished vision of the Foothills by Foothills residents. The Vision Week workshops, small town workshop, UGA workshop, policy workshop and the questionnaire confirmed it. The subarea plan is designed to retain and enhance the area’s rural character, even though the area’s population is likely to grow and even though the Columbia Valley urban growth area lies in the virtual center of the Foothills.
The planning concept is relatively straightforward, given the need to accommodate a certain amount of population growth and to help the Columbia Valley UGA succeed. It consists of four fundamental elements that, when taken collectively, help to resolve some of the subarea’s challenges noted during the Vision Week exercises:
• Encourage revitalization of and reinvestment in the four small town commercial zoning districts, enabling them to thrive as they serve surrounding rural areas. They are to act individually and collectively to serve the needs of Foothills residents and visitors.
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• Promote enough new development at sufficient intensity in the Columbia Valley to permit the provision of full urban services to the UGA, including sanitary sewer and low impact development storm water management systems.
• Retain large-lot zoning requirements for those areas outside the Rural Communities, ensuring that open spaces, rural lifestyles and commercial forestry can continue to exist without pressure for conversion in the subarea.
• Recognize that many Foothills residents will continue to rely on the Bellingham metro area for employment, entertainment, and shopping. These four fundamental elements dictate an overall pattern of land use for the Foothills, where development and activity are concentrated in Deming, Kendall, the Columbia Valley UGA, Maple Falls and Glacier. The rest of the planning area would remain mostly as it is, with low-intensity development widely dispersed and separated by natural open spaces, waterways, hillsides, and fields. Even so, the subarea will remain vitally connected to portions of Whatcom County west of the planning area.
Land Use Scenarios The FSPAC considered two alternative land use scenarios and the “status quo” (no action) alternative, prior to developing a recommended land use scenario. Alternative # 1 was based upon informal discussions with FSPAC members, who represented their respective geographic areas (Deming, Columbia Valley/Kendall, Maple Falls, and Glacier), subject areas (business, forestry, rural), and Tribal interests. This alternative included concepts such as a town center designation in the Columbia Valley UGA, a new small-scale recreational tourist zone in Glacier, and recognizing Tribal ownership in the Deming area. Alternative # 2 was primarily based on a strict reading of the Growth Management Act’s “limited areas of more intensive rural development” (LAMIRD) criteria. In some cases, this alternative considered scaling back development allowed in these areas. The “status quo” alternative retained existing comprehensive plan and zoning designations. The FSPAC considered all of these alternatives and, by selecting one of the alternatives for a certain area, combining elements of different alternatives, or adding new ideas, formulated a recommended land use scenario.
After considering all three of the land use scenarios, the FSPAC recommended a hybrid approach. Their recommendation is based on their understanding of the best possible arrangement of land use to address the Foothills’ issues, sustain rural character, and attain the subarea’s vision of the future.
Adopted Land Use Scenario The adopted land use scenario, included here, is shown on the following maps and targets six main areas:
• It retains the Small Town Commercial zoning district in Deming. • It retains Welcome as a Rural Business area.
• It separates Kendall from the Columbia Valley UGA, allowing for the construction of new commercial or civic facilities within the Small Town Commercial zoning district, while protecting rural character along the Mt. Baker Highway corridor.
• It incorporates a new town center concept near the center of the Columbia Valley UGA. The town center concept proposes the mixing of commercial, residential and institutional land uses.
• It retains the Rural Community designation at Maple Falls.
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• It retains the Rural Community comprehensive plan designation for Glacier, permitting small- town commercial and residential development consistent with that community’s importance as a tourist and seasonal residential focus. It also retains the already developed residential areas on Glacier’s east side within the Rural Community designation.
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Land Use Designations and Zoning The adopted scenario uses the land use designations and development densities already contained in the County’s comprehensive plan and zoning, with the exception of a new designation to implement the town center concept in the Columbia Valley UGA, new planned light impact industrial designations in the UGA, and a new overlay designation to recognize Nooksack Tribal ownership.
Comprehensive Plan Land Use Designations Title 20 Zoning Designations UGA (Urban Growth Area) LII – Light Impact Industrial (may be applied in the UGA Reserve future) Rural GC – General Commercial Rural Community NC – Neighborhood Commercial Rural Business STC – Small Town Commercial Agriculture RC – Resort Commercial Rural Forestry Commercial Forestry UR4 – Urban Residential 4 units/acre RR5A – Residential Rural one dwelling/5 acres MRL (Mineral Resource Lands) Rural Residential Density Overlay Planned Town Center (New Designation) RR3 – Residential Rural 3 units/acre Planned Light Impact Industrial (New Designation) RR1 – Residential Rural 1 unit/acre Potential Planned Light Impact Industrial (New R2A – Rural 1 unit/2 acres Designation) Nooksack Tribe Ownership (New Overlay R5A – Rural 1 unit/5 acres Designation) R10A – Rural 1 unit/10 acres AG – Agriculture CF – Commercial Forestry RF – Rural Forestry MRL – Mineral Resource Lands (overlay zone)
LAMIRD Identification What the adopted scenario identifies as a “Rural Community” land use designation is a limited area of more intensive rural development (LAMIRD). This scenario allows for the continued existence of the four Rural Communities, encouraging reinvestment in closely contained areas to ensure that they will continue to serve the needs of Foothills residents and visitors. For the most part, these Rural Community designations represent development (either in terms of structures built or land subdivided and improved) in place prior to 1990.
Open Space There are many public benefits of conservation of open space. To paraphrase the Nature Conservancy, the American Farmland Trust, and the Whatcom Land Trust, public benefits of open space include the following:
• Protect water quality and air quality, by conserving forests and watersheds;
• Conserve watersheds and aquifers, helping ensure a clean supply of water for all of us; • Preserve wildlife habitat;
• Preserve open space;
• Preserve and conserve farmland, ranchland, timberland, forests and rivers;
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• Maintain rural character of our communities, neighborhoods and forests and mountains;
• Maintain traditional, historic uses of property, that add to the rural character; • Buffer public lands from residential and commercial development;
• Maintain landscapes and views for tourism;
• Preserve historical and cultural sites; • Preserve scenic beauty;
• Preserve rural quality of life;
• Competitive attractiveness of open space as factors attracting retirees, tourists, labor supplies and businesses;
Perhaps most interesting is the following benefit:
• Require less in public services than other uses of the property.
Lands for Public Purpose The subarea plan establishes a range of land use designations permitting a variety of land uses, allowing forestry, rural housing, rural community development and an urban growth area. RCW 36.70A.150 requires that Whatcom County “identify lands useful for public purposes, such as utility corridors, transportation corridors, landfills, sewage treatment facilities, storm water management facilities, recreation, schools, and other public uses.” This subarea plan encourages the retention and development of public uses in the UGA, Rural Communities and its vast open spaces, realizing that the nature of public purposes will vary from one area to the next.
In the Columbia Valley UGA, the subarea plan allows for development of public land uses within the Planned Town Center. These will be land uses that provide governmental or other institutional services to the UGA’s residents. The East County Regional Resources Center has developed facilities in the Columbia Valley. In addition, the UGA will eventually need sanitary sewer service for its entirety, possibly requiring the dedication of additional land for wastewater treatment. There is now some land set aside for the existing treatment facility, but an expanded system may require more. That could take the form of either an expanded facility at the existing site or a new facility at a separate location.
Storm water management will become increasingly important, as well, as the Columbia Valley becomes more intensely developed. Current storm water management strategies dictate that flows be managed on site, minimizing impact to flows on adjoining properties. That may become impractical in some areas, however, depending on the intensity of development, the amount of surface flow and proximity to Kendall Creek and its associated wetlands. Subarea policies direct the County to monitor the Columbia Valley’s environmental conditions as development intensifies, ensuring that storm water management practice, as well as the land necessary to slow, contain and treat surface runoff, are appropriate to conditions. The Columbia Valley UGA is served by public water and sewer.
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The Rural Communities will also include land devoted to serving public purposes, in many cases to the degree that will define the identity and influence the functions of the four Rural Communities. Deming hosts the Mt Baker School District offices, Mt Baker High School and Junior High, Nooksack Tribal offices, and Deming Library (which is just north of the Rural Community boundary). Welcome is the home of the subarea’s only senior center. Kendall now hosts the Kendall School, the Fire District 14 station, and a Whatcom County Library System branch library named the North Fork Community Library. . Glacier has a small park. Deming and Maple Falls contain a post office. The Rural Communities also have water purveyors.
The more rural areas also contain land devoted to serving public purposes. Silver Lake Park, Deming Homestead Eagle Park, Canyon Lake Community Forest, Ostrom Conservation Site and the various trails throughout the subarea all serve public purposes, uniquely located and developed to meet the community’s recreational, economic, social, or environmental needs.
This subarea planning concept anticipates the need for and identifies land suitable for public purposes, both in its maps and its policy.
Foothills Subarea Plan Goals and Policies The subarea plan recommends amending Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan Policy 2AA-12. The amendment of Policy 2AA-12 is recommended because the subarea planning process investigated the possibility and feasibility of rezoning land on Limestone Road for light impact industrial use and found that the time is not yet right for such a rezone. While the plans for the Columbia Valley UGA call for the inclusion of industrial uses in the UGA, there is not now pressure from property owners or sufficient demand to support a light impact industrial use.
Policy 2AA-12 is proposed for amendment as a direct result of the community’s discussion regarding the need for and likelihood of the development of a light impact industrial or business park style development in the UGA. While many believed that the provision of jobs in the Columbia Valley was absolutely vital, many also believed that there is not now a particularly attractive place available for such a project to locate. Limestone Road is an appropriate location, but a site closer to its intersection with Kendall Road (SR 547) may actually be more attractive to potential developers and users. Amending the policy allows for more flexibility.
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Goal LU1 – Preserve the natural beauty, open spaces, rural character and slow, rural pace of life in the Foothills, prized by long-term residents and newcomers alike. Policy LU1-A Discourage residential development on steep slopes and in forestry and agricultural areas.
LU1-B Strongly discourage rezoning of Commercial Forestry zones to allow more dwellings or increased intensity of use.
LU1-C Strongly discourage rezoning Rural Forestry zones to allow more dwellings or increased intensity of use. This policy does not apply to the Rural Forestry zone located in the Columbia Valley UGA, north of Limestone Rd., as designated in the 2011 Foothills Subarea Plan.
LU1-D Strongly discourage re-designation of Rural Forestry and Commercial Forestry Comprehensive Plan designations to Urban Growth Area.
LU1-E Encourage urban levels of development only in the Columbia Valley UGA.
LU1-F Expand the rural economic base by supporting renewable natural resource industries, home occupations, cottage industries, forestry and agriculture.
LU1-G Open space preservation is deemed a very important component of preserving the rural character of the Foothills Subarea, and is strongly encouraged wherever possible. The Foothills Subarea Plan encourages the preservation of open space for the reasons listed above. To accomplish this, representatives of nonprofit conservation groups and local, county and state entities should hold a public forum and/or conference once every two years at a location in the Foothills, rotating from Glacier to the Columbia Valley UGA to Deming. Education and assistance should be provided by Whatcom County as to the different vehicles available by which to preserve open space, including but not limited to donations of land or conservation easements, purchases of land or conservation easements, reserve tracts or conservation easements on open space in cluster developments and planned unit developments, purchases of development rights, and other methods as may be developed from time to time.
LU1-H Future development in rural areas should be low density, complement existing rural character, contribute to the conservation of agricultural and forest land and not result in demands for urban-level services.
LU1-I To maintain rural character, open space, and wildlife habitat, rezoning from R10A to R5A, rezoning from R10A to R2A, and rezoning from R5A to R2A are discouraged.
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Goal LU2 – Concentrate urban growth in the Columbia Valley UGA, creating a diverse mix of land uses and resulting in the provision of a full spectrum of urban services, including water, sanitary sewerage, storm drainage, law enforcement, fire protection, libraries, schools, parks, public transit and other similar services. Policy LU2-A Encourage the integration of mixed uses, open spaces, and civic places into the Columbia Valley UGA.
LU2-B Acquire parks and other land for community facilities, allowing the provision of community services to keep pace with and be provided at a scale commensurate with the area’s growing population, while ensuring the protection of wildlife habitat.
LU2-C Encourage low impact development techniques for storm water best management practices and connection to public sewer to protect surface and ground water.
LU2-D Densify and revitalize the Columbia Valley UGA before considering expansion of the UGA for non-industrial land uses.
LU2-E Link UGA neighborhoods to the Kendall Elementary School and the Kendall Small Town Commercial zone with convenient pedestrian, bicycle, public transit, and auto connections.
LU2-F Study and, if feasible, facilitate incorporation of the Columbia Valley UGA.
LU2-G Urban residential development should be planned in areas that can be economically and efficiently served with existing or planned services, optimize energy use, function as integral neighborhood units and can environmentally support intensive land uses.
Goal LU3 – Enhance the Rural Communities of Deming, Kendall, Maple Falls, and Glacier as vital, vibrant and distinct areas, within which the community can meet, mingle, shop and take care of daily errands. Policy LU3-A Encourage development patterns that promote walking, bicycling and the use of public transit.
LU3-B Maintain the outer boundary for each Rural Community, prohibiting the expansion of zoning districts that allow commercial uses, intense new residential developments, and light industrial uses beyond those boundaries.
LU3-C Create and adopt a set of design guidelines for the small town commercial zoning districts to ensure that new structures, street improvements, landscaping and grading enhance the community’s character.
LU3-D Permit attached housing in the small town commercial zoning districts, particularly as upper floor units above ground-level retail storefronts, consistent with each small town’s adopted design guidelines.
LU3-E Adequate community and neighborhood commercial facilities should be encouraged in appropriate locations while avoiding incompatible land uses and the proliferation of unnecessary new commercial areas.
LU3-F Acknowledge existing patterns of commercial uses and to provide for additional future development by designating certain areas as concentrated centers for commercial activities.
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Goal LU4 – Provide for increased employment opportunities in the Foothills Policy LU4-A Encourage development of light impact industrial or business park land uses in the Columbia Valley UGA in areas planned for light impact industrial uses.
LU4-B Coordinate with local and regional economic development agencies and educational institutions to foster job creation and job training in the Foothills.
LU4-C Encourage the availability and connectivity to utility services for potential light impact industrial or business park sites.
LU4-D Recognize that the Foothills’ natural setting is a major attribute of the area’s quality of life. Incorporate this value into the planning process when considering future economic development.
LU4-E Commercial projects should avoid lineal development patterns.
Goal LU5 – Recognize and encourage a high level of cultural and social diversity in the Foothills. Policy LU5-A Provide public squares and other similar types of public gathering spaces in or near the centers of the small town commercial zoning districts and in the town center of the Columbia Valley UGA.
LU5-B Support the recognition and preservation of culturally significant sites within the Foothills and encourage collaboration with the indigenous Cultural Community in developing a process for identification, management and protection of these sites within the Foothills subarea.
LU5-C Support the recognition and preservation of historically significant sites within the Foothills and encourage federal, state, county and local collaboration in developing a process for identification, management and protection of these sites within the Foothills subarea.
LU5-D Continue the identification of cultural and natural resources and formulate viable methods to preserve and conserve such resources in recognition of their irreplaceable character.
Goal LU6 – House Foothills residents in safe and comfortable neighborhoods affordable to a variety of incomes. Policy LU6-A Collaborate with local and regional foundations and agencies, such as the Kulshan Community Land Trust, to provide or facilitate provision of affordable housing units, primarily in Deming and in the Columbia Valley.
LU6-B Provide incentives to builders who dedicate a certain percentage of housing units to low or low-moderate income or other special needs households in Deming and the Columbia Valley UGA.
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Goal LU7 – Enhance resident and visitor access to the Foothills’ recreational opportunities. Policy LU7-A Encourage open space in subdivisions, linking open space into a trail system where feasible, while ensuring the protection of wildlife habitat.
LU7-B Invest in identified parks improvements.
LU7-C Encourage efficient land use patterns that will promote the economic viability of resort areas and cooperate with special districts and other governmental agencies to provide services.
LU7-D Ensure that land use patterns and park and recreation planning mutually support each other, are consistent with the adequate provision of recreational opportunities for residents, encourage tourism, and conserve and enhance existing public investments and resources, while ensuring the protection of wildlife habitat.
Goal LU8 – Provide a network of recreation and transportation-oriented trails interconnecting the Columbia Valley UGA and Rural Communities and linking populated areas to recreational open spaces. Policy
LU8-A Encourage open space dedications to link into a coordinated trail system.
Goal LU9 – Protect surface and ground water quality and quantity and sensitive habitat areas throughout the subarea. Policy
LU9-A Encourage open space in subdivisions, linking open space to respect and enhance continuous habitat corridors where feasible.
LU9-B Whatcom County shall encourage development design that minimizes the amount of impervious surfaces including streets, driveways, sidewalks and other impervious surfaces whenever possible.
LU9-C Encourage utilization of steep slopes (greater than 15 percent) or unstable slopes for open space or forestry. Discourage residential development on steep slopes and in forestry and agricultural areas.
LU9-D Encourage the use of “green” materials and Low Impact techniques in all types of construction.
Goal LU10 – Ensure the Foothills Subarea remains a safe place in which to reside, operate a business, and visit. Policy LU10-A In the Columbia Valley UGA, incorporate proper design in commercial and multi-family developments to reduce the fear and incidence of crime, such as installing appropriate nighttime lighting and orienting windows and doors to facilitate casual viewing of public spaces.
LU10-B Impose impact fees for roads, parks, and schools on new development within the Foothills Subarea commensurate with Whatcom County ordinances.
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Goal LU11 – Implement a concise, equitable and practical set of land use regulations intended to carry out the goals, policies and proposals of the Foothills Subarea Plan in a timely and orderly fashion. Policy LU11-A Promote a conscientious program designed to plan, guide and influence the appropriate location, timing, intensity, type and servicing of diverse land use patterns.
LU11-B Determine the required amounts of land anticipated to be utilized within the planning period (20 years) while retaining options for future land use decisions beyond the planning period.
LU11-C Encourage a predictable pattern of development in the subarea which utilizes previously committed land areas and existing facility investments before committing new areas for development.
LU11-D Assure opportunity for citizens to be involved in the formulation of land use goals, policies and proposals and provide a structure for citizen participation in the planning program of federal, state, regional and local agencies.
LU11-E Participate in intergovernmental coordination with federal, state, provincial, regional and local agencies, develop a coordinated approach to problems which transcend local government bodies and create an environment for the exchange of information and technical assistance.
LU11-F Consider permit metering if the carrying capacity of public services has been met by existing development.
LU11-G Comprehensive plan designations, development regulations, and incentives shall be provided that will encourage visitors to the area. These include the preservation of the area's scenic beauty, historic features and rural character, as well as improved access to shorelines and recreation facilities.
Goal LU12 – Develop a functional, coordinated and multi-modal transportation system which provides for the safe and efficient movement of people and goods, avoids undesirable environmental impacts, and optimizes public investments and the conservation of energy resources. Policy LU12-A Site plans should encourage the use of pedestrian and/or bicycle ways by providing, for use by the general public, bicycle trails, pedestrian pathways and street crossings that link and extend pathways connecting to public recreational or view areas.
LU12-B Bikeways and/or pedestrian ways should be provided in new developments in the Resort Commercial zone and Columbia Valley UGA designation to link residential areas, shopping areas, recreational areas and educational facilities.
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3 Housing
Single-family dwellings on 5, 10 or more acres traditionally characterized housing in the Foothills Subarea. In the Columbia Valley UGA, specifically Paradise Lakes and Peaceful Valley, development is significantly more dense. In this area, the housing is a mix of mobile homes and single-family dwellings on lots varying in size. According to 2006 Assessor’s data, more than half of the dwellings within the Columbia Valley UGA were identified as mobile homes. There is also dense development at Mt. Baker Rim and Snowline in Glacier.
Existing Conditions The Foothills are removed from metropolitan Whatcom County, and the housing found in the subarea is consistent with what might be expected in a generally rural community. Some homes are grand, on large parcels overlooking beautiful natural vistas. Some are quite modest, on small parcels, clustered in communities that include a mix of site built and manufactured housing. Many fall in between.
Deming is the westernmost community in the subarea. The Nooksack Tribe has a significant presence in Deming, and the Tribe’s acquisition and development of land in central and eastern Deming has resulted in the construction of a casino, parking lots and administrative offices. Deming is also home to the Mount Baker School District offices, Mt. Baker Junior High School and Mt. Baker High School. Housing in Deming is generally old and in short supply, with the land to the immediate west of the community the only likely area for expanding the housing stock.
Maple Falls and Glacier both mix full-time and seasonal residences. The Glen at Maple Falls is composed of a variety of recreational units that cater to seasonal residents. Glacier’s Snowater, Mt Baker Rim and Snowline residential developments also cater to seasonal residents. Glacier also has condominiums. The majority of housing units in Glacier are seasonal housing units that remain largely unoccupied for months out of the year. These homes serve as second homes and are larger and often located in gated communities on the town’s fringe.
According to the 2000 Census, the majority of homes in the Peaceful Valley CDP were built between 1970 and 1989. This is representative of the boom that occurred during this time in the Columbia Valley. A quiet forest quickly became a bustling vacation community designed to serve Canadian visitors and people seeking a second home in the country.
In data gathered with a questionnaire during the public participation process of developing this plan, respondents frequently said they wanted additional law enforcement and their communities cleaned up.
Affordable Housing Homes in the Foothills are generally less expensive than those in other areas of the county to the west. In 2006, the median price for a residential unit (house, manufactured home, condominium) in the Foothills was approximately $163,000. The median price for a residential unit in Whatcom County was $260,500. 1
1 Median price figures were obtained through the Northwest Multiple Listing Service, June 2007. Figures only include those sales conducted by realtors in the Foothills Subarea and do not include sales by owner.
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Information obtained on rental rates for this subarea plan was largely anecdotal due to the mix of rental types in the subarea. Rental housing in the subarea generally falls into two types: seasonal and non- seasonal. Non-seasonal rentals are usually rented monthly and rates depend on the type of unit. A manufactured home built between 1990 and 2007 will rent for between $700 and $900. An older manufactured home or single-wide will rent for between $300 and $500 a month in the Foothills. A stick frame home will rent for between $800 and $1400 per month. Rent may be slightly higher for homes on acreage that the renters may use for livestock or cultivation.
Whether a resident owns or rents in the Foothills, in order for housing to be considered affordable, its cost must not exceed 30 percent of the household’s annual income.
Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan Goals and Policies Relevant housing goals and policies are contained in the Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan. In accordance with the GMA, Whatcom County’s housing goals and policies encourage provision of housing to all income and special needs households, encouraging the activities of various housing providers to ensure all who reside in Whatcom County do so in safe and appropriate conditions.
Housing Issues The Foothills subarea is growing. Though the subarea is relatively distant from Bellingham, many subarea residents make the commute. Many are attracted to the Foothills because of the relatively lower costs for housing and because of the area’s beauty. An increasing population, the pressure to provide housing affordable to a wide range of incomes and the community’s desire to sustain a rural character all combine to generate several issues the subarea plan must address.
• Many of the subarea’s subdivisions and housing units were originally intended to serve seasonal visitors. Many of these seasonal residences are now becoming full-time residences.
• The community is aware of the need to provide affordable housing, but the subarea’s rural context and density restrictions limit opportunities in areas outside of the Columbia Valley UGA.
• Housing in Deming is in short supply, but the areas to the west of the high school may offer opportunities for additional housing development.
• Increased population growth in the Columbia Valley UGA may necessitate development of mixed-use and attached housing.
• Increasing attractiveness of the Rural Communities may generate pressure to develop residential units above the commercial districts’ storefronts.
• Housing prices in Whatcom County have increased from their 2000 median price of $155,700 to a 2006 median home price of $260,500 (the median price of a home in Whatcom County in 2009 was slightly below 2006 levels). As of 2006, the median price a home was selling for in the Foothills was $163,000.
• The community identified property maintenance and the apparent decline in some of the subarea’s neighborhoods as an important issue.
3-2 Foothills Subarea Plan, Chapter 3 – May 2011
Seasonal Dwellings Compared to the rest of Whatcom County, the Foothills Subarea has a higher percentage of dwellings that continue to be maintained as “seasonal, recreational, or occasional use” homes. In the Foothills Subarea, 29 percent of the homes were for seasonal, recreational, or occasional use in 2006. Most of these homes are located in the Glacier area in developments: Mt. Baker Rim, Snowline Subdivision, Snowater and Snowline Condos, Glacier Springs, and Glacier Greene.
Table 3.1 – Dwelling Unit Analysis, Foothills Subarea and Whatcom County Seasonal, Year % % Seasonal, Vacant Recreational, % Total Area Round Year Recreational, (unoccupied) Occasional Vacant Dwellings Dwellings Round Occasional Dwellings Dwellings Foothills 2,258 66.5% 983 29.0% 153 4.5% 3,394 Subarea Whatcom 64,434 87.2% 5,946 8.0% 3,501 4.7% 73,893 County Source: 2000 Census (Whatcom County figures), and Foothills Subarea Plan Advisory Committee Record of Decisions and Recommendations, attachment. December 6, 2006. (Foothills Subarea figures)
Seasonal units can be broken down into two categories: weekly and monthly rentals. Weekly rentals within subdivisions in the subarea — specifically around Glacier and Maple Falls — range from $800 to $1500 per week depending on the number of bedrooms, whether the unit is furnished, and whether or not the owner provides cleaning services. Monthly rentals range from $300 to $400 per bedroom a month based on the number of rooms and quality of the unit.
Although they are not considered dwelling units, there are significant number of recreational units in Black Mountain Ranch, Camper’s Paradise, and The Glen at Maple Falls.
Table 3.2 – 2006 Dwelling Unit Estimates Seasonal, Vacant Year Round Recreational, Area (unoccupied) Total Dwellings Dwellings Occasional Dwellings Dwellings Columbia Valley Urban 1,239 126 16 1,381 Growth Area Glacier 22 10 5 37 Glacier area – Mt. Baker 40 239 22 301 Rim Glacier area – Snowline 35 191 6 232 Subdivision Glacier area – Snowater & 3 210 11 224 Snowline Condos Glacier area – Glacier 28 68 5 101 Springs/Glacier Greene Maple Falls 29 0 2 31 Maple Falls area – Cascades West/Rivendell 47 3 5 55 Estates Deming Rural Community 76 3 5 84 Remaining Subarea 739 133 76 948 Foothills Subarea Total: 2,258 983 153 3,394 Source: Foothills Subarea Plan Advisory Committee Record of Decisions and Recommendations, attachment. December 6, 2006.
3-3 Foothills Subarea Plan, Chapter 3 – May 2011
Camper’s Paradise, The Glen at Maple Falls, and Black Mountain Ranch accommodate approximately 2,500 recreational units (RVs and park models).
Planning Concept The housing assumptions and planning concepts for the Foothills are stated in the following bullet points:
• Over the long-term, it is anticipated that market forces will drive housing prices up in the subarea, and affordable housing should be located in Deming and the Columbia Valley.
• The percentage of full-time residents will continue to increase, and the range of services and housing types in the Columbia Valley UGA and Rural Communities should be positioned to respond to the change in demand.
• Existing neighborhoods in the Columbia Valley UGA should be enhanced, with increased emphasis on property maintenance and other strategies to arrest decline and increase public safety.
• Providing affordable housing in a manner consistent with the subarea’s rural character will require innovation and partnerships between the public and private sectors.
Housing Needs Based on the population forecasts included in this subarea plan, it appears that simply providing land for the development of necessary housing will not be a problem. Appropriately designated land exists to support the number of housing units necessary to house expected Foothills residents. The table below illustrates the estimated number of housing units that will be necessary in 2029 to accommodate forecast Foothills population growth.
Table 3.3 – Projected Subarea Dwelling Units by Location, 2006-2029 Assumed Pop. Estimated New 2006 Residents/ Increase Units Needed 2006 Pop. Dwelling Dwelling 2006-2029 2006-2029 Units Unit Columbia 1,147 515 3,853 1,381 2.79 Valley UGA Glacier 284 895 2.00 113 57 Maple Falls 213 86 2.48 41 16 Deming Rural 220 84 2.62 42 16 Community Remaining 411 181 2,152 948 2.27 Subarea Total 1,754 785 6,722 3,394
Source: The 2006 population is from Table 1.1 in chapter 1. The 2006 dwelling units are from Table 1.2 in chapter 1. The assumed residents/dwelling are primarily derived from Tables 1.1 and 1.2. The population increase is from Table 1.5 in chapter 1.
The art of housing the Foothills population lies in accommodating low-to-moderate-income households and creating a residential land use pattern that enhances neighborhoods and allows for the provision of appropriate utility services.
3-4 Foothills Subarea Plan, Chapter 3 – May 2011
Foothills Subarea Plan Goals and Policies Goal H1 – Concentrate urban growth in the Columbia Valley UGA, creating a diverse mix of land uses and resulting in the provision of a full spectrum of urban services, including water, sanitary sewerage, storm drainage, law enforcement, fire protection, libraries, schools, parks, public transit and other similar services. Policy
H1-A Mix housing types through a variety of zoning and development incentive programs to facilitate development of housing for all income sectors in the UGA.
Goal H2 – Enhance the Rural Communities of Deming, Kendall, Maple Falls, and Glacier as vital, vibrant and distinct areas, within which the community can meet, mingle, shop and take care of daily errands. Policy
H2-A Encourage development of apartments and condominiums in upper floors of buildings in small town commercial zoning districts. Such development should be consistent with each town’s design guidelines, once they are adopted.
H2-B Encourage development of housing within easy walking distance of small town commercial zoning districts. Such development should be consistent with each town’s design guidelines, once they are adopted.
Goal H3 – Provide for increased employment opportunities in the Foothills. Policy
H3-A Develop a comprehensive housing rehabilitation program to remediate substandard housing.
H3-B Support code enforcement efforts to abate violations.
Goal H4 – Recognize and encourage a high level of cultural and social diversity in the Foothills. Policy
H4-A Provide for a variety of housing types in the Foothills.
H4-B Locate higher density housing in small town commercial zoning districts and in the Columbia Valley UGA. Such development in small town commercial districts should be consistent with each town’s design guidelines, once they are adopted.
Goal H5 – House Foothills residents in safe and comfortable neighborhoods affordable to a variety of incomes. Policy
H5-A Use zoning to ensure an adequate supply of affordable housing is provided in the Columbia Valley UGA.
H5-B Maintain the existing no shooting zone in the Columbia Valley UGA.
H5-C Encourage the County Council to establish no shooting zones in the small town commercial zones, not intending to interfere with existing businesses.
3-5 Foothills Subarea Plan, Chapter 3 – May 2011
Map 3.1: Housing
3-6 Foothills Subarea Plan, Chapter 4 – May 2011
4 County Capital Facilities
The Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan provides a comprehensive and current listing of the County’s capital facilities and the projects proposed in the future. The plan documents level of service requirements, necessary improvements, anticipated costs and likely sources of funding.
Existing Facilities County capital facilities in the Foothills subarea are limited to parks, trails, an activity center, and Sheriff’s facilities. Roads are also considered capital facilities, but they are discussed in the Transportation chapter of this subarea plan. Capital facilities that are not owned or operated by Whatcom County, such as water & sewer, fire protection facilities, and schools, are addressed in other chapters of this subarea plan.
The table below identifies the County capital facilities now in place in the subarea, provides the standard Whatcom County uses to measure level of service, and indicates whether there is a surplus or deficit in the subarea based on the 2006 population estimate of 6,722.
Table 4.1 – Existing County Facilities Facility County-wide Level Total Surplus/Deficit of Service Standard Needed Parks Silver Lake Park, 412 acres 9.6 Acres/1,000 64.5 acres 381 acre population surplus Deming Homestead Eagle Park, 33 acres
Welcome Bridge Access, .6 acres Trails Silver Lake Trail, 3.1 miles 0.60 miles/1,000 4 miles 8.5 mile surplus population Bay to Baker Trail (portions of the Maple Falls to Glacier segment), 4 miles
Canyon Lake Community Forest Trail, 4.5 miles
Ostrom Conservation Forest Trail, .66 miles
Deming Homestead Eagle Park Trail, .30 miles Activity Welcome Senior Center Five centers/100,000 .33 centers .67 surplus Centers population Sheriff’s Satellite office at Kendall Fire Hall .26 square feet/capita 1,748 1,627 square Facilities (121 square feet) foot deficit
Whatcom County also owns 73 acres for parkland in Maple Falls, but it is undeveloped except for trail access to the Bay to Baker Trail.
Level of service standards are applied on a county-wide basis, rather than on a subarea basis. Therefore, although the surplus/deficit calculations shown above may provide useful planning information, they do not determine whether the County is in compliance with level of service standards. In addition, even
4-1 Foothills Subarea Plan, Chapter 4 – May 2011
when there is a “surplus” of a certain type of facility in the subarea, there may still be a real need for additional facilities. For example, there is a “surplus” of parkland in the subarea because of the presence of a regional park, but there is still a need for neighborhood parks near population centers. Additionally, there is a large deficit for Sheriff’s office space. This may reflect a real need in the Foothills Subarea, but it must also be considered in the context of the County’s proposed model of providing a centralized law and justice campus near Bellingham with a satellite office in the Foothills Subarea.
Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan Goals and Policies The County’s comprehensive plan contains a range of capital facilities planning goals and policies and conforms with the requirements of the Growth Management Act. This subarea plan proposes no amendments to those goals and policies, instead choosing to supplement them as appropriate based on community participation in the subarea planning process.
Capital Facilities Issues Expanding capital facilities capacity to keep pace with growth is a perpetual challenge for local governments. Whatcom County is no exception. Growth throughout the County is happening, and the County must find ways to provide increased services as a result. Growth in the Foothills, particularly in and around the Columbia Valley, will necessitate increased County investment in its facilities in the subarea. Issues raised during the subarea planning process included:
• The East County Regional Resource Center has a site donated for its use within the Planned Town Center of the Columbia Valley UGA. That site is different than the one that some of the facility’s supporters favored in Kendall.
• While the acreage of parks within the subarea may exceed the County’s level of service standard, the type of parks provided may not meet the community’s needs over time. Specifically, neighborhood parks may be needed or desired in the Columbia Valley UGA and small towns.
• Access to open spaces and convenience and safety of pedestrian and bicycle modes of travel are important to Foothills residents. The existing trail system is insufficient to meet demand. Trails connecting the small towns and the Columbia Valley UGA are particularly important.
• As population in the subarea grows, particularly in the Columbia Valley UGA, the County may need to establish administrative offices in the Foothills.
• Foothills residents already believe they receive insufficient law enforcement presence, and increased population growth can exacerbate the problem.
Future Needs Like many sparsely populated areas, the Foothills exhibits an abundance of open space. That abundance belies the limited amount of parkland that is readily accessible to subarea residents. Silver Lake Park is a large developed County park in the subarea, but it is located at the northern end of Silver Lake Road and is accessible to most Foothills’ residents only by private vehicle. There are no public neighborhood parks within walking distance of the Columbia Valley UGA. The closest playfields are at the Kendall Elementary School, south of the UGA. However, access to these playfields is along a high-speed State highway. The Foothills subarea exceeds the County’s standards for parkland provision, but additional parks will have to be provided to meet the recreational needs of area residents. The County’s parks and
4-2 Foothills Subarea Plan, Chapter 4 – May 2011
recreation plan begins to address these issues, outlining facilities and the means necessary to get them on line.
In addition, the trails system needs to be more fully addressed. Trails can serve as both recreational and transportation assets, encouraging active communities and non-automotive travel. The trails serving the subarea today are almost exclusively intended for recreation, including trails in Silver Lake Park, informal trails on state lands, and trails on federal lands (east of the Foothills Subarea). Community participation in this plan revealed a popular desire for additional trails, particularly to link the four Rural Communities and the UGA. As population increases, the demand for more transportation-oriented trails will increase.
The County is undertaking an effort to locate a regional resource center in the Foothills. The resource center, to be owned and operated by the County, would provide a range of community-oriented services, which may include educational services, youth recreation, a food bank, health care, work force training, and County government functions. A six-acre site in the heart of the Columbia Valley was approved by the County Council and donated to the County in 2006. In 2010, an additional acreage is being donated to the County for play fields adjacent to the regional resource center site, so that the overall size of the site will be approximately 8.5 acres. That site coincides with the proposed Town Center location, is within easy walking distance of a large number of people, and is within the boundaries of a special purpose district that provides water and sewer service. It is also consistent with the planned urban character of the area.
Law enforcement presence is an important issue to Foothills residents. As an unincorporated, sparsely populated area, it is difficult to serve. Whatcom County Sheriff deputies are responsible for public safety in the subarea. They have a small substation located in the Kendall Fire Hall, but an increasing urban population in the Columbia Valley will require an increased law enforcement presence.
The table below lists the County facilities proposed to address current deficits and increased demand. It also indicates the 6, 12 or 20 year time period within which the facility is to come on line. The location and timing of these projects is consistent and coordinated with expected buildout of the preferred land use plan. Additional information on parks and trails facilities can be found in the County’s parks and recreation plan.
Whatcom County has a 20-Year Capital Facilities Plan and a Six-Year Capital Improvement Program that address the need for County capital facilities. Table 4.2 below lists projects in the Foothills Subarea that are already in the County’s capital plans or should be added when adequate funding is identified.
4-3 Foothills Subarea Plan, Chapter 4 – May 2011
Table 4.2 – Proposed County Capital Facilities
By By By Proposed Facility 2016 2022 2029
Parks Silver Lake Park facilities x renovation/expansion Deming Homestead Eagle Park trail x improvements Kendall Town Park x Maple Falls Town Park x Columbia Valley UGA Park x Trails Bay to Baker Trail (Kendall to x Limestone Rd.) , 3 miles Bay to Baker Trail (Maple Falls/Glacier) x – 1.8 mile addition to existing trail Bay to Baker Trail (Glacier to dense x development to the east), 1.5 miles Bay to Baker Trail (Kendall/Maple x Falls), 3 miles Trail (Deming/Kendall), 10 miles x Sumas Mountain Trail, 7 miles x Activity East County Regional Resource x Centers Center Sheriff’s Satellite office in Columbia Valley x Facilities town center
Whatcom County generally provides passive recreational facilities and programs of countywide and regional significance. Options for providing neighborhood and community park and recreation facilities and services include but are not limited to local recreation service areas (RCW 36.68) and recreation service districts (RCW 36.69), along with local neighborhood and community associations.
4-4 Foothills Subarea Plan, Chapter 4 – May 2011
Foothills Subarea Plan Goals, Policies, and Programs Goal CF1 – Concentrate urban growth in the Columbia Valley UGA, creating a diverse mix of land uses and resulting in the provision of a full spectrum of urban services, including water, sanitary sewerage, storm drainage, law enforcement, fire protection, libraries, schools, parks, public transit and other similar services.
Policy
CF1-A Invest in capital facilities to keep pace with increases in demand in the UGA.
CF1-B Seek public and/or private funding to supplement County spending on capital facilities in the UGA.
Goal CF2 – Enhance the Rural Communities of Deming, Kendall, Maple Falls, and Glacier as vital, vibrant and distinct areas, within which the community can meet, mingle, shop and take care of daily errands.
Policy
CF2-A Invest in capital improvements consistent with small town character.
CF2-B Provide public spaces (which include restrooms) in which residents and visitors can gather near town centers.
Goal CF3 – Provide for increased employment opportunities in the Foothills.
Policy
CF3-A Provide adequate roadway and multimodal access to likely employment sites.
CF3-B Provide public parking nodes to support increased use of commercial areas, encouraging the use of permeable surfaces.
Goal CF4 – Recognize and encourage a high level of cultural and social diversity in the Foothills.
Policy
CF4-A Encourage Whatcom County to invest in public parks and trails with appropriate accessibility to the public.
Goal CF5 – Enhance resident and visitor access to the Foothills’ recreational opportunities.
Policy
CF5-A Invest in the acquisition and maintenance of parks and trails in the subarea.
4-5 Foothills Subarea Plan, Chapter 4 – May 2011
Map 4.1: County Capital Facilities
4-6 Foothills Subarea Plan, Chapter 5 – May 2011
5 Utilities
Existing Conditions Utility service in the Foothills Subarea varies in breadth and quality. One area may be provided with water from a water district but operate a septic system for their wastewater, while another area may be provided with both sewer and water service. Much of the area does not have high speed internet access or cellular phone service.
Water Districts The Columbia Valley Urban Growth Area (UGA) is served by Whatcom County Water District No. 13 and the Columbia Valley Water District (formerly known as Evergreen Water-Sewer District No. 19). Water District 13 provides water & sewer service and the Columbia Valley Water District provides only water service at the current time.
Water District 13 was established in 1975 to serve the Peaceful Valley development. According to the State Department of Health drinking water database, Water District 13 is approved for 1,338 total connections and served 361 existing connections as of September 2013. This leaves capacity for 977 additional approved connections. Additionally, Water District 13 installed meters in 2005-07. In other areas around the County, water usage has come down when meters are installed and a rate structure implemented that charges more when additional water is used. These measures lead to repairing leaky pipes and generally result in water conservation. The District’s engineer has estimated that the District may be able to gain approval for about 300 additional water connections, with their existing water rights, because of conservation measures. Water District No. 13 has two tanks with a total storage capacity of 300,000 gallons. The District draws groundwater from two wells to serve its customers. Potable water has not been treated in the past.
The predecessor of the Columbia Valley Water District (formerly known as Evergreen Water-Sewer District No. 19), the Paradise Lakes Country Club water association, operated the water system from its inception in 1971 until 2003, when Evergreen Water-Sewer District took over the system. The Columbia Valley Water District provides water service to the Paradise Lakes Country Club subdivision and the Camper’s Paradise recreational development. The Columbia Valley Water District 2013 Water System Plan Update estimates that the District serves 974 equivalent residential units (ERUs in 2013 and will serve 1,242 ERUs by 2030 (p.36), which would be an increase of 268 ERUs. The Water System Plan finds that the District will have adequate water to serve development through the 2030 planning horizon (pp. 45-47 and 53). . The Columbia Valley Water District has four tanks with a total storage capacity of 762,000 gallons. The District draws groundwater from three wells to serve its customers. Potable water is chlorinated immediately after drawing it from the source. There is no other treatment of the water.
5-1 Foothills Subarea Plan, Chapter 5 – May 2011
Table 5.1 – Additional Water connections to serve the UGA
District Additional Connections
Water District 13: 977
Columbia Valley Water 268 District):
Total: 1,245
Approximately 515 additional dwelling units would be needed in the Columbia Valley Urban Growth Area (UGA) to accommodate the projected population growth over the planning period (2006-2029). It appears that the water districts currently serving the UGA will, with planned water conservation measures and planned system improvements, be able to serve the anticipated population growth.
Water purveyors serving the Small Towns include the Deming Water Association, Maple Falls Water Coop and the Glacier Water District.
The Deming Water Association was formed in 1979, at which time the Association assumed responsibility for operation of an existing water system serving the Deming Community. This water system has been in existence since the early 1900s. According to the State Department of Health drinking water database, the Deming Water Association served 89 existing connections as of July 2006, but is not approved for additional connections. The Association service membership is a mixture of residential, business (food and commercial services), agricultural, medical, institutional (public education facilities, church, and library), and Nooksack Tribal facilities (educational, administration, and human service offices). Required improvements to the system include replacement of the aging distribution system with new and larger diameter pipes, valves, and service meters (the Deming Water Association also plans to install fire hydrants, even though they are not required by the State). Deming Water Association draws water, which is treated by chlorination and ultra-violet light, from a groundwater spring field to serve its members and has one tank with a total storage capacity of 237,000 gallons.
The Maple Falls Water Coop was formed in 1947. According to the State Department of Health drinking water database, the Maple Falls Water Coop is approved for 188 total connections and served 90 existing connections as of July 2006. This leaves capacity for 98 additional connections. Maple Falls Water Coop draws groundwater, which does not require treatment, from two wells and a well field to serve its customers and has two tanks with a total storage capacity of 88,000 gallons. The District completed its metering program in 1999 by installing meters on all active services.
The Glacier Water District was formed in 1975, at which time it took over operation of several smaller water systems. According to the State Department of Health drinking water database, Glacier Water District is approved for 1,165 total connections and served 581 existing connections as of July 2006. This leaves capacity for 584 additional connections. Glacier Water District draws groundwater, which does not require treatment, from two wells to serve its customers and has one tank with a total storage capacity of 500,000 gallons. The District completed its metering program in 1998 by installing meters on all active services.
5-2 Foothills Subarea Plan, Chapter 5 – May 2011
The water systems serving the Small Towns are currently adequate to serve future growth, with the exception of the Deming Water Association. However, growth in Deming over the 20-year planning period is expected to be modest and there is a proposed project in this Subarea Plan to upgrade the Deming Water Association water distribution system to Department of Health Standards.
There are a number of other public water systems in the Foothills Subarea, including systems serving: Deming Speedway, Mt. Baker School District # 507, Hollingsworth Water Association, Carol’s Coffee Cup, Teamousey Teapot, Riverview Water Association, North Fork Brewery, Kendall Creek Salmon Hatchery, Black Mountain Ranch, Kendall Grocery, Red Mountain Estates, Camp Black Mountain, Silver Lake Park, the Glen Community Association, Shady Ridge Association, Cascade West Recreation Club, Mt. Baker Baptist Camp, and Glacier Springs.
Sewer Districts Whatcom County Water District No. 13 provides sanitary sewer service to a portion of the Columbia Valley UGA. The District’s comprehensive sewer plan was updated in 2012. The sewer plan contains plans to serve new urban growth in the portion of the UGA that is within the District’s boundaries over the 20-year planning period.
There are no other purveyors that provide sanitary sewer service in the Foothills Subarea as of 2010.
Power Puget Sound Energy (PSE) provides electrical service in the Foothills. A 115 KV transmission line extends power to the Foothills area, through Deming and north through Kendall. At Kendall, a 55 KV transmission line travels east along the Mount Baker Highway to serve Maple Falls, Glacier and beyond. Puget Sound Energy has one transmission substation in Kendall at the intersection of the transmission line that heads north through the Columbia Valley UGA and the one that serves areas east of Kendall. The Nooksack Falls power plant, located east of the subarea, provides power to the Puget Sound Energy grid.
Television, Phone and Cellular Services Comcast provides digital cable service to a portion of the subarea.
Verizon is the only company that provides landline phone services to the Foothills.
Deming has two towers that provide signals to cellular users. Beyond Deming, however, cellular phone service is spotty. Only one cellular tower exists near the remaining communities in the Foothills and it is centrally located in the Foothills between Glacier, Kendall and Mosquito Lake Road.
This lack of cellular phone service in the Foothills has become an issue many residents are concerned about. In late 2006, the Foothills Subarea Plan Advisory Committee crafted a questionnaire to encourage further public comment in the subarea planning process. It was distributed to land owners in the Foothills and the results were tabulated in the “Foothills Subarea Plan Questionnaire Report” (January 2007). Nearly 80 percent of respondents indicated they were concerned about the lack of cellular phone service in the Foothills. With more and more residents living in the Foothills year-round, cellular phone service could become a very important feature for the area.
5-3 Foothills Subarea Plan, Chapter 5 – May 2011
Stormwater There is currently no stormwater utility in the Foothills. Although, with future development planned in the Columbia Valley UGA, a stormwater utility may be necessary in the future. There are policies to encourage use of low impact development (LID) techniques in the Columbia Valley UGA (Policy LU9-D in chapter 2, Goal EN1 in chapter 11 and Policy EN1-K in chapter 11). LID is a stormwater management strategy that emphasizes conservation and use of existing natural site features integrated with small-scale stormwater controls to more closely mimic natural water movement patterns.
Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan Goals and Policies The Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan’s utilities goals and policies are designed to reinforce coordination between providers and the County. This subarea plan proposes no amendments to any of them.
Utilities Issues The planning process brought into focus these important issues regarding utilities:
• Perhaps the greatest utilities challenge will be to offer sustained sanitary sewer service to the Columbia Valley UGA. Population increase and the threat to surface and ground water quality will demand it.
• Communication by cell phone is not available throughout much of the subarea. This is a public safety, economic development and convenience issue.
• Stormwater and surface runoff has been managed rather informally, with drainage percolating into the soil or discharging into streams and rivers untreated. Increased development, particularly in the Columbia Valley, will necessitate a more sophisticated approach.
• Water providers in Maple Falls and Glacier are capable of providing services to the forecast population. However, the Deming Water Association may require significant investment to increase system capacity.
• As the winter of 2006/2007 demonstrated, the Foothills subarea is vulnerable to power outages.
5-4 Foothills Subarea Plan, Chapter 5 – May 2011
Foothills Subarea Plan Goals, Policies and Programs Goal U1 – Concentrate urban growth in the Columbia Valley UGA, creating a diverse mix of land uses and resulting in the provision of a full spectrum of urban services, including water, sanitary sewerage, storm drainage, law enforcement, fire protection, libraries, schools, parks, public transit and other similar services. Policy U1-A Encourage sewer system reinvestment to expand sanitary sewer provision in the entire UGA consistent with anticipated increases in development intensity.
U1-B Facilitate collaboration between the water districts serving the Columbia Valley to provide water and wastewater treatment at urban levels of service.
U1-C Encourage water and sewer districts to program service for planned urban growth in the Columbia Valley UGA when formulating/updating water system plans and comprehensive sewer plans.
U1-D Encourage and facilitate completion of capital facilities planning by special districts, which serve the UGA, by 2012.
U1-E Encourage capital facilities plans to reflect existing levels of service throughout the UGA.
Goal U2 – Enhance the small towns of Deming, Kendall, Maple Falls, and Glacier as vital, vibrant and distinct areas, within which the community can meet, mingle, shop and take care of daily errands. Policy
U2-A Encourage upgrading the Deming water system as necessary to serve their needs.
Goal U3 – Provide for increased employment opportunities in the Foothills. Policy
U3-A Facilitate investment in the communications infrastructure to provide cellular service and high-speed Internet access.
U3-B Ensure water supply and wastewater treatment are adequate and appropriate for likely light impact industrial or commercial development.
Goal U4 – Improve reliability of utility service in the Foothills Policy U4-A Use an arborist and forester to review and revise tree planting and maintenance policies in state and County rights of way near overhead utility lines including, but not limited to, wind screens, silviculture, replacement plantings, and preserving visual buffering.
U4-B Work with utility providers to increase network redundancy, providing alternate routing or looped system design to make it less vulnerable to failure.
5-5 Foothills Subarea Plan, Chapter 5 – May 2011
U4-C Facilitate provision of power sources that are in alignment with the community’s vision and rural character, emphasizing small-scale renewable energy. Strongly discourage large-scale projects that primarily provide energy to areas outside the Foothills Subarea that are detrimental to the natural resources and rural character of the Subarea.
U4-D Collaborate with communications providers to decrease the system’s vulnerability to weather extremes.
U4-E Facilitate emergency planning among utility providers.
Goal U5 – Protect surface and ground water quality and quantity and sensitive habitat areas throughout the subarea, consistent with best available science. Policy U5-A Encourage all public water providers to implement conservation programs.
U5-B Encourage provision of sanitary sewer in the Columbia Valley UGA to protect the ground water resource.
U5-C Sewer lines should not be located outside of the Columbia Valley UGA, except in those limited circumstances shown to be necessary to protect basic public health and safety and the environment. Any such extension must be financially supportable at rural densities and must not permit urban development.
Goal U6 – Ensure the Foothills subarea remains a safe place in which to reside, operate a business, and visit. Policy U6-A Collaborate with communications providers to expand cellular telephone and high speed Internet service in the Foothills.
5-6 Foothills Subarea Plan, Chapter 6 – May 2011
6 Transportation
Movement
The Foothills Subarea relies on the automobile. It is a remote and mostly rural place, with residents traveling to other places to work, shop or take care of other daily activities. The following paragraphs describe how people and goods move about.
Road Network
Mt Baker Highway (SR 542) and Kendall Road (SR 547) are the two main routes through the Foothills. Of the two, Mt Baker Highway is busier, accommodating approximately 8,000-9,000 average daily trips at Deming in 2006. The highway accesses all four of the subarea’s Rural Communities, acting as “Main Street” for Maple Falls and Glacier. It dead-ends at the base of Artist’s Point, Milepost 57.26. SR 547 links Kendall to Sumas, running north through the Columbia Valley and exiting the planning area north of Sumas Mountain. State highways in the subarea are two-lane roads, and generally have speed limits ranging from 40-55 miles per hour (20 mph in a school zone). There are numerous intersections with these highways, from private driveways to County road and State Route intersections.
A collection of County roads also serves the planning area. Mosquito Lake Road links SR 542 to the southern reaches of the subarea, and Silver Lake Road links Maple Falls to Silver Lake Park and the northern reaches of the planning area. The County roads generally parallel the courses of the valleys, providing local access to land that isn’t served by the state highways.
There are also networks of private roads traversing the rural, forested hillsides. Large-lot, isolated home sites and forestland rely on these unpaved private roads for access. The Peaceful Valley development is also served by a private road system.
Pedestrian Movement
People walk, but their walking trips are generally limited to those in and around the Rural Communities and along neighborhood streets and cul-de-sacs in the Columbia Valley. The dispersion of land uses throughout the subarea limits walking, and the lack of a trail system interconnecting the Rural Communities discourages any long-distance walking.
Participants in the workshops noted that they would walk more if they felt it was safe. They also noted, however, that it would be unrealistic to plan for this largely rural community to rely solely on walking for the majority of its transportation needs. The places people need to go are just spaced too far apart, and the weather is not always conducive to being on foot.
Bicycle Movement
Bicycling on Mt Baker Highway and Kendall Road can be dangerous. The roadway shoulders are narrow, visibility is limited in places, vehicle speeds are high, and the curves are tight. There are no bike lanes, and cyclists must share the road with cars, trucks and buses.
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accommodate future growth, it will be necessary to ensure that all development fully mitigate their traffic impacts.
Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan Goals and Policies
The Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan contains an extensive collection of transportation goals and policies. This subarea plan proposes no revisions to those goals and policies, but includes a collection of goals and policies to supplement them for the Foothills.
Level-of-Service Standards
Whatcom County and the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) have adopted level of service standards for their roadways, as noted in the County’s comprehensive plan. Level of service standards are a measure of traffic congestion along a roadway or at an intersection. New development has the potential to impact the transportation system. Specific mitigation appropriate to development will need to be identified as growth occurs.
Planning Issues
The Foothills Subarea is unique in its transportation planning issues. Such a large number of people living either in concentrated developments or on large lots of five, ten, or more acres complicates transportation planning strategies. Issues within the subarea are diverse and interconnected.
• Location is a primary constraint for successful transportation planning in the subarea. Since the Foothills is such a remote area, movement is primarily by personal vehicle. As populations have increased in both rural and more concentrated developments, these vehicle trips have increased and will continue to increase with future growth unless alternative forms of transportation are readily available.
• Pedestrian/bicycle travel can be a hazardous form of transportation when these travelers are navigating a narrow shoulder next to high speed roads and highways. In many cases, pedestrian/bicycle routes between residential and commercial areas are along high-speed roads and highways. These paths are not very inviting or safe for non-vehicular travel.
• There is a lack of non-vehicular connection between Rural Communities in the subarea. Most travel within the subarea must be done by vehicle. Alternatives to vehicular travel — trails, bicycle paths, bicycle lanes — would make the Foothills a more multi-modal subarea.
• Public transportation is beginning to take hold in the subarea but due to the long trip from the Paradise Lakes and Peaceful Valley areas to Bellingham and other factors, it isn’t often the most attractive option for commuters.
Planning Concept
The emphasis for transportation planning in this subarea plan is on enhancing multi-modal options near and between areas of population concentration, increasing connections between commercial areas, and improving existing transportation facilities to make them safer for both subarea residents and visitors.
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Pedestrian and Bicycle Movement
Many of the transportation projects in this plan’s implementation chapter are related to development of trail systems and bike lanes for safe pedestrian and bicycle travel throughout the subarea. Most improvements designed for pedestrians are inherently suitable for bicycle travel, serving a dual purpose. Improvements to pedestrian/bicycle facilities may reduce the number of short to medium-distance vehicular trips throughout the subarea.
During the early public participation phase of this planning process participants suggested more people would ride their bikes to park-and-rides if such new facilities provided safe places to lock up bicycles. This plan’s goals and policies encourage innovative solutions to enhance the subarea’s multi-modal capability.
Automotive Movement
Personal automobile use will likely continue to be the method of choice for longer trips out of the subarea. The goals and policies in this plan are intended to encourage other modes of travel for shorter trips within the subarea. They also serve to address the conflicts between pedestrian/bicycle traffic and automotive traffic by encouraging segregated traveling routes for motorized and non-motorized travel. The plan suggests lowering speed limits in areas where motorized and non-motorized movement conflicts are unavoidable and encourages maintaining the existing capacity of the road systems in the subarea, preferring two lane highways over four-lane highways. Specifically identified developer contributions and/or improvements will be required to mitigate the impacts on the system that result from growth.
Freight Movement
Freight movement will likely continue to be truck-based. With potential increased light impact industrial development in the Columbia Valley UGA, freight trip frequency and the quantity of goods moved through the subarea will likely increase.
Public Transportation
The policies throughout this plan suggest that as population increases, public transportation service should be increased to match the demand for service. Movement between population concentrations and commercial centers within the subarea will be the next area of need for public transportation services. When pedestrian and/or bicycle travel is not an option — during cold winter months, for example — public transportation will become increasingly important for safe movement through the subarea. This public transportation network, for travel within the subarea, will also be important for low-income families who may not be able to afford having and maintaining a personal vehicle for each driving-age member of the household.
Demand Management/Transportation Improvements
The strategy for managing the subarea’s future demand for transportation facilities is primarily focused on enhancing transportation option diversity, not on increasing road capacity. The emphasis on multi-modal options in the Columbia Valley UGA and throughout the subarea will provide transportation choices and alternatives to the use of personal vehicles on the area’s roads. Also, increasing the safety of state highways and county roads through the potential use of traffic signals, roundabouts and the addition of bike lanes to major routes will increase the capacity of the road (for non-motorized vehicles) and the overall safety of the routes for motorized and non-motorized travelers alike.
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The arrangement of land uses in the Columbia Valley UGA will help to encourage multi-modal movement by creating a comfortable environment in which walking and biking become a relatively quick and enjoyable form of travel.
Consistency with Regional Plans
This plan’s preparation and adoption include review by responsible regional transportation agencies. To the extent possible the plan incorporates and is consistent with current regional transportation planning. Transportation impacts will be evaluated and mitigated as growth occurs.
Proposed New Roads and Facilities
Neither the Whatcom County nor the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) have any new roads planned for the Foothills Subarea. Both agencies, however, have a number of both large projects and small maintenance projects planned for the subarea.
WSDOT has planned the following road projects, which will serve Foothills Subarea traffic, within a six-year period (by 2016):
Relocate sections of SR542 away from the Nooksack River, generally between Deming and Glacier;
Roundabout at SR542 and Smith Rd.; and
Roundabout at SR542 and Lawrence Rd. (Nugent’s Corner).
Additionally, the following road projects are recommended in the Foothills Subaera during the remainder of the planning period (2017 to 2029). The State is encouraged to consider incorporating these projects (or functionally equivalent projects) into their transportation plan once adequate funding is identified.
Facility/Improvement Location Intersection consolidation. Roundabout or Traffic Signal. SR542 and SR 547
Traffic signal with permitted/protected left-turn phasing. SR542 and SR9 (Valley Hwy)
New facilities and improvements may be paid for through a number of funding mechanisms provided by the County, Regional Transportation Planning Organization, state, federal government and private development.
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Foothills Subarea Plan Goals and Policies Goal T1 – Preserve the natural beauty, open spaces, rural character and slow, rural pace of life in the Foothills, prized by long-term residents and newcomers alike. Policy
T1-A Discourage roadway construction on steep slopes, except in accordance with the Whatcom County Code and the Forest Practices Act.
T1-B Protect the intrinsic qualities of Mt. Baker Highway and other arterial and collector roads in the subarea, including scenic, historic, archaeological, recreational, cultural and natural features.
T1-C Preserve the scenic value of the Mount Baker Highway corridor by preserving mature vegetation along the corridor where possible and where it does not interfere with sight distance and other safety standards.
T1-D Retain the rural character of the Foothill Subarea by coordinating and cooperating with the State of Washington in retaining 2-lane roads. This policy does not prevent construction of turn lanes, merging lanes, deceleration lanes and similar features, required to accommodate safety and growth.
T1-E Preserve mature trees and unique wildlife habitats and other elements of the natural environment during the design and construction of County and State road improvement projects.
Goal T2 – Concentrate urban growth in the Columbia Valley UGA, creating a diverse mix of land uses and resulting in the provision of a full spectrum of urban services, including water, sanitary sewerage, storm drainage, law enforcement, fire protection, libraries, schools, parks, public transit and other similar services. Policy
T2-A Study the Columbia Valley UGA to identify the multimodal transportation improvements and strategies necessary to create a viable city.
T2-B Encourage appropriate low impact development best management practices for stormwater in street and trail design to protect surface and ground water.
Goal T3 – Enhance the Rural Communities of Deming, Kendall, Maple Falls, and Glacier as vital, vibrant and distinct areas, within which the community can meet, mingle, shop and take care of daily errands. Policy
T3-A Create and adopt a set of small town commercial district design guidelines, in conjunction with WSDOT and Whatcom County, that provide clear direction on the design and allocation of transportation rights of way.
T3-B Promote parking nodes to accommodate housing, retail, and community cultural events and encourage use of permeable surfaces.
T3-C Encourage multimodal transportation facilities, including options such as park and rides.
Goal T4 – Provide for increased employment opportunities in the Foothills.
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Policy
T4-A Encourage road improvements (including all-weather roads) to serve development of light impact industrial or business park land uses in the Columbia Valley UGA.
T4-B Encourage development of multimodal access to potential light impact industrial or business park sites in the Columbia Valley UGA.
T4-C Maintain and improve a multi-modal transportation system that facilitates economic development, provides mobility for people and goods, and reduces air pollution.
Goal T5 – Recognize and encourage a high level of cultural and social diversity in the Foothills. Policy
T5-A Encourage bicycling and walking as a way to invite Foothills residents into public spaces and commercial enterprises.
T5-B Provide convenient access to public squares and other similar types of public gathering spaces in a central location in the Rural Communities and in the town center of the Columbia Valley UGA
Goal T6 – Enhance resident and visitor access to the Foothills’ recreational opportunities. Policy
T6-A Collaborate with local businesses, landowners, and home-owners associations to provide public parking near trailheads in the Columbia Valley UGA and small town commercial districts.
T6-B Develop recurring and dedicated funding for non-motorized transportation system improvements to be implemented through public and private road construction or improvement programs.
T6-C Bikeways and pedestrian walkways should be included as integral parts of the Whatcom County park and recreation system.
Goal T7 – Provide a network of recreation and transportation-oriented trails interconnecting the Columbia Valley UGA and Rural Communities and linking populated areas to recreational open spaces. Policy
T7-A Designate trails linking the communities in a comprehensive trails plan and prioritize and program their improvement.
T7-B Collaborate with the community to confirm trail alignments and acquire necessary rights of way.
T7-C Identify and designate accessible trails for the disabled, pedestrians, bicyclists, and equestrians.
T7-D Whenever practical, bikeways proposed in new developments should connect with the planned bikeways in the Whatcom County Bicycle Plan, Whatcom County Trails Plan or in the Parks and Recreation chapter of this subarea plan.
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Goal T8 – Protect surface and ground water quality and quantity and sensitive habitat areas throughout the subarea. Policy
T8-A Encourage appropriate low impact development best management practices for stormwater in street and trail design to protect surface and groundwater.
T8-B Minimize the amount of impervious surfaces by designing and constructing lower impact and narrower travel lanes or implementing other, more creative roadway design techniques.
Goal T9 – Ensure the Foothills subarea remains a safe place in which to reside, operate a business, and visit. Policy
T9-A Coordinate with WSDOT to design and install roadway improvements to enhance traveler safety and mobility, such as pull-outs.
T9-B Resist pressure to increase roadway width to accommodate increased automobile demand. Expand roadway shoulders or construct trails as necessary to accommodate increased pedestrian and bicycle use using safe and pervious surfaces where possible.
Goal T10 – Implement a concise, equitable and practical set of land use regulations intended to carry out the goals, policies and proposals of the Foothills Subarea Plan in a timely and orderly fashion.
Policy
T10-A Ensure that development includes safe vehicular access, including access for emergency vehicles.
T10-B Use impact fees to provide transit infrastructure including but not limited to park and rides.
Goal T11 – Develop a functional, coordinated and multi-modal transportation system which provides for the safe and efficient movement of people and goods, avoids undesirable environmental impacts, and optimizes public investments and the conservation of energy resources.
Policy
T11-A Potential vehicular/bicycle/pedestrian conflicts should be avoided by providing for bicycle and pedestrian ways between commercial uses.
T11-B Speed limits should be thirty miles per hour to provide safe multi-modal transportation in Rural Community areas.
T11-C Promote and encourage the provision of public transit as demand increases in the Foothills Subarea.
T11-D Include bikeways and/or pedestrian walkways as an integral part of the transportation system.
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T11-E When an engineered traffic study for proposed new development is required, it should incorporate a weekend analysis if the development would generate peak volumes on a weekend.
T11-F When an engineered traffic study for proposed new development is required, consider evaluating impacts on intersections both within and outside of the Foothills Subarea. Whatcom County will determine the intersections to be studied, in consultation with WSDOT and affected cities.
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Foothills Subarea Plan, Chapter 6 – May 2011
Map 6.1: Transportation – State/County Road Functional Class
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Foothills Subarea Plan, Chapter 6 – May 2011
Map 6.2: Whatcom Transportation Authority (WTA) Transit Route
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Foothills Subarea Plan, Chapter 7 – May 2011
70B Economics
Background1B
Traditionally, the Foothills economy was made up of forestry and mining. Natural resources utilization has been a part of the Foothills since the first settlers arrived in the area and struck gold in 1897. As of the adoption of the 1988 Foothills Subarea Plan, there were approximately 70 businesses in the Foothills area (The Foothills Subarea — Background Document, June 1988, page 84). Only five of these businesses were logging firms and three were mineral extraction firms. Since then, the Foothills has shifted to a more recreation-based economy, catering to the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest and Mt. Baker Ski Area visitors. But, most of the community’s jobs are found in the Government sector (which includes Tribal employment) and many residents, unable to find work in the subarea, commute 30 minutes or more to western Whatcom County or Sumas to work.
Foothills2B Economy
ECONorthwest conducted a ―Foothills Subarea Economic Analysis‖ dated June 12, 2007. The analysis provided a context for this chapter and economic growth in the subarea, identified the subarea’s strengths and weaknesses, and formulated an employment forecast for the Foothills.
Employment7B Trends
1 In 2005, the Foothills Subarea had 1,293 ―covered‖F F jobs at 163 establishments, with an average of about 8 jobs per establishment. In 2005, the Foothills Subarea had approximately 1,571 total jobs (covered and non-covered employment).
Government employment includes federal, state, local, school and Tribal operations. Coupled with the sectors with the next largest employment — Accommodation, Food Services and Entertainment, Other Services, and Construction — the government sector and these industries account for a majority of the Subarea’s employment
1 Covered employment refers to jobs covered by unemployment insurance, which includes most wage and salary jobs but does not include sole proprietors, seasonal farm workers, and other classifications of employees. Covered employment for Whatcom County is only about 75 percent of total employment.
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Table 7.1 – Covered employment in the Foothills Subarea by sector and industry, 2005. Average Sector/Industry Employees Pay/Employee (in dollars) Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing, Hunting, and Mining 54 27,381 Forestry and Logging 34 28,495 Other Agriculture and Mining 20 25,488 Construction 75 22,124 Construction of Buildings 28 19,326 Specialty Trade Contractors 47 23,791 Manufacturing 36 28,031 Retail Trade 44 11,010 Gasoline Stations 30 11,552 Other Retail Trade 14 9,847 Transportation, Utilities, and Wholesale Trade 22 22,041 Real Estate, Professional, Administrative, and Health 23 22,267 Services Accommodation, Food Services and Entertainment 101 12,569 Food Services and Drinking Places 59 11,586 Other Accommodation and Entertainment 42 13,949 Other Services 91 13,350 Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar 35 19,095 Organizations Private Households 56 9,760 Government, Tribal and School 847 29,842 Total 1,293 25,823 Source: “Foothills Subarea Economic Analysis,” ECONorthwest, June 12, 2007, p. 7.
The average pay for covered employment in Whatcom County was approximately $31,100 in 2005. The subarea’s average was $25,823. The sectors with the highest average pay per employee were Government, Manufacturing, and Agriculture/Forestry/Fishing/Hunting/Mining. The sectors with the lowest average pay per employee were Retail Trade, Accommodation, Food Services and Entertainment, and Other Services.
The economic composition of the subarea is substantially different from that of the rest of the county. The Foothills has a disproportionately large amount of covered employment in the government sector— 66 percent in the subarea compared to 17 percent for the rest of the County. However, much of this government sector employment is attributable to school and Tribal employment in Deming near the western edge of the Subarea.
Business8B Activity
In researching the subarea’s largest contributors to the economy, ECONorthwest interviewed area stakeholders. They found that some of the largest employers in and adjacent to the subarea included: Mount Baker Ski Area, The Nooksack River Casino in Deming, Mount Baker School District, Contemporary Design Company (an exercise equipment manufacturer) in Glacier, and IGA at Nugent’s Corner (just outside of the subarea). In addition to large employers, stakeholders indicated that small businesses, especially home-based businesses or mom-and-pop businesses are significant to the Foothills economy and tourism continues to be an important component.
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Strengths9B and Weaknesses
As part of the economic analysis, ECONorthwest identified strengths and weaknesses of the Foothills Subarea. Among the subarea’s strengths were:
Relative housing cost. The median housing cost in the Foothills ($163,000) was less than the median housing cost for the whole county ($260,500) in 2006. By 2009, the Whatcom County median home price had declined to slightly below 2006 levels. Tourism. According to retail sales data from the Washington Department of Revenue, the subarea produced about $9.8 million in tax revenue from sources typically associated with tourism, including Accommodations, Food Services and Retail Trade. This accounts for 56 percent of the retail sales tax collected in the Foothills Subarea in 2005. Government employment. The majority of jobs in the subarea are government positions. As population in the subarea continues to grow, so may the number of government jobs. Access to outdoor recreation. Aside from the attraction of second-home buyers and tourists, the subarea’s recreation scene could potentially be an attractive feature for firms wishing to relocate to the subarea. Potential availability of unskilled labor. The majority of the subarea’s workforce commutes 30 minutes or more to work. It is likely that if attractive, family wage jobs were available in the Foothills, some of these commuters would choose to work in the subarea. The subarea also has a larger share of working-age people than the county average, which suggests that the Foothills has access to unskilled labor. The study also discussed the subarea’s weaknesses.
Location of the subarea and access to transportation. The subarea is located a significant distance from the main north-south corridor along the west coast — Interstate-5. This distance creates a disadvantage for development of Light Industrial — manufacturing and warehousing — because it is difficult for companies to get their products to the major shipping routes. Lack of diversity of the economy. With a higher than average share of government jobs in the subarea, the economy tends to rely on government employment. Availability of high wage jobs. Government jobs do pay well but beyond that, the subarea has a shortage of high-paying jobs. Residents will commute to Bellingham or elsewhere in the county if it means that they can make a higher wage. Availability of skilled labor. Since the pool of available labor in the subarea is so small, and residents of the subarea are less likely to have a college degree than residents of the entire County, there is a likely shortage of skilled labor in the subarea, which may be a constraining factor in attracting firms. Availability of high speed Internet. Not only was this one of the community’s major concerns in the public participation element of drafting this plan, but also it is a concern for future economic development in the subarea. Many businesses today rely heavily on the Internet. Lack of Internet service may discourage professional services and online retailers from locating in parts of the subarea.
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Employment10B Forecast
Based on analysis conducted by ECONorthwest, the Foothills Subarea had an estimated 1,571 total employees in 2005 (including both covered and non-covered employees). Economic conditions, trends, and forecasts for the Foothills Subarea and Whatcom County show several key points that affect the likely level and type of future employment growth in the Subarea:
The majority of covered employment in the Subarea is in government sectors. The majority of government employment is generally local government, especially schools, and Tribal operations. Total covered employment in Whatcom County grew at an average annual rate of 3.97 percent between 1981 and 2005, a faster rate than for the rest of the population. As a result, the County’s ratio of population to jobs fell from 3.4 in 1981 to 2.2 in 2005. The subarea has about 1.8 percent of Whatcom County’s total covered employment and 3.7 percent of the County’s total population. The County’s adopted forecast for the subarea projects a 0.98 percent annual population growth between 2006 and 2029. The Washington State Employment Department predicts that employment in Whatcom County will grow by 14,400 jobs (1.74 percent annual growth) between 2004 and 2014. About 60 percent (8,600 new jobs) of the growth is expected to be in Retail and Service sectors, 22 percent (3,100 new jobs) in industrial sectors, and 19 percent (2,700 new jobs) in government. The individual sectors with the largest forecast growth are: Government (2,700), Professional and Business Services (2,200), Education and Health Services (2,000), Construction (1,900), and Retail Trade (1,700). Table 7.2 – Employment forecasts by land use type, Foothills Subarea 2007- 2007- 2007 Percent 2017 2027 Percent Land Use Type 2017 2027 Total of Total Total Total of Total Growth Growth Low Forecast Retail and Services 428 27% 547 620 30% 119 192 Industrial 221 14% 274 310 15% 53 89 Government 962 60% 1,003 1,136 55% 41 174 Total Employment 1,611 100% 1,824 2,065 100% 213 454 Medium Forecast Retail and Services 432 27% 580 690 30% 148 258 Industrial 223 14% 290 345 15% 67 122 Government 971 60% 1,064 1,265 55% 93 294 Total Employment 1,626 100% 1,934 2,300 100% 308 674 High Forecast Retail and Services 437 27% 623 786 30% 186 349 Industrial 226 14% 311 393 15% 85 167 Government 983 60% 1,142 1,440 55% 159 457 Total Employment 1,646 100% 2,076 2,619 100% 430 973
Source: “Foothills Subarea Economic Analysis,” ECONorthwest, June 12, 2007, p. 21.
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The above forecasts predict a shift in the type of employment among land use types over the twenty-year period. Employment will grow in each of the three land use types (Retail and Services, Industrial and Government). However, it is expected that the total share of Government employment, which is disproportionately high in the subarea, will decrease. Employment in Retail and Services will grow as populations grows. The share of Industrial employment will increase slightly. The employment in the Subarea will continue to grow, but may be hindered by the subarea’s locational disadvantages and lack of an existing industrial base. To give the UGA an edge to boost economic development, the Foothills Subarea Plan Advisory Committee (FSPAC) has suggested the following actions and policies:
Commercial development. The FSPAC recommended, and this Subarea Plan established, a ―Planned Town Center Designation‖ near the center of the UGA. This area, which was rezoned to General Commercial in 2009, is intended for commercial, a variety of residential housing types, and institutional mixed uses. Industrial development. The FSPAC recognizes the need for light impact industrial land uses within the Columbia Valley UGA. Therefore, the Subarea Plan contains a policy that supports a light industrial designation on the north side of the UGA to assure an adequate supply of prime light industrial sites within the UGA. With the addition of these policy decisions, it is likely that the UGA will experience faster employment growth than the rest of the subarea.
The ECONorthwest ―Foothills Subarea Economic Analysis‖ (June 12, 2007) suggested the subarea plan focus on:
Promoting tourism. The Foothills Subarea’s greatest assets are its proximity to the Mt. Baker- Snoqualmie National Forest and the recreational opportunities in the surrounding areas. The subarea would benefit economically from increased tourism. Policies to increase tourism may include working with private organizations to promote existing activities, developing events or festivals that attract visitors, or developing activities or attractions that draw visitors throughout the year. Preserve industrial land for industrial development. The Subarea Plan designates land in the Columbia Valley UGA for light industrial development. ECONorthwest recommends that the plan establish policies to preserve existing and new industrial land for industrial uses. Diversify the economy. The existing distribution of employment in the Foothills Subarea includes a disproportionately high share of government and Tribal employment. Diversifying employment in the Subarea will make the local economy less susceptible to economic or demographic changes that affect the Government sector. ECONorthwest recommends that the plan adopt policies that will help foster new businesses, such as business incubators. A business incubator is a facility, often run by a municipality or non-profit organization, to help start-up businesses enter the market. Incubators act to reduce costs to new businesses and, sometimes, to provide business development training. These facilities will offer below-market rents, shared access to common facilities and resources, and other benefits to entrepreneurs wishing assistance. Incubator tenants have a limited time in incubator facilities, encouraging them to get their operations up, running and profitable so they can afford market-rate space elsewhere, freeing up incubator space for other start-up businesses.
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Whatcom3B County Comprehensive Plan Goals and Policies
Much like the Foothills, Whatcom County’s policies tend toward diversifying the economy, providing more family wage jobs, and creating a strong infrastructure throughout the county. Many of the goals in the Comprehensive Plan are similar to those in the Foothills Subarea Plan and encourage communities in the County to all strive for economic success. The plan proposes that economic prosperity may be linked with a continued high quality of life.
Planning4B Issues
Early in the public participation portion of this process, the participants in workshops and respondents to a questionnaire identified some economic issues that they wanted this plan to address.
A lack of local, family wage jobs available for the residential population in the subarea. The subarea has a few retail stores and services but on the whole, especially in the easternmost portion of the subarea, the Foothills lack appropriate commercial development (grocery, restaurants, and general stores) and services (banking, medical, etc.). Infrastructure (high-speed Internet and cellular service) isn’t available for increased economic development in some parts of the subarea. Lack of a city center for business and civic activity. Employment should be increased in the subarea: home-based or cottage industries, resource- based industries, agriculture, and tourism. Some participants in the public process also indicated support for light industrial, technology-based and retail businesses in the subarea. Planning issues, as outlined in the previous sections, are largely related to the remoteness of the subarea. Its distance from Interstate-5 may pose challenges to future light industrial development as these types of companies often need quick access to major north-south corridors. The plan attempts to facilitate job growth by designating light industrial land within the Columbia Valley UGA and offering policies that will encourage light industrial development that is suitable to the Foothills unique circumstances.
Additionally, the subarea has limited access to high-speed Internet and cell phone services. Internet and cell phone access is essential for many firms that provide professional services or Internet-based services and also for business people visiting the Foothills. These Internet-based companies often locate in remote areas because of the quality of life and peaceful atmosphere. The Foothills is also an ideal place for workers to telecommute from, but without high-speed Internet access in parts of the Subarea, it is impossible to attract those types of home-based enterprise.
Planning5B Concept
The Foothills is in need of an economic boost. The planning concept in this element is about diversification of employment types in the subarea, increased telecommunications opportunities, and creation and expansion of light industrial development. The subarea needs family wage jobs to support the economic needs of the residents and additional commercial development to reduce residents travel to Bellingham. But, all this economic development cannot occur at the expense of the community’s desire to preserve the rural character, protect the environment, and sustain a high quality of life.
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Foothills6B Subarea Plan Goals and Policies Goal EC1 – Preserve the natural beauty, open spaces, rural character and slow, rural pace of life in the Foothills, prized by long-term residents and newcomers alike.
Policy
EC1-A Preserving forestry, agricultural and rural lands is especially important to maintaining a strong tourist industry in the Foothills Subarea.
Goal EC2 – Concentrate urban growth in the Columbia Valley UGA, creating a diverse mix of land uses and resulting in the provision of a full spectrum of urban services, including water, sanitary sewerage, storm drainage, law enforcement, fire protection, libraries, schools, parks, public transit and other similar services.
Policy
EC2-A Ensure a 20-year supply of Light Impact Industrial land in the Columbia Valley UGA.
EC2-B Assure a wide-range of land uses, services and choices are available for Columbia Valley UGA residents and businesses.
EC2-C Work with the Northwest Economic Council, Port of Bellingham, Foothills Chamber of Commerce, Foothills Community Development Association, local business and other organizations to promote the economic development potential and amenities of the Columbia Valley UGA.
EC2-D Facilitate development in the Columbia Valley if it meets the area's economic development, land use, environmental preservation, transportation and Columbia Valley UGA chapter goals and policies.
EC2-E Encourage public and private investment in public infrastructure to improve the economic base and accommodate growth.
EC2-F Support appropriate economic development efforts in east Whatcom County, recognizing the benefits gained by Columbia Valley residents when jobs are created in any part of the subarea.
EC2-G Economic development recruitment efforts in the Columbia Valley UGA should consider clean, low-water use industries, professional services and corporate headquarters which provide moderate to high wages.
Goal EC3 – Enhance the Rural Communities of Deming, Kendall, Maple Falls, and Glacier as vital, vibrant and distinct areas, within which the community can meet, mingle, shop and take care of daily errands.
Policy
EC3-A Work with the Northwest Economic Council, Port of Bellingham, Mount Baker Foothills Chamber of Commerce, Glacier Chamber of Commerce, Mount Baker Foothills Community Development Association, local business and other organizations to promote the economic development potential and amenities of the Small Town Commercial zones.
EC3-B Support appropriate economic development efforts in east Whatcom County, recognizing the benefits gained by subarea residents when jobs are created in any part of the subarea.
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Goal EC4 – Provide for increased employment opportunities in the Foothills.
Policy
EC4-A The County shall make it a high priority to support, and encourage the support of, existing local businesses.
EC4-B The County shall make it a high priority to encourage and support the creation of new local businesses that fill unfilled local economic niches.
EC4-C The County shall recruit or assist in the recruitment of non-local businesses in cases in which those businesses align with the community’s vision.
EC4-D Provide an adequate supply of development sites to accommodate anticipated employment growth within the public and private sectors, including appropriate parcel sizes, zoning, and other characteristics needed by firms likely to locate in the Foothills Subarea.
EC4-E Take actions to reduce costs and time for development permits. Adopt development regulations and land use plans that are clear and concise.
EC4-F Establish districts with tax abatements, loans, subsidized infrastructure, reduced regulations, or other incentives available to businesses in the district that meet criteria established by processes that implement this chapter’s goals and policies.
EC4-G Facilitate creation of low-cost space for use by new and expanding firms with shared office services, access to equipment, and networking opportunities.
EC4-H Provide low cost mentors and advice for local small businesses in the area of management, marketing, accounting, financing, and other business skills.
EC4-I Coordinate economic development efforts with residents, land owners, businesses, the County and the State so that clear and consistent policies are developed.
EC4-J Encourage a balanced and diversified economy in order to assure desirable local employment opportunities and to strengthen and stabilize the tax base.
EC4-K Work with the Mount Baker Foothills Chamber of Commerce, Glacier Chamber of Commerce, Mount Baker Foothills Community Development Association, merchants, property owners and local citizens to develop an "Implementation Plan" to carry out the goals and policies of the Economics chapter of the Foothills Subarea Plan.
EC4-L Promote the creation of family wage jobs.
EC4-M Encourage telecommuting by subarea residents whenever feasible.
EC4-N Encourage the creation of home offices in the Foothills Subarea.
EC4-O Provide programs and/or partner with other agencies to upgrade sub- standard single-family, multi-family and commercial properties.
EC4-P Promote new commercial businesses that retain commercial sales within the subarea.
EC4-Q Cooperate with the Chambers and Northwest Economic Council to maintain an adequate data base and staff to encourage and assist businesses in expanding or relocating within the subarea.
EC4-R Encourage businesses to seek local applicants for employments.
EC4-S Support future policies and implementation programs that result in rural
7-8 Foothills Subarea Plan, Chapter 7 – May 2011
Policy
economic development and diversification in the Foothills Subarea.
EC4-T Stimulate economic growth while promoting a high quality of life.
EC4-U Recognize and encourage commercial development which generates a high annual revenue return while protecting the natural and cultural environments and preserving or enhancing the quality of life in the community.
Goal EC5 – Improve reliability of utility service in the Foothills.
Policy
EC5-A Provide adequate public services (i.e. water and, in the UGA, sewer) and take action to assure adequate private utilities (i.e. electricity and communications) are provided to existing businesses and development sites.
EC5-B Provide public and private infrastructure to designated commercial and light impact industrial development sites.
EC5-C Provide high-speed communication infrastructure, including radio and the development of a fiber optic network (Internet).
Goal EC6 – Ensure the Foothills subarea remains a safe place in which to reside, operate a business, and visit.
Policy
EC6-A Make safety and crime prevention in business districts and through-out the subarea a priority.
7-9 Foothills Subarea Plan, Chapter 8 – May 2011
8 Resource Lands
From trees to fertile soil to mineral deposits, Whatcom County is rich with natural resources. The Foothills Subarea has a strong background in forestry, and the goals and policies in the Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan and Foothills Subarea Plan reinforce forestry’s persistence in the Foothills. Settlers harvested trees from the coast all the way into the North Cascades and today forestry is still important to the area. In fact, approximately 87 percent of the Foothills Subarea is designated forestry lands.
In addition to the forests, the Foothills Subarea is actively involved in mineral resource extraction. Limestone, olivine, and sand and gravel aggregate are currently the most common minerals excavated in the Foothills Subarea. There are five Mineral Resource Land (MRL) designations in the subarea. Sand and gravel mining occurs southeast of Kendall. Limestone products (crushed rock and stone) are mined from the quarry on the east side of Red Mountain, southwest of Silver Lake and, to a lesser degree, from the quarry on the west side of Red Mountain, north of Kendall. There is also a bedrock MRL located on the north side of South Pass Rd., but it is not being mined for commercial purposes at the present time. The Foothills is home to one of the largest deposits of olivine in the United States and a relatively small quarry is operated in the southeastern portion of the subarea, adjacent to the National Forest.
While berry crops and dairy farming characterize much of northern Whatcom County, the Foothills agricultural activities are primarily limited to small beef producers, horse farms and other rural farming lifestyle pursuits. However, these farming activities do not all occur on designated Agricultural lands. In fact, in the Foothills Subarea, there is only one area (south of Deming) that is designated Agricultural land. The Rural one dwelling/five acre and one dwelling/ten acre zones contain many of the small farm enterprises.
Resource lands are defined as lands that have a comprehensive plan designation of Commercial Forestry, Rural Forestry, Agriculture or Mineral Resource Lands. Resource lands comprise almost 90 percent of the land base in the Foothills Subarea, as shown below:
Table 8.1 - Resource Lands in the Foothills Subarea
Comprehensive Plan Designation Acres Percent of Subarea Commercial Forestry 98,735 74 Rural Forestry 16,980 13
Mineral Resource Lands 1,301 1 Agriculture 214 0.16 Source: Whatcom County.
Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan Goals and Policies
A number of Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan policies bear directly on resource lands in the Foothills. These policies are supported by the results of the Foothills subarea planning process, which displayed strong support for maintaining forestry and agricultural lands.
8-1 Foothills Subarea Plan, Chapter 8 – May 2011
Planning Issues
Natural resources have historically supported the Foothills economy. That is changing. More people are moving into the Foothills who rely on income from other sources. The following issues came into focus during the planning process, defined through Vision Week and subsequent public outreach activities:
While forestry in the Foothills is still going strong, the majority of Foothills residents now rely on jobs elsewhere and in other sectors. Much of the productive forest land in the Foothills is now regenerating, with trees allowed to mature before being harvested. About ½ of the designated Commercial Forestry and Rural Foresty land in the subarea is privately owned. Resource extraction also continues in the Foothills, and the existing mining operations intend to continue, providing aggregate and other mineral materials for road building and construction. Agricultural production also continues, but there is pressure to convert land in the valley floor to rural residential uses.
Planning Concept
Resource-based activities have been a consistent part of the Foothills since 1900. While economic prosperity has ebbed and flowed, and technology has forced certain changes, these industries continue. This subarea plan’s concept regarding resource-based industry is simply to let them be. Forest land is designated as forest land. Mineral extraction areas are designated as mineral resource lands. Agricultural land is designated as agricultural land. And all of these lands are protected by various regulations which are strengthened by the goals and policies presented in this plan and the Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan.
Foothills Subarea Plan Goals and Policies Goal RL1 – Conserve the natural resource lands of the Foothills Subarea for the continued production of food, minerals, forage and timber while promoting the expansion and stability of the County's agricultural and forestry economies.
Policy
RL1-A Protect lands that are designated Rural Forestry or Commercial Forestry in the Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan from encroachment by UGA expansion.
RL1-B Designated forestry, agriculture, and mineral resource lands should be protected from incompatible development with the intent of facilitating long- term commercial production of timber, food or agricultural products, or the extraction of minerals.
RL1-C Whatcom County shall discourage community facilities in the Commercial Forestry Comprehensive Plan designation, except dispersed recreational opportunities.
RL1-D When evaluating comprehensive plan amendments, rezones, and discretionary development permits, Whatcom County should discourage residential land uses in and adjacent to areas designated as Mineral Resource Lands with the intent of retaining future access and utilization options.
8-2 Foothills Subarea Plan, Chapter 8 – May 2011
RL1-E Forested areas shall be discouraged from conversion to other uses that might preclude continued forest management.
RL1-F The County will encourage the DNR to conduct public information programs, when jointly determined to be necessary, concerning forest practices that are proposed to occur within the Foothills Subarea.
8-3 Foothills Subarea Plan, Chapter 8 – May 2011
Map 8.1: Designated Resource Lands
8-4 Foothills Subarea Plan, Chapter 9 – May 2011
9 Recreation
In addition to the existing Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan Recreation Element, a Comprehensive Parks, Recreation and Open Space Plan guides development of recreational facilities in the county. Both plans include goals and policies for the maintenance and expansion of parks and recreation facilities in the county.
Existing Facilities
Existing parks, natural areas and conservation sites (open to the public), and recreation facilities in the Foothills Subarea include:
Table 9.1 Existing Park Facilities Facility Provider Parks Silver Lake Park, 412 acres Whatcom County
Deming Homestead Eagle Park, 33 acres
Welcome Bridge Access, .60 acres Natural Areas and Canyon Lake Community Forest, 2,266 Whatcom County Conservation Sites acres
Ostrom Conservation Site, 39 acres Trails Silver Lake Trail, 3.1 miles Whatcom County
Bay to Baker Trail (portions of the Maple Falls/Glacier segment), 4 miles
Canyon Lake Community Forest Trail, 4.5 miles
Ostrom Conservation Forest Trail, .66 miles
Deming Homestead Eagle Park Trail, .30 miles Senior Centers Welcome Senior Center Whatcom County
Play fields Kendall Elementary School Mt Baker School District Mt. Baker Junior High/Senior High School
The County’s Comprehensive Parks, Recreation and Open Space Plan provides additional detail on the types and extent of parks and recreation services provided by the County. In addition to facilities provided by the County, the Mt. Baker School District and the U.S. Forest Service also provide recreational facilities. Those recreational facilities may be subject to scheduling restrictions or fees, depending on requirements of those other agencies.
Parks and Trails
Within the Foothills Subarea, Whatcom County Parks & Recreation department operates Silver Lake Park and Deming Homestead Eagle Park, and maintains a river access site for drift boats at the Welcome Bridge. The County also owns two natural areas/conservation sites that are open to the public: Canyon Lake Community Forest (co-owned with Western Washington University) and the Ostrom Conservation
9-1 Foothills Subarea Plan, Chapter 9 – May 2011
Site. These facilities are scattered across the subarea. None of the existing park facilities or park land are within the Columbia Valley UGA.
The County maintains about 12.5 miles of trail through the Foothills Subarea. These trails occupy old railway beds — Maple Falls to Glacier — or wind through dense forests with breath-taking views — Canyon Lake Community Forest Trail. The Maple Falls to Glacier segment of the Bay to Baker Trail will eventually be about 7.8 miles in length. There are gaps in this trail, as a privately owned parcel bisects the trail and several bridges need to be installed to provide a continuous trail between Maple Falls and Glacier. Additionally, some portions of the railroad bed are no longer in existence because of Nooksack River erosion. The Silver Lake Trail is operated in conjunction with the Silver Lake Park facilities. There are also trails on state lands within the subarea and within the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest to the east of the subarea.
The Foothills also are home to a few snowshoe and cross-country ski trails located in the subarea and within the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest to the east of the subarea. The populated, low-lying regions of the foothills don’t generally support consistent snow-pack, but higher elevations —Mount Baker trails for example — maintain snow throughout the winter.
Residents in attendance at public meetings and respondents to the questionnaire associated with this process frequently cited parks and trails as urgent needs for the Columbia Valley/Kendall area. While the Foothill’s ―rural character‖ and ―natural beauty‖ are strong contributors to the residents’ reasons for living in the area, organized parks near densely populated areas are uncommon. Also, residents said they want more trails connecting housing to business areas and to other communities.
Play Fields
As of 2007, only the school facilities within the Foothills Subarea — Mt. Baker Junior High/Senior High Schools and Kendall Elementary School — maintain play fields for community use. Mt. Baker Junior High/Senior High Schools offer two soccer fields, two softball fields, one football field, one baseball field, 0.25-mile rubberized track, and basketball courts. Kendall School maintains a playground, recreational courts, multi-use baseball and soccer field complex, and a full gymnasium. Community members are allowed to reserve these facilities.
National Forest
The Foothills Subarea is located adjacent to the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. The forest brings visitors and seasonal residents of the Foothills communities to enjoy the trails, skiing, and beautiful scenery.
Senior Centers
The county maintains one senior center within the Foothills Subarea at Welcome. As of 2007, the center is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursdays.
Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan Goals and Policies
The County’s parks and recreation goals and policies as expressed in the Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan continue to apply to the Foothills subarea. This plan proposes no amendments to them.
9-2 Foothills Subarea Plan, Chapter 9 – May 2011
Planning Issues
Community responses during the visioning process, in workshops and to the questionnaire, defined some of the parks and recreation issues this subarea plan should address:
Foothills residents value proximity to the natural open spaces that surround the valleys, enjoying a range of year-round outdoor activities. There will be an increasing need for park, recreation and athletic facilities. The Foothills serve the recreation needs of a population far larger than that residing in the subarea. The lack of a comprehensive trails system forces recreational bicyclists and pedestrians to share rights of way with vehicular traffic.
Planning Concept
The Foothills is an active place. Streets in Columbia Valley’s neighborhoods are alive with children and youth on bikes and on foot. County roads and the state highways are popular bicycling tour routes. Mount Baker is a favorite ski and snowboard destination in the Northwest, and it is becoming more of a year round attraction. The North Fork of the Nooksack River is busy with rafters in the spring and summer. Residents and visitors value the Foothills’ natural setting and the access to recreation it promises.
The parks and recreation concept in this subarea plan is to enhance resident and visitor access to recreational opportunities. The County’s Comprehensive Parks, Recreation and Open Space Plan goes a long way to do this, but the subarea planning process has generated specific ideas that complement the County’s parks and recreation activities.
Foothills Subarea Plan Goals and Policies Goal R1 – Concentrate urban growth in the Columbia Valley UGA, creating a diverse mix of land uses and resulting in the provision of a full spectrum of urban services, including water, sanitary sewerage, storm drainage, law enforcement, fire protection, libraries, schools, parks, public transit and other similar services.
Policy
R1-A Acquire and develop parks in the UGA.
R1-B Encourage co-location of parks with schools and public facilities.
Goal R2 – Enhance the Rural Communities of Deming, Kendall, Maple Falls, and Glacier as vital, vibrant and distinct areas, within which the community can meet, mingle, shop and take care of daily errands.
Policy
R2-A Provide public spaces in which residents and visitors can gather near town centers.
9-3 Foothills Subarea Plan, Chapter 9 – May 2011
Goal R3 – Recognize and encourage a high level of cultural and social diversity in the Foothills.
Policy
R3-A Invest in public plazas and other places for the public to meet.
R3-B Provide for parks in the UGA.
R3-C Develop and fund cultural recreation programs, tapping local talent as a source for leadership and participation.
Goal R4 – Enhance resident and visitor access to the Foothills’ recreational opportunities.
Policy
R4-A Identify likely trailhead locations and encourage compatible land uses and facilities nearby.
R4-B Promote a park and recreation system that is integrated with existing and planned land use patterns and is diverse, abundant and assures maximum public access and usage.
R4-C Ensure that land use patterns and parks and recreation planning mutually support each other, are consistent with the adequate provision of recreational opportunities for residents, encourage tourism, and conserve and enhance existing public investments and resources.
R4-D Park, recreation, and trail land should be acquired and improvements should be constructed utilizing public and private funds, as authorized by law.
R4-E Promote and encourage the provision of public parks as demand increases in the Foothills Subarea where warranted by existing or potential population levels.
R4-F Improve public access to shorelines using such mechanisms as the development permit approval process, transfer of development rights, density bonuses (in the UGA), and open space property tax status.
R4-G Identify the need for and approximate location of new park and recreation sites and connecting recreational trails/paths in the Foothills Subarea.
9-4 Foothills Subarea Plan, Chapter 9 – May 2011
Goal R5 – Provide a network of recreation and transportation-oriented trails interconnecting the Columbia Valley UGA and Rural Communities and linking populated areas to recreational open spaces.
Policy
R5-A Designate recreational trails in a comprehensive trails plan and prioritize and program their improvement.
R5-B Collaborate with the community to confirm recreational trail alignments and acquire necessary rights of way.
R5-C Identify and designate accessible recreational trails for disabled, pedestrians, bicyclists, and equestrians.
R5-D Provide, where appropriate, for the location and maintenance of restrooms and trash receptacles when planning and constructing trails.
R5-E Bikeways and pedestrian ways should be provided in new developments to link residential areas, shopping areas, recreational areas and educational facilities.
Goal R6 – Protect surface and ground water quality and quantity and sensitive habitat areas throughout the subarea.
Policy
R6-A Encourage the use of pervious surfacing options that reduce total surface runoff, facilitate infiltration, and filter pollutants (for pollution generating surfaces) in all Whatcom County Parks and Recreation areas.
9-5 Foothills Subarea Plan, Chapter 10 – May 2011
10 Community Facilities, Schools, Sheriff, Fire Protection, Emergency Medical Services and Solid Waste Management
Existing Facilities A range of public and community facilities serves the Foothills Subarea. The following paragraphs provide additional information on each of them.
Library Library service for the Foothills population is provided by the Whatcom County Library System through its branches and bookmobile. There are branches located in Kendall and Deming. The two libraries are part of the Whatcom County Rural Library District, a special countywide taxing district. All permanent Whatcom County residents have borrowing privileges as long as they possess either a county or City of Bellingham library card.
The growth of the region and the recognition of the role of the public library as a community center and as the place for ongoing and lifelong learning have necessitated local efforts to expand and/or re-locate library facilities. Changing demographics, including an immigrant population, also contribute to this need. The Friends of the Deming Library have completed an addition to their facility, and the Maple Falls Library has been re-located to a new, central location in Kendall, thanks to the efforts of the Friends of the North Fork Community Library.
The libraries provide public access to the Internet as well as many other services such as children’s story hour and teen reading events. The relocation of the Maple Falls library to a new central location in Kendall supports these services.
Schools Mt Baker School District 507 primarily serves the Foothills and areas beyond. Its facilities within the subarea include the Kendall Elementary School (grades pre-K through 6), Mt Baker Junior High (grades 7 & 8), and Mt Baker High School (grades 9 through 12). In fall 2007, the Mt. Baker School District created the Mt. Baker Academy, assisting the educational needs of home-schooled children in the district. The district offices are located in Deming adjacent to the high school.
Nooksack Valley School District 506 serves the extreme northwestern portion of the Foothills subarea and has no facilities located in the Foothills.
Sheriff The Sheriff’s Office has a small satellite office in the Kendall Fire Hall to support the one deputy on duty in the Foothills. That satellite office consists of a desk and a phone and is donated to the Sheriff’s Office by Fire District 14.
Fire Protection Whatcom County Fire Districts 1, 14, 16 and 19 serve the Foothills Subarea. The four fire districts observe mutual aid agreements. Fire District 1 is strictly volunteer, with stations in Everson and Nugent’s Corner. Fire District 14 employs a part-time fire chief and a full-time deputy chief and has stations in Welcome,
10-1 Foothills Subarea Plan, Chapter 10 – May 2011
Sumas and Kendall. Fire District 16 serves the Acme/Van Zandt area and is also composed entirely of volunteer firefighters. Fire District 19 serves the Glacier area and is an entirely volunteer force.
Not all of the subarea is within a fire district, however. Much of the forestry land and some of the land very sparsely populated along the valley floors are not included within any fire district. The US Forest Service and Washington Department of Natural Resources are responsible for fighting wildfires on their properties, and they will occasionally respond to structure fires on in-holdings or on property near forest areas where the fire may threaten to spread onto federal or State land.
Emergency Medical Services Emergency medical services (EMS) are provided by the fire protection districts. All four fire districts offer EMS service at varying levels. Fire District 14 reported that aid calls occupy a majority of the Fire District’s activity. The Whatcom County EMS and Trauma Care Council provides and coordinates training for EMS and fire protection staff.
Solid Waste Management Whatcom County’s Public Works Department is responsible for solid waste management in unincorporated Whatcom County. Private haulers collect solid waste and transport it to transfer stations in Whatcom County. Sanitary Service Company, Inc. and Nooksack Valley Disposal provide garbage pick-up services in the subarea. There are no open landfills in the county, so all non-recyclable solid waste is transported out of county for landfilling.
Proposed Facilities In light of the increased population in the Foothills Subarea, each community facility provider operating in the subarea evaluated the existing capacity of their services to determine whether or not to maintain, expand, and/or reorganize their resources.
Agency Response Library In 2011, the Friends of the North Fork Community Library completed a new library in the Kendall Small Town Commercial zone to serve the growing population in the Columbia Valley UGA and to serve as a central location for library-goers in the Foothills Subarea. This new library replaced the library in Maple Falls.
The Whatcom County Library System monitors demographics and other factors on an ongoing basis as part of the planning for library facilities and hours.
The Friends of the Deming Library expanded the Deming Library in 2007- 09, adding approximately 5,000 square feet to the existing 2,500 square- foot library. Schools The Foothills Subarea is served by the Mount Baker School District. The District’s Capital Facilities Plan (May 2013) states:
“The Mount Baker School District has adequate classroom space to serve the students of the District over the next 20-Year planning period. (through the year 2036). Specifically, the schools serving the Columbia Valley Urban Growth Area (Kendall Elementary School, the Junior High School and the High School) have surplus capacity to house the students anticipated over the planning period. Therefore, the District is not planning any new or expanded classroom facilities” (p. 12) 10-2 Foothills Subarea Plan, Chapter 10 – May 2011
Agency Response Sheriff’s Office The Sheriff’s Office is planning for 1.2 Deputy Sheriffs per 1000 population on a County-wide basis. Also, an increase in population will put added strain on the Sheriff’s Office during times of extreme weather or catastrophic events (volcanic eruption, land slide, etc.) and they are planning additional services to respond in the event of such an emergency. Fire Protection/Emergency Each of the four fire districts that serve portions of the Foothills Subarea Medical Services provide both fire and emergency medical services. Of the four, Fire District 14 serves the largest portion of the subarea.
Fire District 1: The fire district indicated that population growth within their district would have very little impact on their ability to provide services and they had no planned facilities or service expansion.
Fire District 14: Fire District 14 serves the Columbia Valley UGA. In 2010, the District is working to update its capital facility plan.
Fire District 16: Less than 1% of the land in the Foothills Subarea is within District 16 and these lands are planned for rural and forestry land uses. Growth in the portion of the District within the Foothills Subarea should have little impact on their ability to provide service.
Fire District 19: The fire district indicated that the large number of aid calls within the neighboring national park and national forest coupled with the lack of available land within their district will limit their ability to collect additional revenue on developed land which, in turn, limits their ability to improve services. The fire district also has and will continue to have a difficult time drawing volunteers from the largely seasonal population in Glacier. Solid Waste Management Solid waste collection is privatized in the subarea. Increased population would be an increase in business and would be absorbed by the company accordingly. Transfer station operators indicate their services will not be impacted by the increased population in the Foothills Subarea. Community Health Center The Interfaith Community Health Center may consider a satellite clinic in the Columbia Valley/Kendall area in the future.
Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan Goals and Policies The Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan does not include a chapter on community facilities, schools, sheriff, fire, EMS, and solid waste management, but the plan does include goals and policies in several of its elements that address the provision of these services. Additionally, the Whatcom County 20-Year Capital Facilities Plan addresses many of these facilities (see Appendix E of the Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan). This subarea plan proposes no amendments to specific comprehensive plan goals or policies. The goals and policies in the Subarea Plan are intended to complement those already in place.
10-3 Foothills Subarea Plan, Chapter 10 – May 2011
Foothills Subarea Plan Goals, Policies and Programs
Goal PF1 – Preserve the natural beauty, open spaces, rural character and slow, rural pace of life in the Foothills, prized by long-term residents and newcomers alike. Policy PF1-A Locate community facilities near areas of concentrated population.
Goal PF2 – Concentrate urban growth in the Columbia Valley UGA, creating a diverse mix of land uses and resulting in the provision of a full spectrum of urban services, including water, sanitary sewerage, storm drainage, law enforcement, fire protection, libraries, schools, parks, public transit and other similar services. Policy PF2-A Construct a regional resource center in the UGA.
Goal PF3 – Enhance the Rural Communities of Deming, Kendall, Maple Falls, and Glacier as vital, vibrant and distinct areas, within which the community can meet, mingle, shop and take care of daily errands. Policy PF3-A Encourage a mix of civic and cultural structures and land uses in small town zoning districts.
PF3-B Encourage law enforcement presence in Rural Communities through the neighborhood deputy program and daily patrols.
Goal PF4 – Provide for increased employment opportunities in the Foothills. Policy PF4-A Match services and facilities to demand resulting from successful economic development efforts.
Goal PF5 – Enhance resident and visitor access to the Foothills’ recreational opportunities. Policy PF5-A Encourage locating community facilities near access to recreational opportunities in or near the UGA or Rural Communities.
PF5-B Collaborate with the community and local cultural groups to plan and develop interpretive trail sites.
10-4 Foothills Subarea Plan, Chapter 10 – May 2011
Goal PF6 – Ensure the Foothills subarea remains a safe place in which to reside, operate a business, and visit. Policy PF6-A Encourage provision of a satellite sheriff’s office in a centrally located area within the Foothills subarea.
PF6-B Encourage interagency coordination between the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office and Nooksack Tribal Police.
PF6-C Whatcom County shall discourage development in areas that are inaccessible to ambulances, sheriff's vehicles and fire fighting equipment until private roads are developed that meet emergency vehicle access requirements.
Goal PF7 – Plan and coordinate the provision and location of public facilities and services in a manner that implements the goals and policies of the Foothills Subarea Plan.
Policy PF7-A Ensure that a beneficial balance exists between the supply and demand for public services. Encourage the cooperation among municipalities, special districts, and associations in the planning and provision of public services. Discourage the proliferation of unnecessary special purposes districts.
PF7-B Adequate facilities and services which provide diverse education, recreation, cultural and social opportunities should be encouraged.
10-5 Foothills Subarea Plan, Chapter 10 – May 2011
Map 10.1: Community Facilities
10-6 Foothills Subarea Plan, Chapter 11 – May 2011
11 Environment
This subarea is a beautiful place. At the very east of the subarea, densely forested foothills at Mount Baker’s base rise out of deep valleys cut by glaciers and further deepened by the Nooksack River and its tributaries. Moving westward, the landscape softens and valleys become wider, stream-sides crowded with thick forests of deciduous and coniferous trees. The Nooksack’s wild waters begin to calm and flatten at the westernmost boundary of the subarea, slowly forming broad fertile floodplains as the river continues its winding journey to Bellingham Bay.
The dense forests of the subarea are primarily composed of evergreen and deciduous tree species and shrubs on the hillsides and thickets of deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs along the river and stream banks. Many of these hillside forests are managed for timber production and have already been harvested two times or more since European settlers arrived in what is now eastern Whatcom County.
Wildlife abounds in the subarea. It is home to many species of birds including the Bald Eagle and its frequent prey, salmon running up the Nooksack River. The forests are also populated with deer, bear, elk and various other large and small mammals and many common species of rodents, amphibians and reptiles.
Surface Water
The Foothills Subarea contains five major watershed basins — the Sumas River Basin; the Saar Creek Basin; the Upper South Fraser Basin; the North Fork of the Nooksack River; and the Middle Fork of the Nooksack River. The drainage basins of the North and Middle forks of the Nooksack River, combined with the South Fork basin are primary water sources for Bellingham and Whatcom County. Together these rivers, their tributaries and drainage basins comprise the Nooksack watershed which is the chief hydrologic management unit in the subarea and county.
The upper Nooksack River area consists of ancient, uplifted, and deeply dissected erosion surfaces cut into a complex series of granitic metamorphic rocks. These are overlain by early tertiary sandstones, shales, and coal beds which occupy the central portion of the Nooksack River Basin. Both the North Fork and the Middle Fork of the Nooksack River flow through valleys which were initially stream-cut and later modified by glacial activity. Generally the valley floors are underlain by a fill several hundred feet thick of glacial and stream sediments.
North Fork Basin
The Nooksack’s North Fork originates from the East Nooksack Glacier, at the base of Mount Shuksan, and flows 30 miles to its confluence with the Middle Fork. It drains a 293 square mile area with an annual runoff estimated at more than one million acre feet. Its high flow period is between October and March. Its low-flow periods occur twice, once during mid-winter when tributaries are frozen and precipitation is primarily snow and then again in the late summer or early fall. There are over 100 tributaries — including primary contributions from Wells, Glacier and Canyon creeks — that contribute to the North Fork’s volume. Elevations in the basin range from 300 feet near Deming to the 10,778-foot peak of Mount Baker. Most of the area is forested, with some farming and grazing in the valleys.
Most of the tributaries of the North Fork are fed by the waters from melting snow pack and glaciers. Sixty-three glaciers covering 16 square miles in the Nooksack Basin provide natural water storage and
11-1 Foothills Subarea Plan, Chapter 11 – May 2011
help maintain summer flows. While the melting ice does help rivers maintain flow during the drier months, glacial ice melt contributes to the turbidity of the river and its tributaries.
The North Fork has eight major tributaries that fall under the purview of the Shoreline Management Program: Glacier Creek, Cornell Creek, Canyon Creek, Boulder Creek, Maple Creek, Kendall Creek, Racehorse Creek, and Coal Creek. The basin also contains three lakes. Silver Lake is the largest lake in the subarea. It is about 3 miles north of Maple Falls and is the source of Maple Creek. It is approximately 180 acres and reaches depths of 30 feet. Kendall Lake is about 12 acres and drains into the Nooksack River via Kendall Creek. Bald Lake is located almost 6 miles north of Glacier on the northeast side of Bald Mountain. The lake drains into Canyon Creek.
Middle Fork Basin
The Nooksack’s Middle Fork originates from the Deming glacier, on the Southwest side of Mount Baker, and flows 17 miles to its confluence with the North Fork, just south of Mosquito Lake Road. It drains an area of 100 square miles, about one-eighth of the total Nooksack River drainage area. Topography is similar to the North Fork basin, although elevations are somewhat lower. The river gradient averages 279 feet per mile. Precipitation is quite heavy, with the heaviest runoff probably occurring on the southwest slopes of Mount Baker. Runoff within the basin is estimated to be about 96 inches for an annual runoff of 377,200 acre feet. Low flows occur in late summer and mid-winter. Snow and ice fields are the most important forms of natural surface storage in the Middle Fork basin.
The Middle Fork has seven primary tributaries: Canyon Creek, Porter Creek, Clearwater Creek, Rocky Creek, Galbraith Creek, Sisters Creek, and Warm Creek. The basin contains three lakes. Canyon Lake is in the Canyon Creek Valley near Racehorse Mountain, four miles east of the confluence of the North Fork and the Middle Fork and is part of the headwaters for Canyon Creek. It is approximately 45 acres and reaches depths of about 66 feet. Mosquito Lake is about 1 mile north of the subarea’s southern boundary, west of Mosquito Lake Road. It covers about 7 acres and is located adjacent to actively harvested forests. Jorgenson Lake is 1,000 feet from Mosquito Lake and varies in size from 5 to 12 acres seasonally.
Sumas River and Upper Fraser River Basin
The Sumas River, host to native, unstocked fish species, drains a 57 square mile area of Whatcom County northward into Canada and eventually into the Fraser River. Only a small portion of the Sumas Basin is in the Foothills Subarea. Of the three tributaries to this drainage, two originate in the subarea: Breckenridge Creek and Saar Creek. Lost Lake, the headwaters of Breckenridge Creek, is three miles West of Kendall. The lake’s surface area is about 4.4 acres.
The Saar Creek Basin is a 10-square mile watershed and drains Vedder Mountain and the northwestern portion of Sumas Mountain. Saar Creek flows north into Canada where it joins the Sumas River. Only about 1 mile of the creek is in the subarea.
Several small tributaries of the Fraser River drain the northeastern corner of the subarea.
Surface Water Quality
Water quality in the Foothills is of the highest importance to the subarea’s residents. In response to a questionnaire distributed during this planning process, respondents indicated a high preference for excellent water quality. Unfortunately, many of the water-bodies that feed the Nooksack River are listed
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on the Environmental Protection Agency’s 303(d) list as Category 5 water bodies. These bodies contain more than the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) of a contaminant or condition. Water bodies may be listed for one or more pollutant. In the subarea, temperature is the most commonly listed impairment to the water bodies listed. The threshold for listing the water under category 5 is different for each water body depending on the life it supports, whether it is essential salmon habitat and its physical characteristics.
Table 11.1 – 303(d), Category 5 listed water bodies in the subarea and associated nonpoint pollution source Water Body Reason for Category 5 listing Nonpoint Pollution Sources
Bells Creek Temperature Forest Practices, Road
Canyon Creek Temperature Forest Practices, Road
Canyon Lake Creek Temperature Forest Practices, Road
Cornell Creek Temperature Forest Practices, Road
Gallop Creek Temperature Mines, Forest Practices, Road
Kendall Creek Temperature Agriculture, Urbanization
Kenney Creek Temperature Forest Practices
Nooksack River (Middle Fork) Temperature Urbanization, Road
Porter Creek Temperature Forest Practices
Racehorse Creek Fine sediment and temperature Forest Practices
Peat Bog Creek Temperature Road Source: Environmental Protection Agency’s 303(d), Category 5 list of impaired water bodies, 2006
The table above shows the reason for listing the water body as category 5 and the potential nonpoint pollution contributors. None of the water bodies in the subarea had a point source for the condition each was experiencing. Forest practices and roads were largely responsible for the pollution. Only four of the creeks were listed on the 1998 category 5 list and the Nooksack’s Middle Fork was not listed in 1998.
The Department of Ecology bases their listing on the ―7-Day Average of the Daily Maximum‖ or ―7- DADMax.‖ This is the standard for measuring temperature. The number is calculated by averaging the daily measurement with the daily maximum three days prior and three days following the measurement.
Middle Fork Diversion Dam
The City of Bellingham operates a dam on the upper reaches of the Nooksack’s Middle Fork for purposes of diverting water to Lake Whatcom during spring and winter months. The diversion sends water from the Middle Fork via aqueduct through Bowman Mountain, around Van Zandt Dike, finally discharging into Mirror Lake. The water is then carried through Anderson Creek into the south end of Lake Whatcom. When the dam was built and first operated in 1963, it was thought that the various salmon species common to rivers in Whatcom County would not spawn as far up the Middle Fork as the diversion dam and the existing river features prevented salmon passage. It was later discovered that the diversion dam did actually form an unnatural barrier that limited salmon attempting to spawn in the Middle Fork.
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The WRIA 1 Salmonid Recovery Plan calls for an alteration of the existing diversion dam to allow the safe passage of anadromous fish species. This action is the number one priority for the recovery plan in the next ten years.
Issues
These issues were identified in the 1988 Foothills Subarea Plan and are still applicable in regards to the surface water conditions that exist in the subarea today.
Forest cover can enhance water quality by reducing the impact of precipitation on the ground surface and by holding the soil with tree roots. Soil erosion and sediment flow to surface waters are thereby reduced. Also, through the reduction of erosion, the quality and quantity of both surface water and ground water are enhanced. With 91 percent of the subarea in forestry, it is important that relationships between forest practices, environmental quality, and the role that public agencies play in mitigating adverse impacts on these systems can be clearly understood. Boulder Creek has experienced problems with bedload movement and aggrading, which have damaged Mount Baker Highway and obstructed traffic in the past. The creek floods frequently. The Boulder Creek bridge was replaced in 2008 with a higher, wider bridge. The drainage basins of the North Fork and Middle Fork are primary water sources for Bellingham and Whatcom County. Existing and future developments that may have negative impacts on the water quality of the Nooksack should be closely scrutinized. Surface water must continue to be of a high enough quality to support salmonid species. Waters that are not of high enough quality and have traditionally supported salmonid species should be monitored and upgraded whenever possible to support salmonid populations.
Ground Water
Ground water supplies are of great importance to subarea residents because the prime source of domestic water is via private wells or community water districts that are supplied by groundwater. Ground water in the subarea is used primarily for domestic consumption and to a lesser extent, for agricultural irrigation, fish propagation, and commercial use. In general, the subarea has high quality groundwater and adequate water quantity where topography is conducive to settlement.
Aquifer recharge in the subarea occurs through direct precipitation and infiltration of rainfall and snowmelt into the foothills and the mountains. Availability of groundwater is closely related to the surficial geological structure, topography, and surface elevation. The regional water table generally conforms to surface topography.
Issues
These issues were identified in the 1988 Foothills Subarea Plan and are still applicable in regards to the ground water conditions that exist in the subarea today.
Areas where the water table is five feet or less from the surface, particularly along the 100-year floodplain, deserve particular consideration with respect to septic system use because of the potential for groundwater contamination.
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The major threat to ground water quality in the Columbia Valley as well as the valleys of the North Fork and South Fork, is the very rapid permeability rates of the soils. These soils are poor filters for septic effluent and have a high potential for groundwater contamination. New on-site sewage disposal regulations, which became effective in 2007, require increased treatment (i.e. sand filter systems) in areas with course soils, addressing the possibility for contamination in areas not served by public sewer.
Plants and Wildlife
The plants and animals of the Foothills Subarea are major components of the region’s natural resource base. Most of the subarea consists of forested uplands containing large stands of commercially harvestable timber. These forests are also habitat for wildlife, many of which have limited tolerance for human intrusion and require large territories.
Plants
There are more than 300 plant species in the Foothills Subarea. They are primarily found in the dominant habitat — forests. More than 90 percent of the land in the subarea is occupied by mixed coniferous deciduous forests. These forests are in either second or third growth following the forestry boom of the 1800s and are primarily made up of western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla), western red cedar (Thuja plicata), and Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) in the lower elevations and silver fir (Abies amabilis), mountain hemlock (Tsuga mertensiana) and Douglas fir on the higher slopes. Also common are grand fir and Sitka spruce. Understory trees are primarily vine maple (Acer circinatum), Pacific dogwood (Cornus nuttalii), and western yew (Taxus brevifolia). Typical shrubs and herbaceous plants associated with the coniferous forests include Oregon grape (Mahonia aquifolium), salal (Gaultheria shallon), sword fern (Polystichum munitum), bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinium), red huckleberry (Vaccinium parvifolium) and rhododendron (Rhododendron).
The deciduous component of subarea forests includes species such as red alder (Alnus rubera), black cottonwood (Populus balsamifera), Pacific dogwood, willow (Salix), and bigleaf maple (Acer macrophyllum). Red alder dominates as a pioneer species on landscapes disturbed by logging, burns or other clearing activities. Birches (Betula), willows (Salix), and cottonwoods grow beside streams and lakes and in low, moist areas. These trees provide riparian zones with stream-bank stabilization, making the shoreline less vulnerable to flooding and helping to reduce runoff and erosion, minimizing damage to property and protecting fish habitat.
Shrubs commonly associated with this deciduous and mixed coniferous deciduous forests include wild rose (Rosa), ocean spray (Holodiscus discolor), elderberry (Sambucus), salmonberry (Rubus spectabilus), thimbleberry (Rubus parviflorus), wild gooseberry (Ribes), chokecherry (Prunus virginiana), and hazelnut (Corylus). Typical herbaceous plants include lady fern (Athyrium filix-femina), skunk cabbage (Lysichitum americanum) and devil’s club (Oplopanax horridus) in wet swamp areas and deer fern (Blechnum spicant), vanilla leaf (Achlys triphylla), twisted stalk (Streptopus streptopoides), trillium (Trillium), false Solomon’s seal (Smilacina racemosa), star flower (Trientalis borealis), bleeding heart (Gallicolumba), yellow violet (Viola), stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) and buttercup (Ranunculus) in moderately moist areas.
The subarea is also well known for its mycological diversity and is a hunting ground for avid mushroomers.
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Animals
An animal habitat is broadly defined as an area containing water, food, shelter and space in sufficient quantity and quality to maintain a stable population of animal species. Habitats within the Foothills Subarea can be grouped into the following:
Forests; Riparian woodlands adjacent to ponds, streams, and wetlands; Shrubs and thickets; Freshwater aquatic areas including streams, ponds, bogs and marshes; And disturbed land including agricultural, residential, commercial, and developed park lands. Each of these habitats contains a vast number of species of mammals, amphibians, reptiles, birds and, in the case of freshwater aquatic habitats, fish. Many species cross over habitats. For example, opossums can be found in all habitats within the subarea.
Habitat Animals (common name)
Forest Habitat Mammals: opossums, shrews, moles, bats, snowshoe hares, mountain beaver, Townsend’s chipmunks, Douglas’ squirrels, northern flying squirrels, beaver, mice, voles, porcupines, skunks, black bears, weasels, raccoons, coyotes, red foxes, bobcats, mountain lions, blacktailed deer, and elk. Amphibians and Reptiles: newts, salamanders, western toads, rubber boa and Pacific treefrogs Birds: hawks, bald eagles, ospreys, falcons, grouse, owls, band-tailed pigeons, swifts, nighthawks, humming birds, woodpeckers, flycatchers, swallows, ravens, jays, crows, chickadees, bushtits, nuthatches, brown creepers, dippers, wrens, robins, thrushes, bluebirds, kinglets, waxwings, starlings, vireos, warblers, orioles, brown-headed cowbirds, western tanagers, grosbeaks, finches, siskins, towhees, red crossbills, juncos, and sparrows.
Riparian Woodland Mammals: opossums, shrews, moles, bats, snowshoe hares, eastern cottontails, Habitat squirrels, beaver, mice, wood rats, voles, muskrats, black bears, weasels, minks, river otters, skunks, coyotes, red foxes, bobcats, mountain lions, deer, and elk Amphibians and Reptiles: northern alligator lizards, racer snakes, garter snakes, salamanders, newts, toads and frogs. Birds: hawks, eagles, kestrels, killdeer, snipes, grouse, mourning doves, owls, hummingbirds, flickers, woodpeckers, kingbirds, kinglets, water pipits, Townsend’s solitaires, blackbirds, cedar waxwings, starlings, vireos, warblers, western meadowlarks, orioles, cowbirds, grosbeaks, buntings, finches, pine siskins, goldfinches, towhees, juncos, and sparrows.
Shrub and Thicket Mammals: opossums, moles, hares, cottontails, mountain beaver, chipmunks, Habitat wood rats, porcupines, black bears, raccoons, weasels, skunks, coyotes, red foxes, bobcats, mountain lions, deer and elk. Reptiles and Amphibians: northern alligator lizards, garter snakes, salamanders, toads, and frogs. Birds: California quail, ring-necked pheasants, swallows, chickadees, bushtits, wrens, warblers, cowbirds, buntings, towhees, juncos, and sparrows.
Disturbed Land Habitat Mammals: opossums, shrews, moles, bats, cottontails, mountain beaver, gophers, beaver, skunks, wood rats, voles, mice, weasels, coyotes, red foxes and deer. Reptiles and Amphibians: garter snakes, western toads, Pacific treefrogs, and bull frogs.
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Habitat Animals (common name)
Birds: hawks, grouse, quail, pheasants, killdeer, gulls, doves, owls, nighthawks, hummingbirds, flickers, woodpeckers, kingfishers, phoebes, larks, swallows, martins, jays, ravens, crows, chickadees, bushtits, wrens, robins, thrushes, kinglets, pipits, waxwings, starlings, warblers, meadowlarks, blackbirds, cowbirds, grosbeaks, finches, siskins, goldfinches, towhees, sparrows and junkos.
Freshwater Aquatic Mammals: opossums, shrews, moles, bats, cottontails, mice, voles, beaver, Habitat muskrats, porcupines, black bears, raccoons, weasels, minks, otters, skunks, coyotes, red foxes, bobcats and deer. Reptiles and Amphibians: painted turtles, garter snakes, salamanders, newts, western toads, and frogs. Birds: herons, swan, geese, ducks, eagles, falcons, ospreys, marsh hawks, coots, rails, plovers, killdeer, snipes, sandpipers, phalaropes, gulls, terns, kingfishers, swallows, crows, dippers, marsh wrens, pipits, yellowthroats, and blackbirds. Fish: pink, Chinook, coho, chum and riverine sockeye salmon, searun cutthroat trout, Dolly Varden, steelhead, rainbow, cutthroat and brook trout, and kokanee.
Fish
Of particular concern in the Foothills Subarea is the welfare of salmonid species that historically run in the subarea’s river and streams. In 1999, the Washington State Legislature passed the Forests and Fish Law to address salmon recovery in Washington state. The Whatcom County non-profit Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association (NSEA), the Lummi Nation, and the Nooksack Tribe have implemented many programs and projects to enhance salmon populations, including those in the Foothills Subarea. Two species are particularly identified in the WRIA 1 Salmonid Recovery Plan of June 2005: Chinook salmon (Onocorhyncus tshawytscha) and Bull Trout (Salvelinus confluentus). These species are both listed as threatened with extinction under the federal Endangered Species Act. The WRIA 1 Salmonid Recovery Plan has listed specific projects and techniques that are included, by reference, in this plan. Steelhead were listed as a threatened species in 2007.
Geologic Hazards
The Foothills Subarea is laced with geologic hazards typical of a place living in the shadow of an active volcano, Mount Baker, and along the winding path of a major river, the Nooksack. Years of glacial advance, retreat, melt and hydrologic carving have created land that is largely composed of alluvial material, susceptible to landsliding and liquefaction in the case of an eruption and associated earthquake. The communities in the subarea are particularly vulnerable to the wrath of Mount Baker should it ever fully erupt or if it just experiences a small volcanic episode.
Debris Flows — Dense slurries of water-saturated debris originating at a volcano such as Mount Baker are often called lahars. These lahars can form with or without an eruption. They are caused by heavy rainfall, melting of snow or ice, glacial outburst floods, and/or overtopping of crater lakes. Structural changes such as a collapse of the volcanic cone can also cause debris to move downslope, creating a hazard to residents of the subarea. These lahars can move as fast as 65 miles per hour depending on mass and slope, and tend to follow drainages (such as the Nooksack River valley). Large debris flows are extremely rare but small debris flows occur frequently but remain very close to their source and are often small in size.
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Debris Avalanches — Debris avalanches are massive landslides originating at the volcano, composed of natural rock, snow, glacial ice, soils or any combination of these materials, they move at high speeds down natural drainages and eventually turn into a debris flow. Small volume debris flows are common on Mount Baker but they never travel far enough to reach the subarea. A large debris avalanche would certainly affect the subarea as it would likely turn into a debris flow if it was able to maintain its momentum.
Alluvial Fan Deposits — Alluvial fan deposits are fan-shaped formations formed by rivers and streams at the base of valleys and ravines where they flatten out and deposit their sediment. During winter storm events, the streams can become choked with sediment or log debris and create a dam. When the dam bursts, it can create a flood and debris event much larger than the storm event itself. A large storm event may destroy homes and developments, causing damage to property, natural systems, and sometimes loss of lives. These deposits are historically popular places to develop because of the scenic appeal, flatter topography and easy percolation for septic drain fields. For example, the Town of Glacier and the Baker Rim development are built on the Glacier Creek alluvial fan. Canyon Creek’s alluvial fan is home to the Glacier Springs development and Boulder Creek’s alluvial fan supports the Baptist Church Camp in the Foothills.
Landslides — The subarea is extremely vulnerable to landslides due to its dramatic landscape: steep slopes and deep valleys. Landslides have occurred frequently throughout the subarea in the recent past and will likely continue to occur. Goals and policies in this subarea plan discourage development on slopes that are likely landslide hazards.
Earthquakes — Due to its close proximity to Mount Baker, the subarea is vulnerable to earthquake activity and the resulting hazards that are associated with earthquakes. Tremors could set off any of the geologic hazards listed above and cause liquefaction of susceptible soils.
Floods — The Foothills Subarea is vulnerable to flooding and the damage to person and property associated with flooding. Many of the subarea’s Rural Communities are located along the Nooksack River in the floodplain.
Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan Goals and Policies
The goals and policies in the Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan reflect the county’s desire to protect the things that contribute to the quality of life in the County. Most of these items apply to the nature of the environment and resources in the Foothills area. Some are focused on increased identification and protection of environmentally critical areas through out the county and others seek to protect property owners from natural hazards like landslides and flooding. Water quality and quantity is a key element of the comprehensive plan’s goals and policies focusing specifically on the protection of existing water sources – groundwater and surface water – and water conservation. While environmental protection is emphasized in the comprehensive plan, so are efforts to make environmental regulations less onerous for property owners by making processes more efficient and predictable. The plan also recognizes the cultural, aesthetic, and ecological importance of natural systems.
Planning Concept
The environmental planning concept in the Foothills subarea is to recognize and observe the County’s recent and continuing work to refine its critical areas ordinance and shoreline master program. Whatcom County has adopted regulations governing development in or near wetlands, frequently flooded areas,
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geologically hazardous areas, critical aquifer recharge areas and sensitive habitat areas that reflect best available science and that respect the local customs and culture. Conformance with those regulations underpins all of the land use alternatives considered during this subarea planning process.
Foothills Subarea Plan Goals and Policies Goal EN1 – Protect surface and ground water quality and quantity and sensitive habitat areas throughout the subarea, consistent with best available science. Policy
EN1-A Conserve wildlife habitat, salmon habitat, wetlands, river and stream corridors, agricultural land and unique natural features. Work with public and private agencies (such as the Whatcom Land Trust, Audubon Society and Nature Conservancy) to achieve this policy.
EN1-B Strongly encourage low impact development standards in the development of all new long plats and short plats.
EN1-C Identify and manage environmentally sensitive areas to prevent destruction of the resource base and reduce potential losses to property and human life, and to protect and enhance environmental quality.
EN1-D Encourage cooperation among federal and state agencies, municipalities, environmental groups (i.e. Whatcom Land Trust, Audubon Society, The Nature Conservancy, etc.), and private landowners to enhance the Foothills Subarea's environmental resources.
EN1-E Work with property owners, citizen groups, the State of Washington, and other agencies in protecting fish and wildlife habitat (including but not limited to Chinook, bull trout, steelhead, and bald eagle habitat), fishery resources, and surface and ground water quantity and quality of the Foothills Subarea.
EN1-F Encourage property owners to obtain conservation easements, conservation grants, and transfer of development rights to enhance the conservation of wildlife habitat, salmon habitat, wetlands, river corridors, agricultural land, historical sites, scenic views, unique natural features and other environmental resources.
EN1-G Promote groundwater of a quantity and quality suitable for domestic consumption by requiring densities consistent with Whatcom County Code 24.05 and low intensity uses in locations with soils of poor quality for on-site sewage systems.
EN1-H Recognize and protect natural wetlands such as swamps, bogs, marshes and ponds as natural catchment basins for stormwater run-off and aquifer recharge.
EN1-I Whatcom County should assist and encourage the monitoring of water quantity and quality in the Nooksack River system and its tributaries, and in other Subarea drainage systems.
EN1-J Whatcom County should address any decrease in water quality by additional controls on emissions, discharges or run-off of any pollutants by any user and by controls on development density. Activities that impact water quantity and quality will be consistent with state water law and the critical aquifer recharge area provisions of the Whatcom County Critical Areas Ordinance.
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EN1-K Protect aquifer recharge and stream base-flows by encouraging infiltration of stormwater where soil characteristics allow, except within the 1-year time of travel for wellhead protection areas for public wells. Discourage infiltration of stormwater from pollution generating impervious surfaces within the 1-year time of travel wellhead protection zone for public wells.
EN1-L Identify impacts, including low flows and water temperature changes, to Kendall Creek though a quantitative groundwater model as a component of the SEPA compliance for all developments within the Columbia Valley UGA that are not categorically exempt under Chapter 16.08 of the Whatcom County Code and use more than 5,000 gallons per day of water. The minimum instream flows specified in WAC 173-501 should be considered in this analysis.
EN1-M The phosphorus treatment best management practices (BMPs) from the Department of Ecology Stormwater Management Manual should be considered for new subdivisions that discharge stormwater to either surface water or groundwater within ¼ mile of Sprague, Kendall or Silver Lakes.
Goal EN2 – Provide for increased employment opportunities in the Foothills. Policy
EN2-A Assure adverse environmental impacts from industrial and commercial sites are managed and enforced in accordance with state law and County ordinances.
EN2-B Accommodate anticipated economic development in an environmentally responsible manner with due consideration for public cost, energy availability, land use compatibility and transportation accessibility.
Goal EN3 – County government should work with state and federal agencies to periodically review critical area and public health and safety issues brought about by climate change.
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Map 11.1: Critical Areas Article III – Geologically Hazardous Areas (GHA)
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Map 11.2: Critical Areas Article III – Seismic Hazard Areas (GHA2) - Liquefaction
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Map 11.3: Critical Areas Article III – Seismic Hazard Areas (GHA2) – Potential for Enhanced Ground Shaking
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Map 11.4: Critical Areas Article III – Volcanic Hazards (GHA4)
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Map 11.5: Critical Areas Article IV – Frequently Flooded Areas
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Map 11.6: Critical Areas Article V – Critical Aquifer Recharge Areas
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Map 11.7: Critical Areas Article VI – Wetlands
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Map 11.8: Critical Areas Article VII – Wildlife
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Map 11.9: Critical Areas Article VII – Fish Habitat Conservation Areas
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12 Columbia Valley Urban Growth Area (UGA)
In 1999, Whatcom County designated the Columbia Valley as an Urban Growth Area (UGA), including land along Kendall Road roughly between Limestone Road on the north and the Kendall Elementary School on the south. Land in the UGA is now characterized by single-family development within the Paradise Lakes and Peaceful Valley subdivisions. It is almost entirely residential or undeveloped land. There is a cluster of institutional and convenience commercial land uses near the Kendall Road/Mount Baker Highway intersection, but this area has been removed from the UGA.
Issues
While this part of the Foothills is a designated UGA, it presents serious challenges related to its development as a fully urban area. These, and other, issues shape community discussions about the UGA and are reflected in the area’s planning concept.
Kendall Road is not an industrial corridor and does not have convenient access to I-5, making it difficult to establish new industrial land uses in this rather remote area of the county. Residential density is relatively homogenous across the UGA. As of 2007, there were no established clusters of higher intensity land uses that would indicate a community center of activities. The residential density is low enough to make cost-effective provision of urban services and substantial investment in infrastructure upgrades difficult. As of 2007, there was no commercial district convenient to the residential neighborhoods, requiring households either to drive private vehicles or ride public transportation to access daily services. However, a General Commercial zone was designated in the UGA in 2009 in conjunction with the 10-year UGA review. The Whatcom Transportation Authority (WTA) bus route serving this area is popular but expensive to operate. Incidence of crime in the Columbia Valley is higher than in other parts of the Foothills, largely due to the concentration of population in this area relative to the dispersion of population elsewhere. Geological and natural conditions, particularly with respect to alluvial fans, surface water, wetlands, and steep slopes, constrain development in the UGA. More sophisticated treatment of domestic sewer may be necessary to ensure ground and surface water quality. Any plan anticipating urban development in the UGA will need to address these issues and provide mechanisms for the community to adapt successfully to the growing intensity of land use.
Community Workshops
The County, in conjunction with the Foothills Subarea Plan Advisory Committee, hosted two workshops related to the Columbia Valley/Kendall area in 2006. The first was a workshop to discuss development in and around the Kendall Small Town zoning district. The second was a workshop on the issues and opportunities related to urban development in the Columbia Valley UGA.
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Kendall Small Town Workshop
This two-day workshop is discussed in more detail in the following chapters and appendices, but it is important to mention its relevance to the Columbia Valley UGA here. While many participants acknowledged the presence and importance of the small town zone at Kendall for a variety of commercial, institutional and tourist activities, few felt it could, on its own, address the shopping, services and employment needs of the entire UGA to its north.
Participants wanted to improve Kendall’s links to the Columbia Valley, but almost all acknowledged that the distance required to travel from the center of the Columbia Valley to Kendall was not convenient for daily shopping trips, especially if those trips are to be made on foot or by bike.
Kendall plays an important role, but it is poorly located to serve the needs of a growing Columbia Valley population and not large enough on its own to provide employment for Columbia Valley’s households.
Columbia Valley UGA Workshop
This workshop focused on the development constraints experienced by the UGA, the Columbia Valley’s current development condition, the public services provided to Columbia Valley’s residents, light industrial uses, commercial uses, and the anticipated range of the forecast population expected to locate in the UGA.
After hearing a presentation on these factors, participants broke into groups to discuss potential responses. Some sought to reduce the size of the UGA, concentrating population growth in those areas already characterized by a more urban pattern of development. Some sought to enhance connections to Kendall, creating a synergy between the existing small town and another commercial node that may develop in the center of the UGA. Others identified land along Limestone Road as a possible location for future industrial, business park, or professional office development, providing employment opportunities for local residents.
The Small Town workshop and the Urban Growth Area workshop were discussed by the Foothills Subarea Plan Advisory Committee. Land use designations are included in the land use element, but the actual mechanics of the planning concept are explained in more detail here.
Planning Concept
The Columbia Valley will require provision of a full range of urban services for it to succeed as an urban area. It will need to have sanitary sewer for the entire UGA. It will need to provide for local jobs and a more diverse local economy. It will need convenient and accessible commercial, public and institutional land uses to serve the community’s health, educational, recreational, shopping, social, spiritual, and civic needs. It will need to redefine itself as a ―city in the making,‖ establishing both an identity for the Columbia Valley and a way of considering land development and the provision of public services in a manner that is fiscally prudent.
This will require the Columbia Valley to take a quantum leap.
The adopted land use designations shown on Map 2.3 in chapter 2 reflect some changes in the UGA and in the anticipated types and intensity of development.
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UGA Boundaries
After carefully considering the relationship of Kendall to the Columbia Valley, the Foothills Subarea Plan Advisory Committee recommended that the UGA be reduced in size by removing the Kendall Commercial zoning district and pulling the UGA’s southern boundary north to the limits of the existing urban subdivision pattern (the new UGA boundary coincides with the southern boundary of the Paradise Lakes subdivision). The County made further reductions to the UGA in 2009. The size of the UGA decreased from approximately 1,489 to 1,156 acres.
The UGA boundary modification will reduce future development pressure on the land adjacent to the creek that lies between Kendall and the Columbia Valley. Removal of the land from the UGA will help maintain the rural character along the Mount Baker Highway corridor. Additionally, the land being removed from the UGA is not needed to accommodate the projected 20-year population growth in the UGA. Removing this excess land supply will help to reduce sprawl, in accordance with the planning goals of the Growth Management Act.
By separating Kendall from the rest of the Columbia Valley, the UGA reduction also places more emphasis on Kendall’s development as a community and tourist-oriented activity center. The UGA reduction emphasizes Kendall’s identity as a service center at the crossroads of two major highways, but it limits the extent to which it can develop. New commercial projects in Kendall would need to build within the closely-defined Small Town Commercial (STC) zoning boundary.
Town Center
The Columbia Valley UGA may not become an incorporated jurisdiction within the 20-year planning period. Even so, its status as an urban growth area implies that its residents will be provided urban levels of public services and facilities. Current development patterns are not diverse enough (with commercial and industrial land uses) to generate property tax revenues sufficient to sustain urban lifestyles. Nor is the population high enough to support retail and community services that urban lifestyles demand. While there may not be a City of Columbia Valley in the foreseeable future, the shape and texture of development within the valley must resemble one. That means jobs, commercial development, higher density, increased population and provision of a range of municipal, civic, and community services.
A key component of that shape and texture is the establishment of a Planned Town Center Designation as shown on the Map 2.3. The Planned Town Center Designation was rezoned to General Commercial in 2009 to allow for commercial development, a variety of housing types, and institutional uses. Most of the UGA is now developed as single-family residential neighborhoods. The Paradise Lakes and Peaceful Valley developments predominate, establishing a rather homogenous pattern of residential development. But there are no services nearby, and though these neighborhoods are well populated, there may not be enough residents now in the Columbia Valley to attract new retail and services to locate there. The Town Center, with a mix of new, higher-density housing, office and retail development, and human services will help the Columbia Valley increase its fiscal health and provide local services.
The Planned Town Center Designation is located on the west side of Kendall Road, near the center of the UGA. That location will allow for convenient access to most of the valley, providing a mix of shopping and community services within a walk or bike ride from the existing neighborhoods.
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Greenbelts and Open Space
The Growth Management Act mandates and good planning practice dictates that urban areas include natural areas and open spaces. The green spaces allow for more natural treatment of vital ecological functions within urban areas and provide for recreation opportunities for urban residents.
The Columbia Valley’s primary greenbelt is Kendall Creek and its associated wetlands, which provide useful wildlife habitat. Other greenbelts occur on the rim of the UGA along the hillsides that define the UGA’s limits.
Parks are a different issue, however. The Columbia Valley neighborhoods were initially designed as recreational subdivisions, with easy access to the natural world surrounding them. The more urban nature of the UGA will eventually require provision of urban parks, equipped with play equipment, picnic facilities and other amenities common to urban areas. The Town Center area proposed in this subarea plan will allow for some of these facilities, but others may be necessary as the valley’s population grows.
These parks may require contributions from developers to site and improve, consistent with development of more intense land uses. Locations and extent of parks are difficult to determine now, but the County will need to revise its parks plan and capital facilities plan as demand increases.
Industrial Uses
Participants in the planning process said they want to be able to work closer to home. The Columbia Valley is the only UGA within the planning area and is the only place suitable for locating a large-scale industrial or business park project. Discussion during the UGA workshop focused on land north of Limestone Road as a likely location for industrial development, but there are factors in place that work against it. Namely, its distance from established industrial districts and the Interstate-5 corridor.
This subarea plan encourages light impact industrial development in the Columbia Valley UGA, but it provides more flexibility in where that development should locate than the policy that was adopted in the County Comprehensive Plan in 1999. The Foothills Subarea Plan Advisory Committee recommended, and this Subarea Plan adopts, an approximately 40-acre Planned Light Impact Industrial designation on the north side of Limestone Road as shown on the UGA map (Map 2.3). The approximately 80 acres of Rural land to the west of the Planned Light Impact Industrial property and another 40 acre section to the east of the property were recommended to be Potential Planned Light Impact Industrial Areas. This recognizes the need for industrial land within the UGA and provides for its location within a band of property in the northern portion of the UGA.
The intent of the approximately 40-acre Planned Light Impact Industrial designation is to provide adequate land to accommodate light industrial uses over the 20-year planning period to provide jobs and enhance the tax base. The Planned Light Impact Industrial designation is already within the UGA and can be rezoned to Light Impact Industrial when impacts and mitigation have been appropriately identified.
In addition to the 40-acre Planned Light Impact Industrial designation, the Subarea Plan also adopts two Potential Planned Light Impact Industrial designations, totaling approximately 120 acres, in the area generally north of Limestone Road. The basic idea for these Potential Planned Light Impact Industrial designations is to provide flexibility for location of light industry if the original 40-acres of Planned Light Impact Industrial is either built out or unavailable because of land owner preferences or other issues. If
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the existing 40-acre Planned Light Impact Industrial designation in the UGA is unavailable, then 40 acres within the Potential Planned Light Impact Industrial acreage may be re-designated as Planned Light Impact Industrial. The County’s intent is to meter the amount of land available for light impact industrial uses to match demand and to avoid designating more land than necessary for light impact industrial development.
It is the hope of the Advisory Committee that these designations, which are adopted in this Subarea Plan, will encourage light industrial firms to locate in the subarea, bringing with them jobs for subarea residents. The location of a light industrial zone in the UGA will place jobs near the highest population concentration, enhancing the subarea’s economic stability.
Water
Whatcom County Water District 13 and the Columbia Valley Water District provide water service to the Columbia Valley UGA. It is anticipated that these districts will have adequate capacity to serve the UGA over the 20-year planning period. Water system management over the coming years may become more demanding, however, with an increased customer base. The two districts may need to coordinate more closely as the Columbia Valley intensifies, finding opportunities to collaborate where possible and coordinate capital facilities planning.
Sewer
Sanitary sewer service in the Columbia Valley is available only in Water District 13. The Columbia Valley Water District provides no sanitary sewer service, and all development now within that district is served by private septic systems. District 13 has been in financial trouble in the past, with the costs of maintaining both a water and sewer system overtaxing its rate base. However, the District has recovered from these financial issues. New development in the proposed town center would strengthen the District’s financial base, and the wastewater system has capacity or can be upgraded to serve it. The Columbia Valley Water District may at some point wish to contract with District 13 for wastewater service, but that discussion will be motivated only when development intensities within the Columbia Valley Water District are likely to increase beyond what the current array of private septic systems can accommodate.
Stormwater Collection
Because of the gravelly subsurface in the Columbia Valley, a significant percentage of runoff percolates into the subsurface and becomes part of the aquifer. All of the small creeks off Sumas Mountain are known to disappear as soon as they leave the mountain. Runoff from the Columbia Valley also finds its way into Kendall Creek, flowing southward into the North Fork of the Nooksack River. Sumas Mountain and Red Mountain contribute runoff into the UGA, with alluvial runoff patterns lining the western edge of the Columbia Valley. Development within the UGA will need to accommodate those surface flows from the mountainsides bordering it. Additionally, runoff from impervious surfaces created by development will have to be collected, treated appropriately, and then infiltrated into groundwater or discharged to surface water.
The history of alluvial fan action on Sumas Mountain may challenge development at the toe of the mountain. Surface flows can be managed, however, provided new development anticipates future alluvial fan action and provides mitigation consistent with the Critical Areas Ordinance.
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Increasingly urban development in the UGA, particularly in the proposed town center area, will require increased storm water management. While the existing development pattern in Peaceful Valley and Paradise Lakes allowed for on-site percolation, increased development density in the town center may require a more sophisticated system for storm water collection, treatment, and retention through infiltration or discharge to surface waters.
Any storm water plans developed to accommodate urban intensity in the UGA will need to conform to Whatcom County’s Critical Areas Ordinance and Development Standards, including water quality and quantity parameters. In addition, storm water and development design is encouraged to incorporate low impact development (LID) techniques to minimize development’s impact on surface water flow.
High quality water is a primary concern for subarea residents and untreated runoff can be hazardous to both surface and groundwater supplies. In the case of the Columbia Valley UGA, greater development intensity and population growth will increase the amount of stormwater running off impervious surfaces. The County should facilitate management of stormwater runoff in the Columbia Valley UGA with stormwater management systems that encompass all aspects of stormwater handling: collection, control, conveyance, treatment and discharge. The systems should be implemented in the Town Center of the Columbia Valley UGA, the Light Impact Industrial zone, and the residential areas.
Stormwater issues are not unique to the UGA or even the Foothills Subarea. Stormwater is a county-wide problem and the County needs to form a stormwater management strategy to address runoff issues throughout the County.
Transportation
The Columbia Valley UGA is served primarily by Kendall Road (State Route 547) and Mount Baker Highway (State Route 542). Mount Baker Highway connects Kendall with Bellingham, the Rural Communities, and the recreational areas associated with Mount Baker. Kendall Rd. extends from its intersection with Mount Baker Highway in Kendall to the Paradise Lakes and Peaceful Valley developments, and connects the community to Sumas and points further north into Canada. The community’s preferred transportation mode is the private automobile. In addition, Whatcom Transportation Authority’s (WTA) bus route — 72x (Kendall/Bellingham) — serves passengers in the UGA.
Pedestrian and bicycle travel are also important to residents of the Columbia Valley, although many existing routes are along the shoulders of roads with high speed limits. Pedestrian travel is generally limited to the existing road systems within the Paradise Lakes and Peaceful Valley areas and, whenever necessary, along the shoulders of Kendall Road. Bicycle travel is similarly limited by the constraints of real and perceived safety factors. While the core of the Paradise/Peaceful Valley developments are alive with children on bicycles, Kendall Road’s high speed traffic is too dangerous for extensive travel. Efforts toward creating a safe, interconnected trail system for the area’s residents may increase bike and pedestrian travel in the UGA.
Factors for Incorporation
The Columbia Valley UGA may not incorporate and become its own municipality in the near future, but it is helpful to consider upcoming urban development as if it were. As an urban growth area, the Columbia Valley is expected to provide a full range of urban services. The County will seek to make the
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unincorporated UGA pay its own way. Shaping the UGA to be fiscally solvent is a necessity, and considering it as its own municipality can draw that into sharper focus and lay the groundwork for possible incorporation in the future.
As a rule, municipalities attempt to balance the cost of providing urban services with the revenues received from property taxes, sales taxes and a scattering of other sources. Property tax and sales tax comprise the largest share of municipal revenues. Municipalities also try to arrange land uses and public service systems to maximize property tax revenue and to minimize the costs to provide those public services. If the Columbia Valley is to succeed as a fiscally independent entity, either as an unincorporated part of the county or as its own municipality, its type, arrangement and intensity of land uses must change.
Here are some factors that will need to be considered:
Boundaries - The idea of incorporation must be fleshed out within the parameters of a real boundary. It may not be feasible or logical for the community to incorporate the whole of the Columbia Valley UGA at one time. It may be more reasonable to incorporate only a portion of the UGA. In either case, the community must decide what that boundary will look like and forecast what impact the incorporated land and population will have on potential services and revenues. The population wishing to incorporate must also be greater than 1,500 (RCW 35.02.010) and, if the population is less than 7,500, the county’s Boundary Review Board (BRB) may deny incorporation without a vote of the residents if incorporation doesn’t meet one or more of the objectives of the BRB (RCW 36.93.150).
Market/Fiscal Feasibility - The community must decide if they have the ability to sustain a town or city government with the existing and future tax base and infrastructure. This discussion should be reinforced by a feasibility analysis of market factors that presents demand-driven forecasts of commercial development, long-term market conditions for residential property (forecast property values and changes in development patterns), and future need for light industrial, retail and office uses. Additionally, the community must consider the fiscal feasibility of incorporation. An analysis should be conducted to forecast the potential revenues and costs of service for the potential incorporated entity. Also, some consideration must be given to the basic functions and services that the incorporated city would attempt to provide its residents and the costs associated with that service provision as well as the cost associated with not providing those services.
Land use mix – Single-family residential development does not generate enough property tax revenue to support itself. The costs of providing roads, public safety services, municipal services, and schools to neighborhoods are greater than the tax revenues they generate. The Columbia Valley’s success as an urban area, whether incorporated as a city or not, will depend on its success in creating a more diverse and more intense land use mix.
The UGA must reach an overall residential density of four units per acre or higher to attract and sustain local businesses to serve it. This can be done by increasing the amount of higher density housing near the center of the UGA and by encouraging the subdivision of larger parcels within the UGA.
The UGA must also introduce a spectrum of non-residential land uses. Ideally, residential development should constitute no more than 60 percent of the area’s land base; the other 40 percent should comprise of a mix of industrial, commercial, institutional, parks and public rights of way. Including industrial and commercial land uses will offset the fiscal deficit by providing increased property tax and sales tax
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revenues. They will also provide for local employment and economic activity, allowing residents to work and shop near home. Institutional land uses and parks will reinforce community development, allowing area residents to socialize and enjoy their urban space.
A diverse mix of land uses is crucial to the UGA’s success.
Economic foundation – Urban areas are economic machines. They locate where money is to be made. In the industrial era, cities located either near the resources or near the markets, with factories, financial services, neighborhoods and municipal agencies focused on production and delivery of goods. Cities today are often less constrained to particular locations, but economic functions still underpin urban living.
The Columbia Valley needs to develop an economic reason for being. The seed of its creation, the seasonal housing of Canadian visitors, is no longer a driving force. The valley’s affordable housing attracts those unable to buy or rent in Bellingham. It is also home to a relatively large Russian language community. The result is a thoroughly populated suburban residential area, culturally unique, located 45 minutes to an hour away from the county’s employment centers.
Surviving only as an isolated residential enclave will not spell success for the Columbia Valley. It must identify and develop an economic foundation to help it prosper.
Utilities – A diverse and intensified land use mix will allow the water and sewer districts to provide satisfactory utility services. The number of ratepayers defines the level of infrastructure. Any serious attempt to incorporate the Columbia Valley will have as a prerequisite the establishment of a reliable and sustainable service delivery system.
Governmental Structure - Once annexed, the community will have to form a governmental structure to manage all the activities of a city. In considering the idea of annexation, a community should also have an eye on potential forms of government for that future city. The kinds of services the community is able to provide can be linked to the type of government that is available to coordinate them. An array of potential governmental structures should be considered among the factors listed above in order to keep the community grounded in its planning.
Impacts to the County overall are difficult to assess, involving an evaluation of property and sales tax and projections of future economic activity in both the incorporated and unincorporated condition. If the Columbia Valley UGA incorporates, however, it is likely the County would experience little change. The new city would probably contract with the County for municipal services for several years before assuming select administrative functions.
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Goals and Policies
Many of the goals and policies that apply to the Columbia Valley UGA are located in other chapters in the subarea plan. The matrix below indicates where some of these goals and policies can be located:
Table 12.1 Relevant policies for the Columbia Valley UGA from other chapters Chapter Goal-Policy LU1-C, D, E and G LU2-A, B, C, D,E, F, and G LU4-A and C LU5-A Land Use LU6-A and B LU8-A LU10-A LU12-B H1-A Housing H4-B H5-A Capital Facilities CF1-A and B U1-A, B, and C Utilities U5-B and C T2-A and B T4-A and B T5-B Transportation T6-A T7-A, B, C, and D T11-A, B, C, and D Economic EC2-A, B, C, D, E, F and G Resource Lands RL1-A R1-A and B R3-B Recreation R4-F R5-A, B, C, D, and E PF1-A Community Facilities PF2-A PF5-A EN1-K Environment EN1-L EN1-M
In addition to those goals and policies located in other chapters there are goals and policies that apply specifically to the Columbia Valley UGA. The primary purpose of Columbia Valley UGA policies in other chapters and in this one is to promote orderly transition from rural land uses and densities to urban uses and densities. The policies intend to encourage the responsible growth of urban areas while assuring that an adequate range of urban services (sewer, storm water drainage, schools, parks, water, fire and sheriff protection) is available to support urban level densities.
Columbia Valley UGA goals and policies below facilitate urban growth by:
Ensuring that interim development prior to the commitment to provide full urban services is designed in a manner to permit more intense development later on. Allowing low-intensity uses that are consistent with the area’s surrounding rural character until the commitment to provide full urban services is made. Allowing commercial, industrial, institutional, and urban density residential uses once urban services are provided and impacts mitigated.
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Goal CV1 – Concentrate urban growth in the Columbia Valley UGA, creating a diverse mix of land uses and resulting in the provision of a full spectrum of urban services, including water, sanitary sewerage, storm drainage, law enforcement, fire protection, libraries, schools, parks, public transit and other similar services.
Policy
CV1-A Encourage efficient land use patterns and cooperation among municipalities, special districts, associations, and other governmental agencies in the provision of a full range of urban service in the UGA.
CV1-B Cluster subdivisions and Planned Unit Developments are permitted in the UGA and are encouraged for developments on large parcels.
CV1-C Whatcom County has adopted an approximately 40-acre Planned Light Impact Industrial designation within the Columbia Valley UGA. The County may designate another 40-acres of land for UGA/light impact industrial development within the boundaries of the Potential Planned Light Impact Industrial designation only if the initial 40 acres in the planned light impact industrial designation is either: 1. Substantially put to use for industrial purposes; or 2. Removed from the UGA/Planned Light Impact Industrial designation.
CV1-D Recognize the need for light impact industrial land uses within the Columbia Valley Urban Growth Area. Consider establishing a light impact industrial zone located on the north side of Limestone Road as shown on the Planned Light Impact Industrial and Potential Planned Light Impact Industrial map. 1. Retain the existing zoning until traffic impacts and infrastructure/utility/service needs, and appropriate mitigation measures have been identified. 2. If the existing Planned Light Impact Industrial designation is built out or unavailable for industrial use, consider modifying the Columbia Valley UGA boundary in the Potential Planned Light Impact Industrial designation to allow rezoning of up to 40 acres to light impact industrial. 3. Assure an adequate supply of light impact industrial sites to meet future market demands for light impact industrial development.
CV1-E The Planned Town Center Designation is intended to be a mixed use area consisting of commercial uses, a variety of high density residential housing types, and institutional uses. It is not intended to be developed solely with housing.
Goal CV2 – Protect surface and ground water quality and quantity and sensitive habitat areas throughout the subarea.
Policy
CV2-A On-site stormwater collection, conveyance, retention, detention and treatment facilities, as appropriate, should be required during and after development.
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Goal CV3 – Implement a concise, equitable and practical set of land use regulations intended to carry out the goals, policies and proposals of the Foothills Subarea Plan in a timely and orderly fashion.
Policy
CV3-A Promote an orderly transition from current land uses to the adopted land use designations and densities for the UGA.
Goal CV4 – Develop a functional, coordinated and multi-modal transportation system which provides for the safe and efficient movement of people and goods, avoids undesirable environmental impacts, and optimizes public investments and the conservation of energy resources.
Policy
CV4-A Where practical, subdivisions and other urban uses adjoining other zone districts should be designed so that vehicular and pedestrian networks are channeled to the internal area of the site.
CV4-B Intersections with state highways or county arterial and collector roads will be as few as possible.
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13 Kendall Rural Community Master Plan
On September 15 and 16, 2006 members of the Foothills community attended a two-day workshop to discuss Kendall and their vision for what the Rural Community could become. In a related workshop, the community discussed the Columbia Valley urban growth area (UGA) and how it relates to Kendall, both today and in the future. This chapter provides a master development scheme for the Kendall Rural Community, incorporating the community’s thoughts from these two events, as well as the direction of the subarea plan as a whole.
Kendall Workshop This chapter presents the detailed comments and contributions from the Kendall Workshop that shape the master plan concept. During the workshop, participants provided guidance on several levels:
• They helped articulate aspirations for Kendall, identifying what it is today, what they believe it could be in 20 years and what would need to be done to get there.
• They identified important objectives for Kendall, prioritizing those objectives to help guide the master planning concept.
• They suggested specific design concepts and strategies to accomplish their collective vision, paying attention to prioritized objectives.
The Washington State Department of Transportation attended the Kendall Workshop and gave a presentation about roundabouts and traffic signals. They also discussed the range of transportation improvement possibilities in Kendall.
The table below summarizes the participants’ ideas on a vision for Kendall. The group generally recognized the area’s potential to be a safe crossroads, offering a range of civic and tourism activities that complement the school, community church and other less intense development now existing in Kendall. They identified the Rural Community’s beauty and centrality, wanting to find more ways to make it accessible to bicyclists, pedestrians and, importantly, children.
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Vision Assessment – Today, Tomorrow, Means
Table 13.1 Vision Assessment Today What it Takes 2029 Dangerous Intersections WSDOT funding and action Safe intersections Drive-through, no stopping Reconfiguration of access and Civic spaces, new intersection land uses designs Lack of community place Reconfiguration of access and Central place, farmer’s market land uses or other activity Lack of Parks Parkland acquisition A park in Kendall Beauty and slow pace Develop in a way that Beauty and slow pace preserves rural character and the beauty of the area. Isolated Technology availability Enhanced connections via phone and Internet and increased use for telecommuting and personal uses. Lack of public transportation Increased ridership and longer More frequent bus service to service periods Bellingham and other centers High incidence of property Additional law enforcement Increased law enforcement crime in the general area staff and facilities visibility Lack of retail and personal Increased population or better Grocery store and medical services connection to UGA services located nearby Car Orientation Reconfiguration of access and Bike and Pedestrian Paths land uses
Based on the participants’ work on Kendall’s 20-year vision, it is clear that reconfiguration of access and land uses is an important element for making Kendall the place the community wishes it to be. Parkland acquisition and increased law enforcement presence are up to the County’s budgeting process, while enhancing WTA’s bus service depends on demand and WTA’s response to it. The Washington Department of Transportation is responsible for improvements to the state highways serving the subarea, but they will attempt to respond to community direction as expressed in this Subarea Plan when considering design options for roadway modifications. Availability of technology is strictly determined by the market and advances in the state of the art.
After working through the vision segment, participants identified some of the opportunities and constraints influencing Kendall’s master planning. The table below summarizes the results of this work, indicating the range of opportunities Kendall presents, as well as some of the obstacles that need to be either overcome or accommodated.
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Assessment of Opportunities and Constraints Table 13.2 Opportunities and Constraints Opportunities Constraints Lower speed limit – The rather complex roadway Traffic speed – Cars move quickly on the state configuration may provide opportunities and highways, focusing on traveling through Kendall justification for lowering the speed limits through Kendall rather than stopping at it. Traffic calming – the area’s crossroad’s character might Lines of sight – Roadway geometry and make it suitable for traffic calming techniques topography limit visibility at the various highway intersections. Road realignment – While it is not a high accident Property values – Real estate is getting more location now, the configuration of the roadways is expensive in Kendall, making it more difficult to awkward for traffic on Kendall Road. acquire land for development and putting more pressure on commercial rents. Public spaces – Land ownership and Kendall’s central Common vision achievement – The community location make it suitable for provision of public spaces, is not entirely agreed on Kendall’s future and its including a park. role with respect to the Columbia Valley and provision of services to the entire Foothills subarea. Other commercial land available to north – Additional Highway intersections – Kendall Road makes commercial land is planned in the Columbia Valley awkward turns to access the Columbia Valley. UGA, taking pressure off Kendall to provide all commercial development for the Columbia Valley. Preserve rural character – The present scale of Poor pedestrian facilities – The state highways development allows for the rural character to be provide no pedestrian facilities, and there are maintained. no separated paths outside the road rights of way to link the various properties in Kendall. There are also no pedestrian crosswalks at the highway intersections. Trails (Bay to Baker) – There are plans for a regional trail Kendall Road pedestrian access – While Kendall that will go right through Kendall. Elementary serves families in the Columbia Valley, there is no “safe-walk” route to the school along Kendall Road. All children must be transported to school. Undeveloped land – Much of Kendall is either unimproved or underimproved, leaving ample land available for new development in a manner sensitive to the area’s character. Bus terminal/Park ‘n ride – WTA already serves Kendall with an established and popular bus stop. Space is available to expand this into a terminal or park and ride. Natural beauty – Kendall is pretty, located on the valley floor nestled among the foothills, with trees, a stream, open meadows, nice views, and sparse development. Library – Maple Falls’ library relocated to Kendall in 2011, providing an opportunity for an expanded civic presence. Mt Baker – Kendall is on the way to Mt Baker, and Baker- bound traffic in the winter (and increasingly in the summer) provides opportunity for tourist-based business. School expansion – As population in the subarea grows, the school district may need to expand the Kendall School. Civic center/Farmers’ market – Kendall’s centrality may make it suitable for community spaces that serve the entire Foothills.
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Reviewing these opportunities and constraints reveals that transportation safety (for both autos and pedestrians) is of primary importance. In addition, participants believed that the area’s natural beauty and the increasing provision of civic spaces related to the existing school and fire station, along with a new community gathering place, can make Kendall unique and provide valuable services to a population much greater than what is immediately surrounding it.
After discussing the area’s opportunities and constraints, participants took to their feet to photograph Kendall and show the consulting team what they see when they look at Kendall. The resulting images confirmed the results of the earlier discussions, which concentrated on transportation issues, Kendall’s rural character, the prominence of civic uses in the Rural Community, and the need for better connectivity to nearby residential areas and the Columbia Valley.
Figure 13.1 – Photo from Kendall workshop field exercises (Source: Participant photo)
Participants then decided on the design objectives they felt the Kendall master plan should attain. Those objectives, developed and prioritized by the entire group, are listed below. Priority was determined by a rigorous “forced-pair” exercise where the group ranked each objective against the others (there was a three-way tie for third place and a two-way tie for sixth place).
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Design Objectives – Prioritized 1. Highway safety 2. Community gathering spaces 3. Rural character Infrastructure pacing Public/Community services 6. Non-motorized transportation Open space/view corridors 8. School capacity 9. Community vitality 10. Tourism orientation
The participants noted that all of these design objectives are important on their own. The prioritizing was intended to help the master planning process manage tradeoffs where not all objectives could be achieved equally.
Kendall Workshop participants then tried their hand at developing master plans for Kendall, incorporating the results from the previous sessions. The resulting master plans sought to provide a mix of commercial and civic spaces, answering the need for a viable commercial core for Kendall and the desire for community-oriented activities.
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Figure 13.2 – Design concepts generated by Kendall workshop participants. (Source: Kendall workshop groups))
Based on the group’s discussion of the initial master plan concepts, the group established a consensus on “good ideas” that should be included in a Kendall master plan:
Northern spur at Mt. Baker Highway/Kendall Road intersection – Many participants included a northward extension from Mt. Baker Highway at its intersection with Kendall Road to provide access to property next to the existing fire station and the existing convenience store. This could, potentially, take the form of the northern leg on a round-about. The entire group generally believed it was a good idea, improving the geometry of that particular intersection and creating a more traditional community center type of street system for Kendall.
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Transport center – As the Foothills subarea and the Columbia Valley grow, demand for public transportation may increase. Kendall’s role as a transportation hub may provide development opportunities that some groups sought to maximize.
Roundabout – Intersection reconfigurations appeared in every master plan concept generated by participants.
Community spaces – No matter how participants envisioned Kendall’s overall character or role, every master plan concept included community spaces for public gathering.
Columbia Valley UGA Workshop In October 2006, the Foothills community again gathered to discuss the future of the Columbia Valley UGA. That workshop is summarized in chapters 12 and 14, but the items from that discussion influencing master planning in Kendall are detailed here:
UGA boundary revision – By the conclusion of the three-hour workshop, participants generally agreed that the UGA boundary should be moved north from Kendall, reinforcing Kendall’s function as a Rural Community and reducing the likelihood of developing the land along Kendall Creek between Kendall and the existing Columbia Valley subdivisions. By doing this, Kendall becomes less responsible for serving the Columbia Valley’s commercial needs and, perhaps, more capable of serving the tourism and civic needs of the entire Foothills subarea.
Figure 13.3 – Conceptual connectivity between Kendall and the Columbia Valley town center.
Connectivity to Kendall –Removing Kendall from the UGA makes connectivity to the Columbia Valley’s population even more important. Workshop participants underscored the need for trail and roadway connections that were convenient and safe, allowing Columbia Valley residents to
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access Kendall easily on foot, by bike (with pathways separated from the State highway), or by auto.
Figure 13.4 – Oblique aerial illustrating Kendall’s relationship to the Columbia Valley (Source: Google Earth, 2007)
Provision of commercial land – With Kendall separate from the UGA, the Columbia Valley neighborhoods will rely more on commercial goods and services provided in an area more central to the UGA. That frees Kendall up to provide different and more specialized goods and services, including those institutional, civic and tourism-oriented uses that may be more geared to subarea-wide residents and travelers.
Provision of institutional/civic land uses – While the Columbia Valley’s central commercial area will likely include a regional resource center and other institutional and civic land uses (including, perhaps, another school), Kendall’s position as a central place for institutional and civic activities remains important. The existing Kendall School and fire department, as well as the relocation of the Maple Falls library to Kendall, create a powerful critical mass that will sustain Kendall’s prominence and assist its further development.
Sanitary sewer service – Sanitary sewer is an urban service, rather than a rural service under the Growth Management Act. The Kendall Rural Community has been removed from the Urban Growth Area, and is now in an area designated for rural development. Therefore, it would not be appropriate to extend sewer from the UGA to serve the Kendall Rural Community (unless some type of public health or environmental protection issue arises). This will limit the intensity of development that may occur in the Kendall Rural Community. Sewer is going to be provided in the Columbia Valley UGA, resulting in a disparity of intensity that will develop between
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Kendall’s Rural Community and the Columbia Valley’s commercial area. Kendall will remain rural in character.
Subarea Plan Directives In addition to the focused work in the Kendall workshop and the Columbia Valley UGA workshop, several specific policies and implementation programs influence the Kendall Rural Community master plan. These generally reinforce the stated desires for an enhanced non-motorized transportation system serving Kendall and the need to interconnect Kendall with the Columbia Valley UGA, both in terms of transportation and function. The subarea plan recognizes Kendall as a critical crossroads in the Foothills, establishing it as an important community space that must blend civic activity, automotive mobility, safety, and a strong statement of the Foothills’ identity. The specific goals, policies, and implementation projects are noted elsewhere in this document, but each relevant one mentions Kendall. They are not repeated here.
Existing Conditions Kendall is not fully developed. There has been important investment in the area, though, including relatively recent construction of the Kendall School (opened in 1999) and the addition to the fire station (completed in 2000), as well as the two gas stations/convenience stores and church at the crossroads.
Figure 13.5 – Aerial photograph of Kendall (Source: Google Earth, 2007)
The aerial photograph here shows how Kendall looks today. Buildings are set back from the roadway edge to accommodate vehicle parking and access from the highways. The development pattern is consistent with what occurs in rural settings, where buildings are constructed on individual parcels and surrounded by open space in a variety of developed and undeveloped condition. Propane tanks, located apart from building pads, appear on the edges of parking areas, and driveways are located where most convenient for the individual uses. The buildings are sited and constructed as free-standing uses, acting
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independently of what may be happening on neighboring property and not terribly accommodating of future infill development.
Master Plan Design Program Objectives The Kendall Workshop, Columbia Valley UGA Workshop, and other subarea plan directives determined Kendall’s design program. The program objectives listed here echo what the community asked for, incorporating the various elements that will help Kendall achieve the community’s long-range vision.
• Highway safety – Cars, trucks, buses, pedestrians, bicyclists, visitors, residents, peak-hour commuters and mid-day travelers all use Mt Baker Highway and Kendall Road, placing different demands on the roadways. Safely managing these various traffic flows is of primary importance to the community.
• Community gathering spaces – While there is an abundance of open space in the subarea, there is not much community gathering space, places where neighbors can meet and mingle or where the community can conduct social or civic events. It is important that Kendall provide community space, including a town park.
• Rural character – Kendall is set at a highway crossroads in the rural Foothills. That rural character must be maintained as Kendall develops.
• Infrastructure and public services pacing – It is important that the provision of infrastructure keep pace with the demands development will put on it. That includes utilities, such as water service, and other public services, such as libraries and law enforcement.
• Non-motorized transportation – Kendall should provide for an active non-motorized transportation environment. This complements the highway safety objective, providing pedestrians and bicyclists with routes other than just along the highway corridors.
• Open space – This objective coincides with the objectives to keep Kendall rural and to provide community gathering spaces.
• School capacity – The Kendall School is a prominent component of the Rural Community. Based on comments received during the planning process, it is already over capacity. As population increases, the school district may need to increase the capacity at the Kendall School or construct additional facilities elsewhere. The Kendall master plan must provide the District with the flexibility it needs to provide adequate school capacity.
• Community vitality – Kendall must incorporate elements to increase its prominence as an activity center. This may require additional and complementary street-level commercial or civic spaces, as well as convenient interconnections with the population centers in the Columbia Valley and Maple Falls.
• Tourism orientation – Kendall is on the way to Mt Baker and, as such, can benefit from thousands of tourism-related vehicle trips on the Mt Baker Highway.
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Master Plan The master plan concept presented here represents a development type consistent with a Rural Community, conserving open space on the periphery of the developed area, accenting public spaces and providing for non-motorized connection opportunities via trails to the Columbia Valley and Maple Falls. It also proposes reconfiguring the highways and intersections to control the flow of traffic through Kendall and improve the Rural Community’s visibility to traffic on the Mt Baker Highway. The sweeping curve allowing Mt Baker Highway travelers to bypass Kendall would be removed, directing all Mt Baker traffic through the roundabout and providing them a more complete view of what Kendall has to offer.
Figure 13.6 – Existing building footprints in Kendall, with the Rural Community designation shown in red
The first phase of the master plan build out would retain the existing convenience stores and concentrate on filling in land that is now vacant. Integrating the new style of development (with its building masses close to the street) and the existing development pattern (with its building masses set further back) will require careful access management to ensure that vehicles exiting the highway are channeled safely to common parking areas.
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Figure 13.7 – Kendall Master Plan Concept
The final development phase includes full redevelopment of Kendall to create the town center envisioned in the workshops. The Small Town Commercial zone will have become a corridor of shops and civic uses, with parking located on the street and behind the building masses. The building fronts would not be entirely continuous along this corridor because of the desire to maintain a rural feel to the space and to permit easy access to the parking, trails, and community activity areas north of the roadway.
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Policy References This chapter introduces no new goals or policies. It is actually more oriented to the implementation of policies contained elsewhere in the plan, presenting ideas on the future look and function of Kendall as the Foothills and the Columbia Valley respond to change in the coming years. The table below indicates where related goals and policies can be found in this plan.
Table 13.3 Relevant policies for the Kendall Rural Community from other chapters Chapter Goal-Policy LU2-E Land Use LU3-A, B, C, D, E and F LU5-A Housing H2-A and B CF2-A and B Capital Facilities CF3-B U3-A Utilities U6-A T3-A, B and C T5- B Transportation T6-A T7-A, B, C, and D T11-A, B, C, and D EC3-A and B Economic EC6-A R1-B Recreation R2-A R5-A, B, C, D, and E PF1-A Community Facilities PF3-A and B PF5-A
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14 Public Participation Program
The public participation program for the formation of this subarea plan included 8 workshops, stakeholder interviews, a questionnaire and meetings of the Foothills Subarea Plan Advisory Committee (FSPAC). All interested parties were invited to participate in the various opportunities presented for public comment and participation in the planning process. Sincere efforts were made on the part of the FSPAC, the County, and the consultant, Studio Cascade, Inc., to incorporate as much public input into the process as possible. While the meetings and workshops appealed to particular segments of the Foothills population, other residents were more inclined to answer a questionnaire. Stakeholder meetings were arranged with key members of the Foothills community to gain insight into the inner workings of the expansive community.
Vision Week Workshops
June 5 – 8, 2006, a series of four visioning workshops were held in Deming, Kendall, Glacier, and Maple Falls. Participants were asked to comment and draw on maps to articulate their feelings and ideas on a number of common planning issues: community, land use, transportation, growth/change, identity and economy. The sheets were divided into three parts (issues, opportunities, and vision) for comment.
Kendall Workshop
The fifth workshop was a two-day charrette September 15 and 16, 2006. The first day laid the groundwork for participants to begin the work of designing their ideal small town commercial area near the intersection of Kendall Rd and Mt Baker Highway. Participants were encouraged to think 20 years in the future to plan a commercial center that would serve the needs of future residents of the Kendall area and the Foothills. They wrote their ideas on a series of large maps of the intersection.
Columbia Valley Urban Growth Area Workshop
Workshop six, October 14, 2006, centered on the Columbia Valley Urban Growth Area. At the time, the UGA included Kendall. The work of participants centered around four topic areas: economy, transportation, public facilities and community services, and boundaries and land use. Each rotation cycle on each topic was presented with a map on a long sheet of paper and was asked to illustrate their vision for the Columbia Valley UGA and write some comments or suggestions. These comments were compiled into a spreadsheet and the maps were scanned for further consideration.
Policy Workshop
The primary focus of workshop seven, November 16, 2006, was policy review and generation. Over the course of the previous meetings, a number of policy probabilities had emerged from discussion and comments. This meeting presented a number of those policies to the participants for their consideration. Participants were asked to review a draft policy framework within three categories: rural areas, urban growth area, and small towns (subsequently renamed Rural Communities). They were then asked to decide if the policy presented was a good idea or bad idea. They were also given the option to say that they ―don’t know‖ or ―don’t care‖ in this exercise. Also, during the workshop, participants were exposed to several of the Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan policies that applied to future growth in the Foothills Subarea and were shown preliminary results of the Foothills subarea plan questionnaire.
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Finally, as another barometer for public opinion, workshop participants were asked to be involved in a quick penny poll. A penny poll is an unscientific survey in which participants are given 10 pennies to spend on 10 topics any way they would like to spend them. For example, if a respondent wants to put nine pennies in topic one and one penny in topic two, or one penny in each topic, they may. In this penny poll, topics considered were: local jobs, improved levels of service, housing affordability, water quality, recreation, rural character, convenient access to urban areas, environmental protection, emergency response and law enforcement, and other.
Draft Plan Rollout
The eighth workshop was a Draft Plan Rollout held in October 2007 to introduce the draft plan to the public and provide opportunity for a round of public input prior to FSPAC issuance of their recommended draft plan, which will proceed on for Planning Commission and County Council review.
Foothills Subarea Plan Advisory Committee
November 2005, the Whatcom County Council authorized the formation of the FSPAC by approving Resolution No. 2005-062. The committee consists of 11 members who are representatives of different areas or activities within the Foothills. The Whatcom County Executive appointed the FSPAC members, with County Council confirmation in February 2006. Between March 2006 and October 2007, the FSPAC conducted approximately 40 meetings and provided guidance and support to the consultant the County hired to work on the subarea planning process. The FSPAC recommended draft Foothills Subarea Plan was issued in October 2007. The FSPAC held several meetings in 2009 and 2010, after issuance of the draft subarea plan, to provide additional input to the County. FSPAC record of decisions and recommendations were made available to the public through the website.
Questionnaire
In early October 2006, the County sent out 4,751 questionnaires to landowners within the Foothills area. The FSPAC members handed out an additional 500 questionnaires and later distributed another 300 questionnaires in Russian to the Russian and Ukrainian community. The questionnaire was four pages in booklet style. Its questions were divided into five parts: location, preferences, tradeoffs and priorities, vision, and respondent comments. Part one — location, asked respondents where they lived, owned and worked in the subarea. Part two — preferences, asked respondents to express their agreement or disagreement with a series of statements on the following topics: community, sewer/water, land use/housing, recreation, economy, transportation, and emergency preparedness. Part three — tradeoffs and priorities required respondents to rank a series of topics in order of importance. The topics were the same as those addressed in the Policy Workshop. Part four — vision, asked respondents to answer a series of questions about what they liked most or disliked most about the Foothills and changes they would like (or not like) to see in the next 20 years. Finally, respondents were given a space to make freelance comments in Part five — respondent comments, and were also asked their age for demographic purposes.
Results of this questionnaire were tallied in SPSS, a data management and statistical analysis software and presented in a report (Foothills Subarea Plan Questionnaire Report, January 2007) to the FSPAC.
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Environmental Review
A Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was issued on August 1, 2008. A public hearing on the Draft SEIS was held on September 4, 2008. The Final SEIS was issued on December 19, 2008.
10-Year UGA Review
Whatcom County held public meetings while conducting the 10-year urban growth area review, which resulted in modifications to the Columbia Valley UGA in 2009 (Ordinance 2009-071).
Planning Commission The Whatcom County Planning Commission held public hearings on the Foothills Subarea Plan on January 15, 2009 and June 10, 2010. Oral and written public comments were received at these hearings.
Website
Throughout the entire update process, agendas, reports, results, and other items were posted on a website for community access (http://www.co.whatcom.wa.us/pds/planning/FoothillsSubareaPlanUpdate.htm). This website listed all meeting dates and their outcomes including FSPAC meetings and Studio Cascade-moderated public meetings and workshops.
Policies
Throughout the subarea plan, several chapters contain goals and policies that relate to future public participation in the planning process. It became clear during the public participation process for this plan that continued public participation would be necessary for the vision presented here to be realized. In keeping with that realization, the FSPAC introduced a number of polices in various chapters to encourage future public participation in the ongoing planning process. These goals and policies are identified in the table below for reference.
Table 14.1 Relevant policies for public participation from other chapters Chapter Policy LU4-B LU5-B, C, and D Land Use LU6-A LU11-D and E Transportation T7-B Economics EC4-K Natural Resources RL1-F Recreation R5-B PF5-B Community Facilities PF6-B Environment EN1-E
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15 Implementation
A plan is only as good as its implementation. This chapter includes a series of implementation projects and tasks identified through the subarea planning process. The first section below contains specific projects reviewed and prioritized by the Foothills Subarea Plan Advisory Committee (FSPAC), and adopted in this Subarea Plan, composed mainly of specific actions that require funding from the County or other sources to accomplish. The second section contains tasks that are more administrative in nature, requiring commitment from the County Council and various County departments. These tasks are derived from the subarea plan’s goals and policies, helping the County conduct its affairs in the Foothills in a manner consistent with this plan’s directives. In short, this chapter helps the County channel its investment in both capital and effort to ensure the Foothills subarea achieves the vision expressed in this plan.
Projects
In the February 7, 2007 meeting of the FSPAC, the committee started the process of generating a list of potential implementation projects to be included in the subarea plan. The list went through a series of sorting processes and was finalized in the form it appears in this subarea plan at the May 16, 2007 FSPAC meeting. The committee sorted projects by priority and then broke them into projects that could be funded by the County and projects that would require non-County funding. Some projects appear in both lists as they will either require funding from both County and non-County sources or from either the County or non-County sources.
These prioritized project lists are meant to be reviewed and revised periodically as necessary to keep them up to date with improvements and changes occurring in the subarea.
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Table 15.1 – Implementation Projects (Candidates for County Funding) Rank Area Project Description Chapter 1 Columbia Valley East County Regional Resource Center Capital Facilities Urban Growth and Community Area (UGA) Facilities 2 Columbia Valley Incorporation study Columbia Valley UGA UGA 3 Columbia Valley Conduct a study and prepare a Master Plan for light Columbia Valley UGA impact industrial in UGA- Work with Port of Bellingham, UGA Foothills Community Development Association (CDA), etc. 4 Kendall Town park/community gathering place Community Facilities, Recreation and Capital Facilities 5 Entire Foothills Study best practices for “local living economy” (buy Economics Subarea local) as opposed to corporate chain economy 6 Maple Falls Town park with public restrooms and a place for a Recreation and farmer’s market & ball fields along the highway Capital Facilities 7 Entire Foothills Separated bike/pedestrian paths from: Glacier to Transportation Subarea densely populated developments to the east, Glacier and Capital to Maple Falls, Maple Falls to Kendall, Facilities Kendall to Limestone Road, Kendall to Deming, and Deming to Nugent’s Corner 8 Entire Foothills County Code enforcement to clean up blighted Land Use and Subarea properties throughout the entire subarea. In the Housing Paradise Lakes area, the code enforcement effort will work in conjunction with the Kendall Watch Plan. 9 Entire Foothills Better signage at curves in road, better visibility, and Transportation Subarea blinking lights to improve safety.
Consider roadside safety projects and improved signage, as needed.
10 Entire Foothills Incentives for tree retention along scenic highway Environment and Subarea Transportation 11 Glacier and Fire Prevention- consult with Fire Marshal and provide Land Use and Columbia Valley tree modification to address potential wildfire Environment UGA 12 Columbia Valley Study of tax impact of projected growth so people Columbia Valley UGA know how they are going to pay for UGA services/infrastructure 13 Deming, Develop design guidelines for each individual small Land Use Kendall, Maple town commercial zone, including square footage and Falls and Glacier height limits for buildings. The design guideline committees will be composed only of residents and property owners in and around each small town commercial zone. 14 Kendall Deal with Flooding & Sediment Issues for High Creek Environment, ( i.e. put in sediment pond to collect sediment) Land Use and Transportation 15 Columbia Valley Storm water plan Columbia Valley UGA UGA and Utilities 16 Columbia Valley Pedestrian bridge over Sprague Lake Transportation UGA 15-2 Foothills Subarea Plan, Chapter 15 – May 2011
Table 15.1 – Implementation Projects (Candidates for County Funding) Rank Area Project Description Chapter 17 Foothills Subarea Look at enhancing Silver Lake Park with natural Recreation (north of Maple resource themes Falls) 18 Entire Foothills Educational program relating to wildlife needs Environment Subarea 19 Columbia Valley Park Capital Facilities, UGA Recreation and Columbia Valley UGA
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Table 15.2 – Implementation Projects (Candidates for non-County Funding) Rank Area Project Description Chapter 1 Columbia Valley East County Regional Resource Center Capital Facilities Urban Growth and Community Area (UGA) Facilities 2 Foothills Subarea Welcome Center (visitor center) in Kendall Community Facilities 3 Kendall Library/town park/community gathering place Community Facilities, Recreation and Capital Facilities 4 Entire Foothills Study best practices for “local living economy” (buy Economics Subarea local) as opposed to corporate chain economy 5 Entire Foothills Cell phone coverage and high speed Internet service Utilities Subarea 6 Columbia Valley Interfaith Community Health Satellite Clinic Community UGA Facilities 7 Maple Falls Town park with public restrooms and a place for a Recreation and farmer’s market & ball fields along the highway Capital Facilities 8 Kendall Study road and pedestrian/bike safety from SR 542/547 Transportation intersection to just past the Kendall Elementary School. Study roundabout at SR 542 & SR 547 and look at alternatives. Additionally, address the following areas of concern regarding the operation of Mount Baker School District buses: A. The Interchange of Hwy 542 and 547. The Committee recognizes that this is a very dangerous spot and would directly benefit from increased signage (warning signs) and a reduced speed limit at the interchange. A Kendall Elementary School Study of the intersection showed drastically reduced rates of accidents when temporary orange warning flags were placed at the approaches to this intersection several years ago. Signs saying “Yield to Oncoming Traffic” and “Caution - Turning Traffic Ahead” at the approaches to this intersection would be of great help. B. The corner of Hwy 547 where it turns ninety degrees from west to north directly in front of Kendall Elementary School. Two to three times per month vehicles fail to navigate that corner and contact the flower bed and the school district parking lot. The suggestion would be to again reduce speed on the highway, possibly install a device to slow speed (chicane or speed-bump) and to place a guardrail barrier between the roadway and the parking lot.
9 Entire Subarea Separated bike/pedestrian paths from: Transportation Glacier to densely populated developments to the and Capital east Facilities Glacier to Maple Falls Maple Falls to Kendall Kendall to Limestone Road Kendall to Deming Deming to Nugent’s Corner
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Table 15.2 – Implementation Projects (Candidates for non-County Funding) Rank Area Project Description Chapter 10 Columbia Valley Conduct a study and prepare a Master Plan for light Columbia Valley UGA impact industrial in UGA- Work with Port of Bellingham, UGA and Foothills Community Development Association (CDA), Economics etc. 11 Columbia Valley Study Wastewater plan for UGA – possibly combining Columbia Valley UGA the 2 water districts and providing sewer to the entire UGA and Utilities UGA 12 Deming Upgrade the Deming Water Association Water Utilities Distribution System to Department of Health Standards 13 Entire Foothills Better signage at curves in road, better visibility, and Transportation Subarea blinking lights to improve safety. Additionally, address the following areas of concern regarding the operation of Mount Baker School District buses: The widening of the shoulder or periodic areas of widened shoulders (in specified areas where the buses must stop) along 542 and 547 would reduce traffic congestion and reduce the slowing of traffic caused by the buses The Hwy 547 “S” curves approximately 1 mile north of the Kendall school. There are numerous accidents on the stretch of the highway. There is very poor visibility for cars approaching from the rear of school buses stopping in this area. Slower speed and warning lights for the corners would be of great assistance. The roads within the Peaceful Valley and Paradise areas only allow for the buses to operate on the main roads. Reconfiguration of these roads is unlikely but the introduction of sidewalks would make the approaches and exits to and from the buses safer. 14 Columbia Valley Better lighting along SR 547 & road striping Transportation UGA 15 Deming, Develop design guidelines for each individual small Land Use Kendall, Maple town commercial zone. Falls and Glacier 16 Foothills Subarea Park & Ride Transportation 17 Columbia Valley Small business incubator Economics UGA 18 Kendall Remove diversion dam at Kendall Hatchery Environment
19 Entire Foothills More WTA bus runs- A bus every hour Transportation Subarea 20 Deming Study wastewater treatment feasibility Utilities
21 Kendall Golf course Recreation
22 Entire Foothills Incentives for tree retention along scenic highway Environment and Subarea Transportation
23 Glacier and Fire Prevention- consult with Fire Marshal and provide Land Use and Columbia Valley tree modification to address potential wildfire Environment 24 Glacier Study needs for wastewater disposal Utilities
25 Columbia Valley Study of tax impact of projected growth so people Columbia Valley UGA know how they are going to pay for UGA services/infrastructure
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Table 15.2 – Implementation Projects (Candidates for non-County Funding) Rank Area Project Description Chapter 26 Entire Foothills Ask State to lower speed limit in populated areas for Transportation Subarea pedestrian safety 27 Foothills Subarea SR 542 bridge over North Fork Nooksack (Warnick Transportation (between Maple Bridge) needs to be replaced (located near the Falls and confluence of the North Fork of the Nooksack River and Glacier) Canyon Creek).
When funding is made available, WSDOT will work with the community when designing a replacement bridge so it incorporates features that accommodate bike and pedestrian linkages to adjacent trial systems. 28 Kendall Skate-Park (tied to community gathering space) Recreation
29 Columbia Valley Fire Prevention – Tree Modification to address potential Land Use and UGA wildfire- Talk to Fire Marshall RE: Detailed How-To Environment 30 Columbia Valley Air quality study for UGA including enforcement Environment UGA 31 Kendall Deal with Flooding & Sediment Issues for High Creek Environment, ( i.e. put in sediment pond to collect sediment) Land Use and Transportation 32 Glacier Library Community Facilities 33 Glacier Post Office Community Facilities 34 Columbia Valley Pedestrian bridge over Sprague Lake Transportation UGA 35 Foothills Subarea Look at enhancing Silver Lake Park with natural Recreation (north of Maple resource themes Falls) 36 Kendall Lower Speed Limit on SR 547 & SR 542 near the Transportation intersection all the way to the North Fork Brewery
37 Entire Foothills More Bike Racks on WTA buses Transportation Subarea 38 Entire Foothills Educational program relating to wildlife needs Environment Subarea 39 Kendall Swimming pool Recreation 40 Columbia Valley Park Capital Facilities, UGA Recreation and Columbia Valley UGA
Implementation Tasks
In addition to the series of goals and policies that were adopted for each chapter, the FSPAC recommended a series of tasks to implement the vision, goals and policies of the subarea plan. These are listed in this section, but are not in a prioritized order.
Adopt low impact development standards for the Foothills Subarea Rezone the triangular 14-acre parcel east of Mt. Baker Rim, shown on the Glacier Area map in chapter 2 consistent with the Rural Community Comprehensive Plan designation.
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Develop a Scenic Road Overlay Zone for the Mount Baker Highway corridor. This overlay zone should consider building design, site planning, signage, view points, landscaping, setbacks, transfer of development rights, public access, road improvements, and other appropriate elements. The development of this plan is an acknowledgement that the identified intrinsic resources add value to the lives of those who live along the corridor. These resources also attract many visitors throughout the year whose choice to visit helps sustain the local economy. Corridor residents, very aware of the abundance of intrinsic qualities and their impact on life and livelihood, have a strong sense of personal responsibility for good policy — a natural consequence of a natural wonder. Local stewardship is very important to this community. Revise the Official Whatcom County Zoning Ordinance to designate Rural and Rural Forestry areas in the Foothills Subarea as transfer of development rights (TDR) sending areas and the Columbia Valley UGA or other urban growth areas as TDR receiving areas in order to preserve open space in rural and forestry areas Establish a Rural Recreational and Open Space (RROS) District Comprehensive Plan Overlay Designation in Rural Zones within the Foothills Subarea that would encourage and allow proposals from the private sector commensurate with an approved application meeting all other applicable requirements of Chapter 20.44 and/or 20.36 and/or a separate codification of the Whatcom County Code for the purpose of creating one or more of the following: Natural systems education and/or interpretive areas.
Healing and/or Wellness retreat centers and/or interpretive facilities.
Facilities for the performance, appreciation and/or teaching of arts and crafts.
Conference facilities and/or retreat centers for religious, meditative or educational purposes.
Natural systems education centers, informational centers, cultural and/or historic interpretive centers, and museums.
Allow any combination of the uses designated above.
Consider provisions to limit the total area allowed for development ensuring that the applicant’s total land base included in the proposal is primarily set aside and undeveloped — consider further limiting RROS zoning by requiring dedications of land or consolidation of development rights into the developable portion — in this way ensuring the preservation of large areas of undeveloped rural areas in every project. This method would allow applicants to voluntarily and permanently remove these lands from the developable land base but not from the local tax base and create a positive means to ensure the preservation of rural lands for future generations.
Implementation Committees
Community based implementation groups should be formed to facilitate implementation of this plan, supported by County staff and monetary resources.
15-7 Appendix A Bibliography
Columbia Valley Water District 2013 Water System Plan Update, 2013
ECONorthwest: Foothills Subarea Population Forecast, December 1, 2006
ECONorthwest: Foothills Subarea Economic Analysis, June 12, 2007
Foothills Subarea, a component of the Whatcom County Comprehensive Land Use Plan, November 1988
Foothills Subarea Plan Advisory Committee: Records of Decisions & Recommendations, March 2006 – May 2010
Studio Cascade: Vision Week Evaluative Summary, July 2006
Studio Cascade: Foothills Subarea Plan Questionnaire Report, January 2007
Whatcom County Water District #13 Small Water System Plan, Revised August 2012
The Foothills Subarea Plan and the documents in the Bibliography are on file at:
Whatcom County Planning & Development Services 5280 Northwest Dr. Bellingham, WA 99226 (360) 676-6907
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