City of Bellingham Municipal Code

20.42.020 - PURPOSE AND INTENT

A. Intent. The "Public" (P) general use type is intended to apply to major parcels of land within the city limits which are owned by public agencies and used for public purposes. The public general use type recognizes the fact that public agencies, in attempting to serve the general public, have unique needs which cannot be adequately addressed through standard zoning legislation. The public general use type also recognizes that adjacent property owners should be aware of potential use of neighboring public land and have assurance of miminum performance standards.

B. Purpose. The Public general use type is intended to:

1. Provide for a public awareness of the possible uses of neighboring public land.

2. Accommodate a potential myriad of government related uses, while providing minimum performance standards for new developments and mitigating the potential for adverse impacts occuring off-site.

3. Coordinate plans of various public agencies with the City of Bellingham and its comprehensive plan.

4. Provide a graphic record of major publicly owned parcels.

5. Help allow for a better assessment of the other land use designations; since major public lands will not weight those designations disproportionately.