City Regulations & Codes

Here you will find links to the City’s various codes, regulations, and standards. If you can’t find what you are looking for, please call the Community Development Department at 360-685-2379, and we will try and locate it for you.

Critical Areas Ordinance

The Washington State Growth Management Act (RCW 36.70A) requires that jurisdictions plan for growth in part by adopting regulations intended to protect the functions of critical areas such as wetlands. The city has adopted the following to meet that requirement.

Resources

Shoreline Management & Protection

The Shoreline Management Act of 1971 (RCW 90.58) requires that jurisdictions within Whatcom County develop or amend a Shoreline Master Program by December 1, 2005. The City of Ferndale amended its shoreline program in 2006 and received final approval in 2008.

Resources

SEPA

The State Environmental Policy Act (RCW 43.21C), otherwise known as SEPA, was established in 1972 and requires that proposals that could have an impact on the environment provide documentation to the jurisdiction identifying the potential impacts and possible mitigation measures to address the impacts. The environmental document is typically a SEPA Checklist (see resources section). Upon review of the checklist and the probable impacts, the City will make a threshold determination. This determination will be in one of the following several forms.

Resources

  • Determination of Non-Significance (DNS): No adverse environmental impacts are expected.
  • Mitigated Determination of Non-Significance (MDNS): The development may generate adverse impacts, but those impacts can be addressed through specific mitigation.
  • Determination of Significance (DS): The development will generate impacts that cannot be able to be mitigated. A DS requires that a full study, called an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), be completed.
  • SEPA Checklist (PDF)