Edgemoor Neighborhood Association

Neighborhood Plan Committee

After a summer break, the Committee met last night, Halloween 2007, and voted to recommend two items to the Board. They are (1) a work program with a timeline for completion of a draft plan and (2) an outline that the plan should follow. They are both for Board approval.

The timeline follows the same scheme which Fairhaven Neighbors ( the City authorized group) planned to follow. We have not checked to see where they are at the moment; we simply want to make sure that we follow the same steps that they planned. It is evident that the Edgemoor Plan will be less controversial than Fairhaven’s since no zoning changes are contemplated.

The following is a proposed outline, a work Program, for plan development. This is as much a commitment by the Committee as it is a statement of necessary steps to achieve a final draft. Obviously, some of these steps have been completed.

1. Organization

Set up the Neighborhood Plan Committee, outreach the history of the neighborhood vision statements, the existing plan and research the Bellingham Comprehensive Plan and the Washington State Growth Management Act as it pertains to neighborhood plans. (completed)

2. Community Input

Develop a questionnaire for public input, distribute the questionnaire, tabulate the results, and report the findings making the data and the report available. (now completed)

3. Neighborhood Plan Draft Outline

Assimilate the results of Community input and draft a preliminary Plan Outline. (see below)

4. Community Input on the Draft Outline

A fleshed-out outline including subject outline items to be covered as well as an introduction and summary posted on the web site and subject to an Association meeting to “take comments for revision”. (December 7, 2007)

5. Neighborhood Plan Draft

Using the Draft Outline, draft a preliminary Plan, post it on the web, advertise a neighborhood meeting to obtain public input, submit the draft to the City Planning Department. (April 2008)

6. Community Input on the Draft Plan

Assess the community and other input and make the appropriate changes to the draft and obtain comments on the draft. (May 2008)

7. Neighborhood Plan Final Draft

Complete the Draft and assemble the necessary support for submission to the Planning Director and the City Council. (June 2008)

We have a draft outline for the plan which is the “Sample Neighborhood Plan Outline” found in the “Neighborhood Plan Revisions Resource Kit- 2007”. In complete form, it is available on the City web site in the Planning Department Section. It consists of eight chapters:

1. Framework and Goals (general in nature)

2. Land Use and Maps

3. Transportation

4. Housing

5. Capital Facilities

6. Utilities and Service

7. Neighborhood Design

8. Parks, Recreation and Open Space

Much of this will be quite simple. For instance, we do not plan any changes to the designated arterials now on the neighborhood map, we do not have any parks and open space although we will identify the need for waterfront access and the importance of the Fairhaven Park, we will describe the existing housing stock and identify the overwhelming desires of the neighborhood to live within the current guidelines for Single Family residences (including setbacks, height and bulk restrictions and so on).

Both of these items derive from existing and proven models which will be subject to modification after extensive review and public input. They are a proposal for organization purposes which we have needed for some time. They allow for completion of our work in Plan development which meets the December 2008 deadline which is the stated goal of the Neighborhood Association President, Brad Rose, and appear to be achievable.

The Committee recommends adoption of this proposal on a first draft basis.

Martin Nickerson, Co-chair, Plan Committee

10/1/2007