Sunnyland Neighborhood Association

 

Sunnyland Neighborhood Association

                                                     P.O. Box 2515, Bellingham, WA 98227

 

 

Date: December 1, 2010

 

To:  Jeff Thomas, Planning Dept. City of Bellingham

        Gene Knudson, President, Bellingham City Council

 

Re: Letter of intent requesting rezone of Area 8 of the Sunnyland Neighborhood Plan.

 

Dear Mr. Thomas:

 

On behalf of the Sunnyland Neighborhood Association, we request that you docket for consideration the rezone of Area 8 of the Sunnyland Neighborhood Plan.The current “default zoning”, put in place for Area 8 in 2007, was intended to be a temporary zoning, as the area transitioned from public use to private use. This “temporary” zoning has been in place too long, and it is now time to rezone the area to comply with similar surrounding zoning. 

 

We propose that Area 8 be rezoned as follows:

 

LAND USE DEIGNATION – residential, single, medium density

ZONING – residential-single

DENSITY – 6250 sq ft per dwelling unit

PREREQUISITE CONSIDERATIONS – construct public roads to serve Area 8, enact a design overlay district incorporating design themes described in the Neighborhood Plan.

SPECIAL REGULATIONS – access from Sunset Dr and Illinois St. Through traffic between Sunset Dr and Illinois St is prohibited. (except for pedestrian and bicycle traffic) All homes will be sited on a defined lot, with a front and rear yard. All homes will front on a public street. Lot coverage requirements, and yard setbacks may not be reduced.

Attached single-family row homes (two units max) should be permitted only in an area 150ft south of the Sunset Dr right of way boundary line. 

 

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We understand that our proposal may change through the public process to follow, but our proposal expresses many of the values, and visions of our neighborhood. We encourage docketing for 2011, and pledge to engage with the city, the landowners, and the public in crafting a rezone for this area that meets as many stakeholders’ needs as possible. 

 

Sincerely, The Sunnyland Board of Directors, 

 

Dear City Council Members,

Attached is a letter from the York Neighborhood Association Board in support of the Sunnyland Neighborhood Association’s request for docketing their Neighborhood Plan Amendment for Sub-Area 8, the former Sunset Drive DOT site.  I will be delivering the letter with the actual signatures to City Hall today.

I have also printed it below.
–
Kirsti Charlton, President

York Neighborhood Association
1410 Grant St.
Bellingham WA  98225

393-7187

York Neighborhood Association

c/o 1410 Grant St.

Bellingham, WA 98225

 

Oct 12, 2011

 

Bellingham City Council

City Hall, 210 Lottie St.

Bellingham, WA 98225

 

Re:  Sunnyland Neighborhood Association’s Request for Docketing of Sub-Area 8 Rezone

 

Dear Council Members:

 

On behalf of the York Neighborhood Association, we urge you to support the Sunnyland Neighborhood Association’s request for docketing of their Neighborhood Plan Amendment for Sub-Area 8, the former Sunset Drive DOT site.  The City Council’s approval of this docketing request helps to further the valuable public process as required by the Growth Management Act.

 

Bellingham’s neighborhood associations have put countless volunteer time into their neighborhood plan updates.  In January 2003, the city invited neighborhoods to “help shape their own destinies” by encouraging neighborhood-based planning.  A series of Planning Academies was held.  City funding was provided to neighborhoods to pay meeting, mailing and publicity expenses.  It has been a true public process bringing citizens into greater understanding of growth and development issues, a closer stewardship for our neighborhoods, and a more informed and educated community about concepts that will define our future.

 

Like Sunnyland, the York Neighborhood Association sponsored many meetings and worked for five years on planning issues.  The City Council, in docketing York’s Plan Amendments in 2009, demonstrated respect for our efforts and an acknowledgment that neighborhood organizations  should be afforded the full public process.  Like Sunnyland, York’s request for docketing was not supported by the Planning Department or Planning Commission.  However, when the final amendments came to the Council in 2010, you unanimously approved them. 

 

We hope you will see the Sunnyland proposal in the same light. By docketing their proposals, you are providing an opportunity for all parties – siteowners, members of the neighborhood association, and city staff – to participate equally in a public process and to pursue it to completion. Thank you.

 

 

 

Sincerely,

 

(signed by)

 

Kirsti Charlton, YNA President and MNAC Representative

 

YNA Board Members: 

 

Helen Jackson

Anne Mackie

Lisa A Anderson

Judy Hopkinson

Don Hilty-Jones

Carolyne Milling

Thomas R. Scott

Carolyn Mulder

David Hopkinson