Taking Action
Sometimes we need to take action when we find decisions don't meet our expectations to protect the environment
The Bellingham Plan
The Whatcom Environmental Council filed an appeal of "The Bellingham Plan" to the Washington State Growth Management Hearings Board. Our appeal highlights critical failures to ensure affordable, transit-oriented development and watershed protection.
Read our press release.
Read our petition filed with the Growth Management Hearings Board.
The Bellingham Plan
Only once every ten years is a City (or County) required to update its comprehensive plan under the Growth Management Act. This is our opportunity to make sure our community moves forward on affordability and quality of life.
Lake Whatcom
The Bellingham Plan made a great step forward by removing areas from future urban growth within the watershed that have yet to be annexed. But with one step forward, it appears the City took one step back.
The Plan assumes 354 new housing units would be built on 7 net developable acres in the watershed. In 2023, the City estimated that there would only be 98 housing units built in the City. The new Plan would represent a 261% Increase!
We believe policies governing future development need to be far more protective than "minimize development and its impacts to water quality."
Credit: Laurie Caskey-Schreiber
Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions and Post Point
The City's sewer utility (Post Point) is estimated to emit 40% of municipal GHG emissions. When the City last updated its Climate Action Plan in 2018, there was a commitment to eliminate the incineration of waste, a reduction of 1558 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent.
The Bellingham Plan makes no mention, let alone any commitment that is measurable, to reduction of GHG emissions from Post Point or any other source. We think it is essential that the Plan show the City's baseline for GHG emissions and set targets and milestones to measure progress, including the largest source of GHG emissions from the City: Post Point.
Credit: Phil Conrad,
City of Bellingham
We need to build up, not out
The City has focused long overdue attention on making our neighborhoods more diverse and inclusive. This is often referred to as "middle housing" and is part of new GMA mandates imposed by the State Legislature.
The Bellingham Plan assumes 35% of the city's future housing will be middle housing spread out over 7,000 acres. In comparison, about the same amount of housing would occur in Urban Villages, but on less than 900 acres.
When you grow out, you need more streets to serve less people; you need more utility lines to serve less people; and you create congestion and more GHG emissions.
The Whatcom Environmental Council was disappointed that the Plan didn't include any new urban villages, high density residential areas, or higher density along our frequent transit corridors. Growing up rather than out is better for our environment and better for our pocket books.
Click on map to go to Bellingham's Middle Housing website
More transparency
The City did a fantastic job in their early outreach to the public. They involved people in the community that traditionally don't get involved in local government. Where the City's public participation failed is when the Plan got to the legislative process.
The first time the public had an opportunity to see the full Plan, including maps showing the distribution of land use, urban and community forests, and open space corridors, is when the Plan was released on August 29th - the Friday of Labor Day weekend. On the same day, the City determined the Plan would have no significant impacts on the environment.
When the Plan moved to City Council, it was not available to review until 5 days before the Council held their public hearing - the first and only hearing they held on the Plan. After the hearing, the Council made several amendments. However, public input is relegated to the end of the meeting - after Council already took action.
We strongly believe that there needs to be improved transparency and an opportunity for the public to provide timely and meaningful input. Five days is not enough for a Plan that won't be updated for another 10 years.
AltaGas Ferndale Energy Terminal Expansion
You can read our responses at the following links:
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Appeal Statement (09-29-25)
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Our Opening Brief (01-09-26)
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Final Brief (03-06-26)
Read Carl Weimer's blog here.
Our appeal was heard by the Whatcom County Hearing Examiner starting on January 28th and ended on the 30th. A decision is expected no later than March 20, 2026.