A huge relief

One of the  great pleasures of attending class at Western Washington University is the opportunity to walk the Sehome Hill Arboretum trails. A recent robbery prompted a warning from Western Washington University police to avoid the trails until the perpetrator was apprehended.

Last week, Detective Ferguson of the Bellingham Police Department, cooperating with the Western Washington University police, said they had many tips and were working the case, but they did not have anyone in custody.

To my great relief, yesterday the Bellingham Herald reported that two suspects have been arrested. See WWU student arrested in Sehome Arboretum robbery - http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_action=doc&p_docid=12B83FD7A300AD98&p_docnum=2

Now I can go back to the trail - thank you.

rah

Questions for Laurie Caskey-Schreiber, Candidate for County Council, Council At- Large Position

1) With growth inevitable, do you distinguish between desirable and undesirable development?

I think desirable growth is growth  that adds some value to the community as a whole. Provides needed housing, creates a pedestrian way of life, provides amenities such as parks or commercial businesses that provide a needed service to citizens of the community and creates job opportunities. Growth that is undesirable to me is housing where everyone has to use their car to do anything (even walking their dog safely), and sprawl that consumes farmland or threatens our natural resources. To me that's damaging growth.

2) Building a berm to protect the beach and enhance walking, cycling, etc. for residents and visitors is a primary objective of leaders of the Birch Bay community. What would you do to help the community achieve this objective?

I think the community would greatly benefit from the berm being established and I would support any efforts to make this project a reality. One way that we could make that happen would be to award a rural sales tax funded grant. One could make a very strong argument that this would make Birch Bay more attractive on many fronts, which in turn would enhance their tourism business and, environmentally speaking,it would be a win/win scenario.

With the goal of increasing infill, would you vote to prevent the fire district from charging mitigation fees for homes and other structures built within the 2031-revised Birch Bay UGA boundaries?

I assisted in crafting the school impact fee ordinance, so I believe in the concept of impact fees. If the fire district is allowed to collect impact fees by the State, I would support their ability to do so.

4) Those who want Birch Bay to become a city are frustrated. Two years ago the county invested $100,000 in a study that found incorporation would be financially feasible. Now with the economic recession, some of the premises of the study may not be valid. Would you favor a select committee of county officials and knowledgeable community representatives being charged with updating the 2008 recommendations?

I think this is a very complex issue that will constantly need public participation and assessment of changing market conditions. For Birch Bay to become a city, it has to make financial sense and not place a huge burden on the community to proceed or not to proceed. We all need to help Burch Bay find their way. That's why I supported funding the incorporation study in the first place. The force to become a city has to come from the citizens of Birch Bay. The county could facilitate some public process to vet this out more, but Birch Bay really needs to weigh the pros and cons, and then eventually conduct a public vote on the matter. Whatever they decide, I'll still work hard to serve the community, and support them in whatever direction they feel is best for the area.

Ms. Caskie-Schreiber has served on the Whatcom County Council since 2001, two years as council chair. She is a graduate of WWU and is administrative service manager of the university's sociology department.

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Comments are not only welcome, but are also encouraged. 

Questions for Ken Mann, Candidate for County Council District No. 2, Position A

1) With growth inevitable, do you distinguish between desirable and undesirable development?

Undesirable development is a pattern of residential and commercial growth that doesn’t pay for itself, destroys our rural and resource lands, and degrades our quality of life. It is generally low-density, car dependent, overly expensive, and destroys our rural and resource lands. The cost of roads, police and fire protection, and basic utilities in those areas is astronomical when compared with providing these same services in existing urban areas. Our quality of life, as measured by traffic, environmental quality and recreational opportunities, is continually degraded by our current development patterns. Our job base in agricultural, forestry, and industrial lands are threatened.

Desirable development means that we realign our incentives to make sure that developers will build in existing urban areas so that people can be near jobs and services without carving up more agricultural lands or watersheds. We must utilize our existing urban land supply to provide housing and commercial activity. Efficient and compact development will be more affordable, livable, and conserve resources for future generations.

2) Building a berm to protect the beach and enhance walking, cycling, etc. for residents and visitors is a primary objective of leaders of the Birch Bay community. What would you do to help the community achieve this objective?

I support the community’s objective of a berm, and would be happy to help. I think the most important thing to do, is lay the groundwork for design and permitting, so when the berm becomes a financial reality, the process can be as streamlined as possible. 

3) With the goal of increasing infill, would you vote to prevent the fire district from charging mitigation fees for homes and other structures built within the 2031-revised Birch Bay UGA boundaries?

This is a complex topic that is difficult to address in isolation. The Fire District has a capital facilities plan that is currently underfunded for the level of service desired by the people. It would be irresponsible to intervene without having an extensive dialogue with the people of Birch Bay and the fire officials. In general, I support impact fees so that development pays its own way. I agree the incentives are backwards in Whatcom County, with cities charging impact fees and deterring development, while the County has ZERO impact fees which attracts development. This topic could be a central part of any comprehensive countywide review of impact fees.

4) Those who want Birch Bay to become a city are frustrated. Two years ago the county invested $100,000 in a study that found incorporation would be financially feasible. Now with the economic recession, some of the premises of the study may not be valid. Would you favor a select committee of county officials and knowledgeable community representatives being charged with updating the 2008 recommendations?

I will support Birch Bay’s efforts to determine their own future. The county generally does not want to be in the business of providing urban levels of services within densely populated areas. Birch Bay has grown to the point where it would be a viable option to incorporate. I think we absolutely need to revisit some of the underlying assumptions and data of the study, and confirm or reject the initial conclusions. The people of Birch Bay have worked very long and hard on their plan, and we need to honor their efforts by seriously considering it, but ultimately allowing them people to decide for themselves.

According to the voter pamphlet, Ken Mann is a member and past chairman of the Whatcom County Planning Commission. He earned a degree in political science from Tulane University and in civil engineering from Carnegie Mellon University. He is owner of Caspian Management Corporation that has renovated and managed older commercial and residential buildings since 2004.

ak 

Comments are not only encouraged, but are sought.

What about our libraries?

‘Without libraries what have we? We have no past and no future,” said Ray Bradbury, American author best known for writing Fahrenheit 451 and The Martian Chronicles.

He added, "Libraries raised me. I don’t believe in colleges and universities. I believe in libraries because most students don’t have any money. When I graduated from high school, it was during the Depression and we had no money. I couldn’t go to college, so I went to the library three days a week for 10 years,"

While we don’t agree with Bradbury’s beliefs about colleges and universities, we do applaud his opinion of libraries (found in colleges and universities in addition to city and county locations).

The Whatcom County Library System, along with many other library systems in the state and county, is facing insufficient funding to support the current level of service. Without approval of the levy lift measure on the November 3 ballot, we may lose much of what we know as our library.

Birch Bay’s bookmobile service and the Blaine’s branch library are among the sites threatened with reduced hours of operation and reduced staff. Library service users could face increased fines and fees.

“The variety of opportunities offered by the library is amazing!” Debbie Farmer, Blaine Branch Manager, said.  “The public library is truly a thriving hub in the community!”

Events at the Blaine branch include Wii nights, art classes, book discussion groups, a chess club, and story times.

Circulation at that branch increased 9.3 precent this year over last, from 192,028 materials checked out in 2008 to 132,083 checked out through August 2009.

The Birch Bay bookmobile saw circulation rise an astounding 56 percent from 4,891 in 2008 to 4,845 through August 2009.

Washington libraries get their funding though a levy based on assessed property values. The last levy increase was 29 years ago. The current rate is $0.338; the requested level is $0.44. That figures out to an annual increase of $15.30 on a $150,000 property - less than a dinner out. Washington State law allows for $0.50 per thousand dollars of assessed valuation, so the measure requests an amount well below the maximum.

Without our libraries, where would we be? Vote YES on on the library levy lift November 3.

Please comment - in agreement or not.

rah

All communities lose as Whatcom County works to comply with the state Growth Management Act; Bill Grant won some back -- will he get more?

The few smiles in the rotunda of the county building last Thursday evening, 9.17, were the result of changes County Executive Pete Kremen recommended for Birch Bay, reinstating the town center node at the intersection of Blaine and Alderson roads. The main beneficiary of this change is Bill Grant, Birch Bay's biggest builder, who owns property there and has a multi-use plan. *

Lisa Guthrie was not smiling. She is the public face of Homestead Northwest that would lose zoning for more than 200 family homes at the eastern end of the Sea Links property. Proposed zoning is one home to five acres; Ms. Guthrie says that would mean only three houses could be built there.

Inside, the chamber was packed for a joint hearing – actually listening – by the county council and the planning commission. After Whatcom County Planning Director David Stalheim briefed the council and commission members on the highlights of Mr. Kremen's revised recommendations, representatives of the county's communities, starting with Mayor Pike of Bellingham, spoke. Most are unhappy with the lack of significant changes from Mr. Kremen's original proposal.

But Kathy Berg, who serves as chair of the Birch Bay Steering Committee, was thankful for Mr. Kremen's change from his first recommendation that she called “draconian”, cutting the heart out of the Birch Bay Community Plan. She was the only representative to recognize the need for the UGA revisions: “Lack of compliance cuts the county off from funding sources that are needed to address pressing issues in Birch Bay.” (Like The Berm.) For her full presentation and more Birch Bay information, see www.birchbayinfo.org.

Blaine, according to an earlier memo from Mayor Onyon to Mr. Kremen, would like to keep 400 acres in its west side that Trillium wants to develop. However, neither Ms. Onyon or anyone else from Blaine was at this hearing.

Representatives from Columbia Valley and Everson supported Mr. Kremen's general recommendations, but suggested improvements relating to their borders.

Dennis Rhodes, Ferndale's planner who formerly was on the county planning staff, spoke vigorously about the county not recognizing his city's need for commercial development space. (Is Ferndale preparing to sue?)

Amy Haskel, who is popular with the county staff, represented the city of Lynden. During the public period, she was followed by a handful of other speakers beginning with Mayor Jack Louws. Each of these speakers, council members, planning commissioner, city administrator, and city attorney, presented a different argument portraying Lynden as a model city. Included was a letter from prominent farmers stating that the land the county plan reserves for agriculture is not good for growing crops.

After two hours, when all of the council members and commissioners still appeared to be paying attention, we left. (Jared Paben of the Herald reported that 58 people spoke for over four hours.)

*A bigger challenge is coming for Mr. Grant Tuesday night, 9.22, when the county planning commission takes up “LAMIRDS” issues. These include the “land grab” near Birch Bay Square.  Mr. Grant's Gold Star Resorts owns undeveloped land where Birch Bay–Lynden Road meets I-5, which would lose considerable value if downzoned.

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We enthusiastically welcome comments.