The Fairhaven Neighborhood and Urban Village Planning Project is now underway. This project is designed to compile, refine, and clarify the vision and the rules relating to Fairhaven into one cohesive, Urban Village document.
June 4, 2012 - The City Council will hold a public hearing to consider the proposed (and revised based on Planning Commission comments) Fairhaven Neighborhood and Urban Village Plan.
The materials for the following meetings can be found on the Planning Commission materials page. Click here to view the video of the Planning Commission hearing.
May 10, 2012 - The final work session was held and the
Planning Commission forwarded a recommendation
of approval (to include all amendments discussed) to the City Council.
May 8, 2012 - A work session was conducted.
May 3, 2012 - A work session was conducted.
April 26, 2012 - A work session was conducted.
Thursday, April 19, 2012 began the formal legislative process with a public hearing before the Planning Commission. The following DRAFT documents can also be found on the Planning Commission materials page. Click here to view the video of the Planning Commission hearing. See Public Comment for updated feedback received on the DRAFT documents.
Please send comments to Greg Aucutt, Project Manager, at gaucutt@cob.org, or by mail to Planning and Community Development Department, 210 Lottie Street, Bellingham, WA 98225.
On Wednesday, December 21, 2011 the City released a preliminary draft of the Fairhaven Neighborhood and Urban Village Plan, Regulations and Standards.
UPCOMING MEETINGS:
April 3, 2012 - Historic Preservation
Commission meeting - 4:00 PM in City Council Chambers, City Hall
April 19, 2012 - Planning Commission meeting -
7:00 PM in City Council Chambers, City Hall
Several meetings have been held since this process formally began in 2010 with the two public listening sessions (see below). The public process and documents webpage outlines the meetings that began taking place in 2011 and the documents associated with each one. See the Update on Fairhaven Neighborhood and Urban Village Plan memo dated 1-10-12 and subsequent Update to Schedule memo dated 1-23-12 for more information.
February 7, 2011 - The City Council held a work session to further consider which Comprehensive Plan Amendments will become part of the 2011 docket, and approved the inclusion of this proposal in the Planning Department's 2011 work program through Resolution 2011-03. A complete Project Charter was approved setting forth the approach, resources and timeline.
November, 2010 - Staff reviewed and commented on the original plan submittal, creating a "Blue-line" version.
Two "listening sessions" were conducted to acquaint staff with the people who live and work in Fairhaven, and the key planning issues for the district. Meetings were held on:
August, 2010 - Staff was assigned to the project.
February, 2008 - It was determined that this proposal would remain on hold, pending staff resources.
Fairhaven Neighborhood submitted a full update that was docketed by the City Council in 2008 pending resources. In 2010, staff was assigned to the project and a phased approach was developed to process the update proposal, followed by a subsequent urban village planning effort. During the Council review of the 2011 Comprehensive Plan docket, including a request from Fairhaven property owners to docket a Fairhaven urban village plan in 2011, Council directed staff to expand the scope of work to incorporate an urban village planning effort concurrently with the plan update already underway.
Another project that will be processed in 2011 that relates to the Fairhaven Neighborhood and Urban Village Plan is the Haggen rezone proposal. This project will inform, and be informed by, the broader planning effort.
The full project management document, a Project Charter, to fully scope the project approach, timeline and resources has been submitted for approval.
