A public hearing is scheduled before the City Council on May 4, 2009 regarding proposed code amendments in the Lake Whatcom Reservoir pertaining to land use and stormwater.
Reports from the Washington State Department of Ecology and Western Washington University have provided substantial evidence that the health of Lake Whatcom, the drinking water source for some 95,000 people, remains threatened by various by-products of development in the watershed.
On May 19, 2008 the Bellingham City Council approved an emergency ordinance establishing a moratorium on divisions of land, processing of building permits and certain land disturbance activities within the Lake Whatcom Watershed.
On September 14, 2008, the City Council initiated code amendments to the Lake Whatcom Reservoir Regulatory Chapter and the Stormwater Management Ordinance.
The Bellingham Planning Commission recommended approval of the code changes following a public hearing and worksession in March of 2009. A City Council public hearing was held on May 4th and a work session was conducted on May 18th. Staff will be bringing forward an ordinance in early June.
Below are the relevant documents:
For more information Lake Whatcom water quality and protection efforts, please visit our Lake Whatcom Reservoir section, or contact Kurt Nabbelfeld, Senior Planner, at 778-8351 or knabbefeld@cob.org.
Updated: May 19, 2009
