Infill Housing Toolkit

City Council Approves Infill Housing Toolkit

On Monday, July 27th, the City Council approved for first and second reading the ordinance establishing a new Chapter called Infill Housing in the Bellingham Municipal Code.  Third and final reading of the ordinance will occur in August, and then the ordinance will become effective 15 days after signing. 

• Final Ordinance (PDF)
• Exhibit A - BMC 20.28 Infill Housing (1,450K PDF)
• Exhibit A - BMC 20.28 Infill Housing with redlines of changes made by Council to Planning Commission version (1,461K PDF)

Background and History

The Infill Housing Toolkit is a selection of new innovative housing forms that are being developed to implement Bellingham's urban infill strategy.  This strategy is outlined in Bellingham's Comprehensive Plan that defines how our city will accommodate growth.  The housing forms are proposed for addition to the Bellingham Municipal Code in existing multi-family and planned commercial areas, in accordance with the underlying zoning.

Based on feedback generated from the Planning Academy II public workshops, the current draft document is posted below and includes images and diagrams depicting the proposed housing forms. 

• Planning Commission Staff Report for the April 16, 2009 Meeting (PDF)
• Draft Ordinance - Infill Housing Toolkit (PDF)
• Infill Housing Toolkit FAQ Sheet (PDF)

This PowerPoint presentation was given to the Planning Commission on April 16th and explains the Infill Housing Toolkit in detail. 

A second Public Hearing took place with the Planning Commission on April 30th, and a new PowerPoint presentation highlighted the top issues to be resolved, as well as this decision agenda.

Planning Commission met for a work session on May 14th to focus on the top issue - the potential applicability of the Toolkit in single family areas. At that meeting the Planning Commission approved the Toolkit with amendments that are detailed in this updated decision agenda.

Planning Commission recommended that the City Council approve the Toolkit as follows:

1. In "Planned Commercial" and mixed use districts,
2. In Multifamily Residential areas and limited use in Multifamily Duplex areas, and
3. As a "vocabulary" for contract rezones or other legislative actions in Single Family areas subject to a Type VI process.

Planning Commission also recommended that the toolkit NOT apply:

1. In existing single family areas, and that
2. The underlying density of the zone applies.

City Council held a public hearing on the Toolkit on Monday, June 29th.  This PowerPoint presentation was provided prior to the hearing.  See the City Council page for the agenda bill materials.  On July 13th the City Council held a work session on the same Infill Housing ordinance.Click here to watch these meetings online. 

For more information contact Chris Koch at ckoch@cob.org or Nicole Oliver at noliver@cob.org. 

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