2007 Planning & Community Development Objectives with Accomplishments
Planning
1) Complete the New Whatcom Master Development Plan and Agreement
for the central waterfront area of Bellingham. (Council Goal 4)
- Project is ongoing. Draft Environmental Impact Statement was mostly
completed in 2007 - to be issued early in 2008. The master plan and
development agreement will follow completion of the environmental impact
review process.
2) Complete a master plan for re-development of the Old Town
area. (Council Goals 3 and 5)
- The draft sub-area plan and development regulations are completed
and under review by the Planning Commission, with City Council review to
begin early in 2008.
3) Begin a multi-year project to develop the master plans for the
four other priority urban villages as identified in the comprehensive plan:
Barkley District Village, Sunset Square/James St. District Village, Lakeway
Neighborhood Village, Northwest/Bakerview Neighborhood Village. (Council
Goal 5)
- Work continues on the top two priority urban villages - the central
waterfront and Old Town. Once these are completed, staff resources can
be devoted to other proposed villages.
4) Conduct initial public process steps in program for
comprehensive update and re-write of development regulations. (Council Goals
5 and 7)
- Project scope completed and consultants hired. Phase I, consisting
of code format, definitions and permit process update, will soon be
ready for public review.
5) Complete the Bellingham Urban Fringe Plan and begin
discussions with Whatcom County to revise the 1997 inter-local agreement.
(Council Goal 5)
- Awaiting decisions by Whatcom County on final UGA boundaries before
completing work on the Urban Fringe Plan. The Interlocal Agreement was
extended for six months and the project carried over to 2008.
6) Initiate a standard procedure to update the neighborhood
plans, including neighborhood meetings to obtain public input and present
proposed revisions to the Planning Commission. (Council Goal 5)
- Much was learned during the first year of neighborhood-initiated
plan amendment proposals, and the effort is ongoing in 2008.
7) Develop an affordable housing program proposal in response to
Council Resolution #2006-25. (Council Goal 10)
- The Mayor and County Executive established a 15 person Countywide
Housing Affordability Taskforce (CHAT) with the mission of developing
action strategies and programs to address the need for 11,000 additional
affordable housing units by 2022. Jointly funded by the City and County,
CHAT hired Beckwith Consulting Group to assist this effort, and has met
continuously throughout the summer and fall. Recommendations from CHAT
are anticipated in January or February of 2008.
Building Services
8) Maintain and improve current permit tracking and workflow
systems, including permit processing and issuance, technical plan review and
inspections, compliance monitoring and enforcement, document archiving and
development fund management. (Council Goal 1)
- Ongoing - PCD is working with related departments on permit process
improvements scheduled for implementation in 2008.
9) Utilize the Permit Center to unify the regulatory processes of
the Planning, Public Works, and Fire Departments. (Ongoing from 2006)
- Completed - All Permit Technicians have received multi-discipline
training and have completed certification examinations. All disciplines
have staff available during business hours to assist customers in the
Permit Center.
10) Continue to develop and update Permit Center policies and
public information resources. Projects planned for 2007 include continuing
the implementation of the interactive voice response system installed in
2006, and updating inspection reporting methods via field computers.
(Ongoing from 2006) (Council Goals 1 and 9)
- Completed - The interactive voice response system was implemented in
2007. Ongoing - The updating of inspection reports via field computers
is scheduled to be online in 2008.
11) Provide a long term, ongoing system for setting, monitoring
and adjusting permit fees and construction valuation schedules.
- Completed - New building valuation tables were adopted January 1,
2007 and will be indexed to an annually adjusted reference standard.
12) Continue to transfer archived hardcopy plans to electronic
media, linked to the Tidemark database.
- Ongoing - All electronic archiving for 2007 is up to date - staff
handles all documents up to and including 11x17 in size, larger
documents are contracted due to insufficient technological resources.
Staff are working backwards in time on electronic archiving to 1999 when
microfilming ceased - most electronic archiving for 2006 was also
completed this year and electronic archiving for 2005 will begin early
next year.
13) Set customer service quality goals and monitor Permit Center
performance through an executive commission using quarterly customer
surveys. (Council Goal 1)
- Completed all 2007 quarterly customer surveys. Ongoing - PCD is
working with related departments on setting customer service standards
and performance measures in conjunction with permit process improvements
scheduled for implementation in 2008.
Community Development
14) Provide housing, food, health care and other basic services
to 15,000 low income persons through operating grants to nonprofit agencies.
(Council Goal 10)
- Non-profit organizations provided housing, health care, job
training, child care and other basic services to over 19,000 low- and
very-low income people using grants from the City’s Human Service
Program.
15) Help double the capacity of the Bellingham Food Bank through
a rehabilitation loan. (Council Goal 10)
- The project now involves the demolition of the existing building and
the construction of a new Food Bank facility. While general funds have
been provided by police and fire, the proposed CDBG funding has been
delayed due to staff work-load and compliance with HUD regulations
16) Develop 75 new permanently affordable housing units for low
income households through low-interest loans to affordable housing
developers. (Council Goal 10)
- Property acquisition funding of $275,000 (HOME funds) for the
Bellingham Housing Authority’s 51 unit Walton Family Housing Project was
disbursed. An application by Bellingham Housing Authority for a $200,000
Housing Development Fund (HOME) loan to acquire property for the 25 unit
Meadow Wood II Project has been processed by staff and disbursement of
loan funds should occur in January 2008.
17) Monitor the completion of construction and occupancy of 136
previously-funded affordable housing units. (Council Goal 10)
- Construction and rent-up of the Bellingham Housing Authority 51 unit
Meadow Wood I development project was completed. Site acquisition was
funded in 2006 with $390,000 in HOME funds. Construction was started on
the Bellingham Housing Authority’s 20 unit Laube Hotel
rehabilitation/conversion project. Construction was nearly completed on
Kulshan Community Land Trust’s Matthei Place Project which will provide
14 units of low-income “for sale” housing units. The low-income housing
projects, Laurel Village (51 units) and Kateri Courts (40 units), which
were completed in December 2006, reached full rent-up in 2007.
18) Assist nine first time homebuyers in purchasing market rate
homes through no-interest second mortgages. (Council Goal 10)
- The City provided $172,967 in HOME funds to assist six low-income
households to become homeowners through Kulshan Community Land Trust’s
First Time Homebuyer Assistance Program. Two low-income households
assumed City loans upon the resale of two houses under the KCLT program.
Downpayment assistance requests are being processed for 11 more
low-income families (includes Matthei Place project). Planning and
Community Development Department
19) Rehabilitate 25 homes owned by low-income families and
provide grants to abate lead based paint and other hazardous materials.
(Council Goal 10)
- Under the City’s Housing Rehabilitation Program, $221,943 in CDBG
funds was disbursed for the rehabilitation of 20 owner-occupied housing
units. Twelve projects were completed and eight projects were remaining
in construction at the end of the year. Hazardous materials abatement
grants totaling $11,117 were provided in 2007.
20) Subsidize supportive rental housing for 16 low-income or
homeless families (52 persons) while families learn skills to achieve
greater independence. (Council Goal 10)
- Under the City’s Tenant Based Rental Assistance Program, 21
households were provided with rental assistance totaling $75,235 (HOME
funds). The rental assistance is provided under a contract with the
Opportunity Council. The City also provided the Opportunity Council with
$31,052 (HOME funds) to fund the operation of five transitional housing
units for the homeless.
21) Complete improvements to the Old Village Trail in the
low/moderate income Lettered Streets neighborhood. (Council Goal 5)
- Approximately $103,500 in CDBG funds were disbursed for the
construction of improvements to the Old Village Trail in the Lettered
Street Neighborhood. It is anticipated that construction will be
completed in early 2008.
22) Implement one new neighborhood capital improvement project in
a low / moderate income neighborhood and conduct a Request for Proposals for
2007 projects. (Council Goal 5)
- Predevelopment work was undertaken on the Franklin Park Improvement
Project which was selected in August of 2006 for CDBG funding.
Construction of improvements should begin in 2008. Predevelopment work
undertaken in 2007 on the Sunset Pond Improvement Project indicated that
street improvements should occur before park improvements are
undertaken. The project will be put on hold until street improvements
are complete.
City Center Development
23) Secure grant funding and identify financing strategies for
potential Old Town, downtown and waterfront redevelopment, both for City
needs and as technical assistance for private projects. (Council Goal 3)
- Other City Departments are overseeing financing strategies for the
waterfront at this time. Staff continued to provide support and
assistance for Arts District improvements downtown.
24) Complete predevelopment analysis and identify and implement a
process for obtaining a private sector development project for City-owned
property at 600 West Holly. (Council Goal 3)
- Staff completed federal relocation activities. The environmental
review clearances are complete and demolition permit is issued for the
buildings on site. Demolition is scheduled for 2008. A Request for
Proposals will not be issued until the Old Town Subarea Plan has been
adopted by City Council.
25) Strengthen downtown organizational infrastructure by
implementing City Center Master Plan projects and coordinating efforts
between the private sector and various City departments. (Council Goal 3)
- Staff worked closely with the Downtown Renaissance Network and
stakeholders in the area. Mayor and Department Heads met on a regular
basis to focus on implementing the City Center Master Plan and raising
issues facing downtown. The Holly Street Corridor project was completed
in 2007. Awarded bids for street improvements at Art & Children's Museum
and Champion Street. Partnered with Downtown Renaissance Network on the
street maintenance and landscaping program. Supported numerous downtown
events such as La Bella Strada Festival and Downtown Sounds.
26) Enhance the City’s art community by staffing the Bellingham
Arts Commission and the Municipal Arts Program and by providing technical
assistance for completion and implementation of a Community Strategic Plan
for the Arts. (Council Goal 3)
- Staff implemented the Bellingham Arts Commission’s 2007 Action Plan,
including but not limited to: 1) providing grants for various visual and
performing arts events open to the general public; 2) installing a
public artwork at Depot Market Square; and 3) honoring individuals and
organizations contributing to Bellingham’s arts communities.
27) Facilitate a diverse and sustainable economy by providing six
grants and technical assistance to organizations that will create and retain
high-paying jobs. (Council Goal 8)
- The City contracted with six economic development organizations.
Planning and Community Development Department Page 138 City Of
Bellingham, Washington
