On December 14, 2009 the Bellingham City Council approved the November 2009 version of the City's Draft Shoreline Master Program (SMP).
The City is presently putting together its application package for submittal to the Department of Ecology for their review and approval.
Department of Ecology will follow their own process steps specified in WAC 173-26-120. In summary, DOE will host a minimum of one public hearing in Bellingham, combine public comments from that hearing with their own review comments and submit a "summary" of issues back to the City.
This summary will contain recommended revisions to the SMP. Staff will prepare recommendations for each of the DOE revisions and present those to the City Council. City Council will then either choose to accept those revisions or enter into negations with DOE on those issues that need further consideration and analysis.
At the time the recommended revisions have been made and issues have been addressed within the SMP, DOE gives its final approval and the document takes effect immediately.
Also included below is a link to the City's cumulative impact analysis. This analysis is required as part of the SMP submittal package to the Department of Ecology, and is intended to demonstrate that the SMP - through its implementation - will result in "no net loss of existing shoreline ecological function".
The City has coordinated with and involved the Port of Bellingham, Department of Ecology, Department of Natural Resources, Bellingham Bay Action Team, Waterfront Advisory Group, Building Industry Association, Whatcom County Realtors and countless citizen inquiries in the creation of this regulatory document.
Copies of the document are available at the Planning & Community Development office in City Hall at 210 Lottie Street for a fee of $12.
