City of Bellingham Municipal Code

21.10.150 - TYPE VI PROCESS: CITY COUNCIL LEGISLATIVE DECISIONS

A. Pre-Application Procedures. A pre-application conference is required for certain proposals as provided in BMC 21.10.170. A pre-application neighborhood meeting shall be conducted under the procedures of BMC 21.10.180 for site specific comprehensive plan amendments, site specific neighborhood plan amendments and institutional master plans or rezones that require a Type VI process.

B. Application. A complete application shall consist of the submittal requirements established by the Director and stated on the application forms.

1. Who may apply:

a. The City Council, Planning Commission or Planning Director may initiate consideration of a Type VI action at any time. Any person may ask the City Council, Planning Commission or Planning Director to initiate consideration of a Type VI action at any time. Regardless of when they are initiated, actions that include amendments to the comprehensive plan or neighborhood plans may only be considered once a year except as may be allowed by State law.

b. Any person may submit a request for a non-site-specific amendment to the comprehensive plan or neighborhood plans, no later than December 1 of each year for consideration in the following year.

c. A property owner or authorized agent of the property owner may submit a request for a site specific amendment to the comprehensive plan or a neighborhood plan, a request for a concurrent rezone and comprehensive plan and/or neighborhood plan amendment or an applicaton for a Type VI institutional master plan or amendment, for a property they own. The request must be submitted no later than December 1 of each year for consideration in the following year.

1. Publishing. The City shall publish notice of the hearing in a newspaper of general circulation at least 30 days prior to the hearing date.

2. Mailed notice. Notice of the public hearing shall be mailed at least 30 days prior to the hearing date. For site-specific comprehensive plan amendments, site-specific neighborhood plan amendments, site-specific rezones or institutional master plan adoption or amendments, the City shall mail a hearing notice in the same manner as provided in BMC 21.10.200.D. For all other proposals, the hearing notice shall be mailed to the list of Mayor's Neighborhood Advisory Commission representatives and neighborhood associations registered with the Planning and Community Development Department.

3. Posted notice. For site-specific comprehensive plan amendments, site-specific neighborhood plan amendments, site-specific rezones, or institutional master plan adoption or amendments, the City shall post one or more hearing notice signs on the site or in a location immediately adjacent to the site that provides visibility from adjacent streets. The signs shall be posted at least 30 days prior to the hearing. The Director shall establish standards for size, color, layout, materials, number, placement, maintenance and removal.

4. For non-site-specific amendments to the comprehensive plan, neighborhood plan or development regulations, the Director shall provide public notice and public participation opportunities appropriate for the proposal and consistent with RCW 36.70A.035 and Subsections D.1 and D.2 above..