20.27.010 - AUTHORITY AND PURPOSE
A. Authority. Both the Growth Management Act and the Housing Policy Act require the City to provide housing opportunities for all economic segments of the community. Similarly the City's Comprehensive Plan encourages revisions to the City's development regulations to increase the supply of affordable housing. This chapter will allow the use of alternative development standards and processes that are not currently allowed under existing land use regulations, while protecting residential character and maintaining overall consistency with the neighborhood plans and the goals and policies of the Bellingham Comprehensive Plan. B. Purpose. In accordance with the directives of the Growth Management Act, Housing Policy Act, and the City's Comprehensive Plan, the purpose of this chapter is to facilitate, for a specified trial period of one year, the construction of innovative owner-occupied affordable homes by organizations that can demonstrate, to the City Council's satisfaction, after review and approval by the Planning Director or his/her designee, an ability to finance, manage, and monitor affordable home sales to assure permanent affordability. Within this one year, the City Council shall conduct a public hearing and determine whether to: 1. Extend the specified time period for this chapter; 2. Extend the time period and make modifications to this chapter;
